Jackie Moggridge

Jackie Moggridge (born Dolores Theresa Sorour; 1 March 1922 – 7 January 2004) was a pioneering pilot, the first woman to do a parachute jump in South Africa and the first female airline captain of scheduled passenger services.

Early life Born Dolores Theresa Sorour in Pretoria, South Africa, she decided to call herself Jackie after her sports heroine Jackie Rissik who was famous at the time for playing hockey. She learned to fly and got her ‘A’ flying licence, starting to fly aged fifteen. She became the first woman to do a parachute jump in South Africa aged seventeen. She moved to the United Kingdom in 1938 with the intention of getting her ‘B’ flying licence with the Aeronautical College, Witney, Oxford.

Second World War service Like many women interested in flying for the war effort, she joined the Women's Auxiliary Air Force until she could join the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA). Initially she was based in Rye at a radar station. She was recruited to the ATA by the Women's Commandant, Pauline Gower in July 1940. Moggridge was the youngest of the female pilots at the time. She flew more than 1,500 aircraft of 83 different types.

Jackie Moggridge was awarded the King's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air in 1945. in addition to campaign medals. In 1953 she was awarded the Coronation medal, not a universal issue at the time, and therefore a further recognition of merit.

Moggridge was awarded the Jean Lennox Bird Trophy by the British Women Pilots’ Association in 1959, for furthering the cause of women in aviation, she accepted the award saying "I long for a time when being a woman Captain would be commonplace".