The Box is a major cultural and heritage attraction and archive, which opened in Plymouth’s city centre in September 2020. Its collection, formally the South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA), is the regional film archive for the South West of England, comprising the combined programme libraries of Westward Television and Television South West (TSW). It also includes a significant number of donated film collections dating back to the early 1890s.
This film is part of Free
Lady Pilots
Talented women become mistresses of the skies.
From the collection of:
Overview
These aviatrices are Ladies by birth, marriage and outstanding achievement. They pursue careers in flying at that time a preserve of the rich and famous. Pauline Gower is born Pauline Mary de Peauly who in 1931 in Kent set up an air taxi service run just by women. She becomes a flying instructor and is responsible for establishing and running the women's section of the Air Transport Auxiliary where civilian pilots are used to move war planes from one airfield to another.
Dorothy Spicer is the first woman to hold all four Air Ministry Ground Engineer’s licences at a time when women are banned from attending technical college; she uses her aeronautical engineering degree to tour as ground crew for Alan Cobham's Flying Circus. Lady Victor Bruce becomes the first woman to fly solo around the world in 1931; the first to fly from England to Japan and across the Yellow Sea. Winifred Spooner is the the winner of the Harmon Trophy as the standout aviatrix of 1929. Irish aviatrix Lady Mary Bailey is the first woman to fly across the Irish Sea and also sets a world's height record. She is awarded Dame Commander of the British Empire for her 8,000 mile solo flight from Croydon to Cape Town.
Related
Watch for free
Jubilee Jubilee
Current affairs 1977 13 mins Location: Bath
A special report looks into the preparations for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee and her subsequent tour of the South West.
Watch for free
Daz with the Blue Whitener Daz with the Blue Whitener
Advert 1967 2 mins Location: Devon
Mrs Cross takes the Daz test but what will the outcome be?
Watch for free
One Per Cent of Us - One in a Hundred One Per Cent of Us - One in a Hundred
Current affairs 1986 52 mins Location: Plymouth
This documentary charts the progress and challenges of disabled people living in the community.
Watch for free
One Per Cent of Us - Children No More One Per Cent of Us - Children No More
Current affairs 1976 45 mins Location: Plymouth
The TV cameras return to Downham School to see what has changed for disabled children since 1966.
Watch for free
Clothes to Please Clothes to Please
Current affairs 1963 1 mins Location: Devon
Responses to questions about dressing to please are of their day.
Watch for free
Smoking Ban Smoking Ban
Current affairs 1970 2 mins Location: Devon
School pupils are quizzed about smoking.
Watch for free
China O'Brien: The Reunion China O'Brien: The Reunion
Documentary 2024 60 mins
Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton and Keith Cooke reunite three decades on from the groundbreaking martial arts classic.
Watch for free
Women in Action Panel Discussion Women in Action Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 28 mins
Action Xtreme - the UK's leading action film studio - hosts this panel discussion with four leading women in action cinema - Soo Cole, Jo Rolison, Jadey Duffield and Ioanna Karavela.
Watch for free
Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 24 mins
Daniel Kokotajlo talks to Nia Childs about Starve Acre, his folk horror about a couple digging deep into grief in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.
Watch for free
Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 30 mins
Sky Peals director Moin Hussain and lead actor Faraz Ayub talk to Tomisin Adepeju about their magic realist drama.
Watch for free
Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell
Documentary 2024 42 mins
Documentary exploring the BFI National Archive’s role in rediscovering and remastering the early films of Michael Powell.
Watch for free
Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels
Short documentary 2024 12 mins
Bryony Dixon, curator of silent film at the BFI national archive, explores the origins of a series of comic travelogues, and Michael Powell's involvement in making them.