Nancy-Bird Walton, Famous Australian Aviatrix

1930s Pilot Who Saved Lives in the Outback in Australia

Dec 2, 2008

Nancy Bird barnstormed in rural Australia, later transporting nurses and patients to medical aid. Recently Qantas named their first Airbus A380 after her.

Back in 1933, Nancy Bird learned to fly, then bought her own Gypsy Moth and started earning her living ‘barnstorming’ in the Outback. Later, with a larger aircraft, she began ferrying nurses to patients who lived far from any medical facilities, and flying sick and injured people to hospitals.

Nancy Bird’s Early Life

Nancy was born in 1915 in the tiny country town of Kew in New South Wales, where she was the second in a family of six children. She always wanted to fly, and at the age of 17 she was taught by the legendary Charles Kingsford-Smith. She got her ‘A’ licence (equivalent to a PPL), then managed to qualify for her ‘B’ or commercial licence in 1935.

Earning a Living from Flying

Nancy bought a Gypsy Moth, intending to go barnstorming. In a recent interview with the author of this article, she said: “I made a job for myself. I was flying around the country, finding paddocks as near as possible to race meetings or other gatherings or shows, any kind of function really. I took courageous people on ten shilling flights. That’s how I kept an aeroplane in the air and paid my way”.

Later, Nancy used her aeroplane to ferry nurses to patients, and sick people to wherever medical attention could be found. Nancy is credited with having flown the first air ambulance, but she was quite adamant that this was not the case. “People say I acted as an air ambulance”, she said, “But I was never an air ambulance; I didn’t have a suitable aeroplane”. But there is no doubt that, whatever name you give it, Nancy’s work was incredibly worthwhile and saved quite a few lives.

Giving up Flying

Nancy’s work was far from easy. There was the intense heat of the outback which often produced turbulence, there could be dust storms to contend with, and if there were any problems with the aircraft, Nancy was completely on her own, far from any engineering help. Things finally became too much for her after a difficult flight in 1938, and at the age of 22 she sold her aircraft and gave up flying.

Later Years

Nancy spent some time travelling the world, then met Charles Walton and married him. In 1939 she was asked to become Commandant of the Women’s Flying Club (later the Women’s Air Training Corps) in New South Wales, and she accepted. However, at the end of the war she gave up everything to do with aviation and devoted herself to her domestic duties as a wife and mother.

Nancy’s licence had lapsed in 1938, but she reactivated it in the 1950s. She received an invitation to fly in the Powder Puff Derby in America, and she decided to get her pilot’s licence back. She flew in the race, coming a creditable fifth.

Nancy Today

Australia has finally given Nancy the recognition she deserves. She received an OBE in 1966, has been elected a Living National Treasure, and recently, on September 30th 2008, Qantas honoured her by naming its first Airbus A380 after her.

The copyright of the article Nancy-Bird Walton, Famous Australian Aviatrix in Aviation History is owned by Helen Krasner. Permission to republish Nancy-Bird Walton, Famous Australian Aviatrix in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Apr 5, 2009 10:27 PM

Guest :

Thanx for giving this note and now she died and hello