Florence Isabella Heaton, Ninette

Ninette Heaton was one of a handful of aviatrixes back in the early 30's. She was taught to fly by a chap named Valentine Baker. He taught King Edward VIII ( the one who abdicated) to fly at the time. She flew solo by the age of 17 and had her own plane called a Waco. When she returned to live in the USA before WWII broke out, she was told she was too young to take a Drivers licence! http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/llanfairfechan-pil...

Ninette was mentioned in 1933 Flight magazine, an August issue has her flying her brother to Scotland and a friend to the Isle of Wight and November, instrument/inverted flying with Davy. Heston Flying News, describes "a pretty American took her A license on her 17th birthday", (born on the 11th?) although her certificate (number 11246) says July 18, 1933, in a Tiger Moth.

My aunt Ninette was a wonderful woman. She had to give up stunt flying as at the age of 22, she blacked out over San Francisco Bay. She just managed to pull out of it in time to save her plane and life. After that, she never did stunt flying.

When she was about 86, she took a flight on the Concord over San Francisco Bay. It was a touristy thing. A flight for an hour. Seeing as she had been in at the early stages of flying, she wanted to experience the ultimate flight!

She married a Captain ? Manning who was Commodore of the Cunard Lines in the 30's. He was also Amelia Erharts navigator for part of her fateful flight. She decided she had to lose weight on the plane so amongst other things, he was left behind...perhaps her biggest mistake!

Faith Mackenzie 13 March 2015