Vera Strodl

Vera Elsie Strodl Dowling (16 July 1918 – 11 January 2015) was a Danish pilot who gained fame in the Second World War as the only Scandinavian woman to fly for the RAF's Air Transport Auxiliary. Later, based in Alberta, Canada, she instructed pilots under the Commonwealth Training Programme. In May 2000, she was honoured with membership of Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame.

Early life Born in Braughing, Hertfordshire, on 16 July 1918, Later that year, Strodl became an aircraft inspector with Philips & Powis Aircraft Ltd. based in Reading. She left the company for a position at Gloster Aircraft Company, as she wanted to learn about aircraft with riveted metal constructions. In 1939, she had planned to go to Australia, but gave up the idea as war became imminent. Instead, she joined Taylorcraft Aviation Corporation (later called Auster Aircraft Limited) at Rearsby, Leicestershire. Over the next two years, she worked as an aircraft inspector and production test pilot for the company.

Strodl came close to disaster on several occasions. Once she was reported missing and presumed dead when she suddenly turned up in the mess. Strodl's wartime logbook shows she flew some 200 different flights totalling 1,500 hours. Of about 500 ATA pilots, she was one of some 100 women and the only one from Scandinavia to fly for the RAF during the Second World War.

In 1952, Strodl moved to Alberta, Canada, where she worked as a flying instructor, first in Lethbridge, then in Edmonton. She also taught aerobatics.

Personal life In 1963, she married Standford J. Dowling. She continued to fly until 1987. In her seventies, she tested planes from Camrose Airport in Alberta, Canada. On her 85th birthday, she made a parachute jump. All in all, she clocked up over 30,000 flying hours.