I was watching “Fighting the Blue” yesterday on the Yesterday channel, and it was all about ATA, and particularly female pilots. I’ve seen a number of programs on the subject, delivering aircraft all over the UK, getting papers signed off after landing, being fed and assigned accommodation, etc.
After the plane was delivered, how did they get back to base? Did they have to make their own way via trains, or was there an ATA aircraft that followed them around collecting them all?
I don’t think it has ever been mentioned in the documentaries I’ve seen.
By: Snoopy7422 - 3rd April 2014 at 19:30
The sound is awful on that YT version, the original sound on the DVD is fine.
By: DaveF68 - 3rd April 2014 at 13:50
As far as possible, crews were picked-up and returned to base the same day. The air-taxi was usually, but not always, an Anson. There is an excellent DVD called ‘Ferry Pilot’, made in the war. There are no actors, and all the participant (Some very famous.) use pseudonyms, apart from one who is not seen close-up. They sell this at the RAFM and I think the IWM too. Look on their websites.
It’s on Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs9bWEYt9qY
although the sound is very poor on my pc
By: Arabella-Cox - 3rd April 2014 at 12:47
Thanks for the responses.
By: Tango Charlie - 3rd April 2014 at 12:32
Tango Charlie’s Proctor III was used as an ATA air-taxi
Indeed she was Mike J. Operating mainly from Thame and White Waltham. Fascinating history is coming to light about this Proctor with three wartime pilots still with us, all who logged time in her.
Joy Lofthouse was checked out on her at Barton aerodrome near Luton by the late Denis Lead. Nicholas his son has his log books which show over 70 hours in LZ791. Other entries include Prestwick, Luton, Harwarden
Lyneham, West Raynham, to name but a few. Many of these would have been drop of/collecting of aircrew
By: D1566 - 3rd April 2014 at 12:07
… and Stinson Reliants too.
By: Mike J - 3rd April 2014 at 12:01
Tango Charlie’s Proctor III was used as an ATA air-taxi
By: Halcyon days - 3rd April 2014 at 11:47
I recall reading and seeing photographs of them using Fairchild Argus aircraft too.
By: Snoopy7422 - 3rd April 2014 at 11:38
As far as possible, crews were picked-up and returned to base the same day. The air-taxi was usually, but not always, an Anson. There is an excellent DVD called ‘Ferry Pilot’, made in the war. There are no actors, and all the participant (Some very famous.) use pseudonyms, apart from one who is not seen close-up. They sell this at the RAFM and I think the IWM too. Look on their websites.
There are also no end of documentaries on You Tube. Search ‘ATA’, ‘Spitfire Girls’ etc.
The girls did stirling work, and there was even an all-female unit, but in all the hoo-haa about the ladies, it’s often forgotten that most of the ATA crews (They weren’t all pilots.) were men. Many were foreign too, that had volunteered prior to the US declaring War. All of them were an interesting bunch with some fascinating stories behind them.
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April 3, 2014 at 11:22 am