Yvonne Pope Sintes - Trailblazer in Flight: Britains First Female Jet Airline Captain

First Published in Great Britain in 2013 by

Pen & Sword Aviation

an imprint of

Pen & Sword Books Ltd

47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2AS

Copyright Yvonne Pope Sintes

ISBN 9781783462674

eISBN 9781473831544

The right of Yvonne Sintes Pope to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is
available from the British Library.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the Publisher in writing.

Typeset in 10/12pt Palatino
by GMS Enterprises

Printed and bound in England by
CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY

Pen & Sword Books Ltd incorporates the Imprints of Pen & Sword
Aviation, Pen & Sword Family History, Pen & Sword Maritime, Pen & Sword
Military, Pen & Sword Discovery, Wharncliffe Local History, Wharncliffe
True Crime, Wharncliffe Transport, Pen & Sword Select, Pen & Sword
Military Classics, Leo Cooper, The Praetorian Press, Remember When,
Seaforth Publishing and Frontline Publishing.

For a complete list of Pen & Sword titles please contact

PEN & SWORD BOOKS LIMITED

47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS, England
E-mail: enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk
Website: www.pen-and-sword.co.uk

I would like to gratefully thank all the people who have helped and encouraged me.

Firstly, without the bullying of Graham Simons and the backing up of his wife, Anne this book would not be here. I also wish to thank Laura Hirst and all at Pen & Sword for their faith and patience!

Captain Leslie Gosling, BOAC started everything off by suggesting I became a flying instructor and my instructor husband, Eric Pope, agreed.

Captain Jock Hunter with the Civil Aviation Flying Unit became my mentor, his kind wife, Betty putting me together again when necessary.

Despite prejudice, Captain Charles Argles of Morton Air Services enabled me to become a commercial pilot - he said it was because I was mad enough to go on their night paper flights!

However, it was Captain Bob Atkins who having accepted me as a pilot with Dan-Air, enabled me to become a jet captain.

Advice and encouragement for the writing of this book came from Captain Arthur Larkman and his wife Joy.

Captain Keith Moody was indeed kind enough to write the forward, having read the manuscript while on holiday! He and his wife Barrie kept my spirits up all the way, also giving sound advice.

I am very grateful for the interest of all my friends, including Rosemary and Derek Joyce, ex Air Traffic Controllers who have checked through my manuscript and have never ceased to encourage me. Other friends Berry Hudson and Maureen Sterling have helped with photocopying and my grandson Lewis Pope with scanning to make sure. I cannot thank my daughter-in-law Barbara Pope enough for transcribing my manuscript on to her computer in order to make it acceptable and for doing much behind the scenes.

I cannot thank everyone individually, but hope that they will all feel it was worthwhile - the support and understanding of my own family being the most important.

Finally, special thanks to my son Jon for his practical help and my grand-daughter Samantha for her assistance.

Captain Keith J Moody (Retd)

When I started my flying career as a Pilot in the fifties, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself flying with two women pilots from time to time. These ladies were used on short contract and were ex-Air Transport Auxiliary Pilots from World War II. They did a magnificent job delivering all types of aircraft including fighters and bombers from the aircraft factories to Royal Air Force airfields.

Following on, Yvonne started as a flying instructor. Then, as the first female Ministry civilian Radar Controller, where the ability to think things through clearly was essential, she showed the characteristic determination to succeed, which remained with her even though the chauvinistic attitude of many of her compatriots initially made life difficult for her.

Yvonne Pope Sintes began airline work as a Hostess with British Overseas Airways, learnt to fly with their Airways Aero Club and ended as a Senior Jet Captain with Dan-Air Services, the first woman in Britain to become an Airline Jet Captain.

In 1964, having gained experience and flying hours on the Dakota doing night paper flights, Yvonne managed to persuade Morton Air Services to employ her as a full time First Officer and her flying career took off!

Having overcome considerable opposition to the hiring of women pilots and also personal tragedy in the death of her first husband the day following the birth of their second son, this lady perpetuates the spirit of the British Air Transport Auxiliary and American Women Air Force Service Pilots.

In 1974, Yvonne received the Whitney Straight Award for her Services to Aviation recognition of a fight well fought and won!

These days, Yvonne is held in well deserved high esteem and affection by her peers in the aviation world, and personally, my admiration of her many achievements and successes has not diminished in any way over the years I have known her.

This is a fascinating and amazing story and well worth reading!

Just some of the places we visited - often only seeing the airports!

We cant land there!

I think the Queen would understand.

The fuel gauge had suddenly plummeted towards the empty mark the only possible site was Windsor Great Park.

Before landing we made a dummy run to warn the strollers of our intention. Just before touchdown I shouted Mind the cakes!

After rolling to a gentle stop, Eric visually checked the fuel tank, while I inspected the rear locker. The fuel was ample, there was no leak; the Tiger Moth gauge was up to its usual tricks, and the cakes were secure.

We thankfully took off and flew on to our destination, Denham, where, to our great relief, we found the icing on our wedding cakes to be completely undamaged!

An immediate phone call was made to the police in case the bemused onlookers had complained. Two days later we were married and flew away to another unauthorized landing...

How British European Airways judged my chances of employment.

It was a beautiful clear sunny day, early in the summer of 1939. I was standing in the garden behind our house watching the tree tops of our wood being rustled by a gentle breeze. I suddenly saw an aircraft climbing up over the trees. It was etched against the blue of the sky. From that moment, I knew I had to fly.

We lived in Purley, near Croydon Airport, from which my father flew on business to Europe. Each time we went to the airport, I became more fascinated by the different aircraft and more determined that when I left school, I would somehow earn enough money to learn to fly.