Air Transport Auxiliary

It was very difficult for a woman pilot, even one as famous as Amy, to get work as a commercial pilot.

In 1939 Amy was flying with the Portsmouth, Southsea and Isle of Wight Aviation Company, mostly making short flights across the Solent but also acting as a target for searchlight batteries and anti-aircraft gunners. Even this work came to an end in March 1940 when the company’s aircraft were taken over by the Air Ministry.

Two months later Amy joined the Air Transport Auxiliary, the organisation responsible for ferrying aircraft from factories to RAF units. She was based at Hatfield but flew aircraft all over the United Kingdom.