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A truly trailblazing pilot, Helen Marcelle Harrison soared above societal norms and became the first female military flying instructor in the world when she taught pupil pilots in the South African Air Force's 1,000-Pilot Plan and the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan in Canada. In her illustrious 35-year career, she earned licenses in four countries and learned to fly floatplanes during Singapore's flying boat era.
Harrison's skill as an aviator did not go un-noticed, and, as a result, in 1942 she was one of twenty-five pilots, described at the time as North America's best, who were selected to travel to the UK and join the renowned Air Transport Auxiliary. Harrison was, therefore, the first Canadian women to serve in the ATA.
The ATA was instrumental during the war, employing male and female pilots to transport aircraft between factories, maintenance units, and front-line squadrons. First Officer Helen Harrison dealt with unflyable weather, mechanical issues, barrage balloons and much more while ferrying thirty-four different warplanes with aplomb, including Spitfires, Mosquitos and Mustangs. First Officer Harrison became the first Canadian woman to perform a cross-Atlantic ferry flight by flying a North American B-25 Mitchell to Britain. The ATA had in effect lowered the barriers and created inclusion for women pilots. The 'Atta girls' became the vanguard for future women pilots.
After the Second World War, although her goal of becoming a commercial pilot seemed unattainable, she focused steadfastly on her flying career. 'The future for women pilots is, I believe, definitely brighter,' she noted cheerfully. 'It is entirely up to the individual girl herself, of course, to make her opportunity in aviation.'
From her early years joy-hopping and stunt-flying in an open-cockpit biplane and her brilliant ATA service flying fast jets, she became 'Floats Harrison', the best floatplane instructor in British Columbia, Canada. Climbing above prevailing institutional prejudices and discrimination. Helen Harrison nurtured her joy of flying by instructing hundreds of pilots. She retired with 14,000 injury-free hours as a pilot-in-command, having flown over 100 different aircraft. Helen became the first woman to be inducted into Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame.
