Talk:Freda Thompson

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1937 Awarded King George VI Coronation Medal.

1940 Appointed Commandant of Victorian branch of Women's Air Training Corps, forerunner of Women's Australian Air Force.

1942 Joined Australian Women's Army Service as ambulance driver.

1945 Ferried ex-R.A.A.F wartime planes interstate to Geelong. As her Moth Major had been taken over for wartime training, bought a De Havilland Hornet Moth from fellow pilot, Nancy Lyle, and flew around Australia.

1947 First woman elected to Royal Victorian Aero Club (?) R.V.A.C. committee.

1948 First woman elected as R.V.A.C. President.

1952 Flew Hornet to New Guinea. Did three trips with Sepik Airways as co-pilot, in a Norseman.
1953 Awarded Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal.

1972 Awarded O.B.E.

1973 Presented perpetual trophy, together with individual replicas, for Freda Thompson Aerial Derby, a race around Port Phillip Bay for women, flown annually. After her death and in her memory, Graham Mortimer of WA presented another trophy in the form of a replica of her Moth Major for a similar race, open to both men and women. These races were flown for the last time on 20th. February, 1988.

1980 4th May, made last flight as co-pilot in Tiger Moth, having held a pilot's licence for 50 years and flown 3330 hours. Licence endorsed to fly D.H. 60, D.H. 82, D.H. 87B, Ryan Stinson, Miles Messenger, Fairchild, Percival Proctor V, Cessna 182, P.A. 22, Miles Whitney Straight, Moth Minor, Beechcraft, P.A. 23.

• Died 11th December 1980 from cancer, after a short period in hospital.
  

Source: http://www.nla.gov.au/ms/findaids/7936.html —Preceding unsigned comment added by 220.101.28.25 (talk) 19:53, 28 March 2010 (UTC)