Come and learn about the women pilots who joined the “Air Transport Auxiliary”, and their role during WW2.

This talk will cover the women pilots in the WW2 “Air Transport Auxiliary” (ATA) who played a vital part in providing the aeroplanes that were need for the RAF to win the air battles over Europe and free up RAF pilots for operational duties.

There will be a special reference to two who came from the Speaker’s home town, Whanganui, in NZ. One was sadly killed in 1944 in a Spitfire crash, the other survived the war and became a flying instructor at the Whanganui Aero Club.

William Lonergan was born in Whanganui, New Zealand, and learnt to fly in the RNZAF. He then went into civil flying as a flying instructor and commercial pilot. He came to the UK in 1959 and joined the RAF and flew as a fighter pilot, flying instructor and engineering test pilot. He left the RAF in 1976 and went into management and computer consultancy.

He “retired” 6 years ago and flies ex-RAF training aeroplanes as a member of the Skyhawks formation display team.