| In the early days of flight it was difficult for a lady to | | | | champion and also set a disputed world high jump |
| become a pilot and break into the male dominated | | | | record. In 1925 she wrote the book 'Athletics for |
| realms of aviation. The ladies were often ignored and | | | | Women and Girls'. In the same year she became a |
| had to overcome obstacles of prejudice that did not | | | | delegate to the International Olympic Council and took |
| apply to men. Some of these intrepid, brave and very | | | | her first flying lesson to become a pilot. |
| determined ladies became household names for their | | | | Sophie qualified for her 'A' licence but was prevented |
| daring exploits, others, equally brave and determined, | | | | from obtaining a Commercial Pilot's Licence by the |
| were less well known. | | | | International Commission for Air Navigation which had |
| Born Sophie Catherine Theresa Mary Peirce-Evans in | | | | banned women from becoming Commercial Pilots. |
| Knockaderry, County Limerick, Ireland in 1897 was one | | | | Sophie had already shown her fighting spirit by being |
| of the latter. Life for Sophie started badly when, | | | | the first woman to make a parachute jump. She |
| before her second birthday, her mother was murdered | | | | fought the ban winning a concession that if she |
| by her father. Her father was found guilty but insane. | | | | attended a flight school and passed the test she could |
| Sophie went to live at her grandfather's house in | | | | have the Commercial Licence. This she did and |
| Newcastle West. She was brought up by two spinster | | | | became the first woman to have a Commercial |
| aunts. Sophie had a passion for sports but had to | | | | Licence in Great Britain. The ban was rescinded. |
| battle against the discouragement of her aunts. Her | | | | After setting altitude records for a small plane and in a |
| determination to succeed stood her in good stead at | | | | Shorts seaplane Lady Heath, as she was now known, |
| this time and later in her life. | | | | planned the flight which made her famous. Cape Town |
| Sophie spent her school days in Dublin and, later joined | | | | to London. The flight was scheduled to take three |
| The Royal College of Science in Ireland. She | | | | weeks but took over three months lasting from |
| completed her studies with a first class degree in | | | | January 1928 to May. She became the first pilot to fly |
| science. She continued with her sports, mainly hockey, | | | | an open cockpit plane on that route. Her fame spread |
| and also wrote articles for the student magazine. | | | | and she did many tours in UK and USA meeting the |
| During the first world war she spent two years as a | | | | President and his wife. In America she was known as |
| dispatch rider and, while in France, Sir John Lavery | | | | 'Queen of the Skies' and 'Britains Lady Lindy'. |
| painted her portrait. By this time she had married and | | | | While in the States she became the first woman to |
| become Mrs Elliot-Lynn only to be widowed a few | | | | take an Air Mechanics licence. In 1929, at the height of |
| years later. She became Lady Heath after her second | | | | her fame, she was badly injured in a crash in America. |
| marriage which was to Sir James Heath in 1928. | | | | She returned to Ireland with her third husband, Gar |
| Sophie moved to England in 1922 and became one of | | | | Williams a pilot from the Caribbean. They became |
| the founders of the Women's Amateur Athletic | | | | involved with private aviation in Ireland training the next |
| Association. She became the first women's Javelin | | | | generation of pilots. |