Spitfire Sisters (2010)

Spitfire Sisters is a documentary film about the female pilots who worked for the British Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) during World War Two. Here is some basic information about this film which premiered in 2010:

** Directors: Tristan Loraine and Sandra Skibsted

** Writer: Tristan Loraine

** Narrators: Samantha Irving and Laven Maddox

** Run time: 50 minutes

Several persons were interviewed for the film, including some of the few female pilots who were still alive when the film was being made. Here are their names:

** Baroness Betty Boothroyd (born 1929) – a British politician - member of the House of Lords

** Margot Duhalde (1920-2018) – ATA pilot (from Chile)

** Mary Ellis (1917-2018) – ATA pilot

** Margaret Frost (1920-2014) – ATA pilot

** Annette Hill – ATA pilot

** Joy Lofthouse (1923-2017) – ATA pilot

** Yvonne MacDonald – ATA pilot

** Freydis Sharland (1920-2014) – ATA pilot

** Peter Garrod – ATA pilot

** Richard Poad – Maidenhead Heritage Centre - chairman

** Eric Viles – ATA chairman

ATA was a civilian organisation that worked with the Royal Air Force. ATA pilots transported new planes from factories to military airbases. More than 150 female pilots worked for ATA during the war.

Female pilots were not allowed to fly in combat. At first, they were only allowed to fly one or two types of planes. Eventually, they were allowed to fly almost any type of military plane. The most famous plane that they flew was the Spitfire. Hence the title of the film “Spitfire Sisters.”

What do reviewers say about it? On IMDb it has a rating of 85 per cent, which corresponds to 4.25 stars on Amazon. As you can see, this rating is quite good. But if you ask me, it is not good enough. I want to go all the way to the top with this product. I think it deserves a rating of five stars.

PS # 1. For more information about the Battle of Britain, see the following items:

** First Light (2010) – a movie about Spitfire pilot Geoffrey Wellum

** Spitfire (2018) – a documentary film about the famous plane and its role during the war

** Hurricane (2018) – a movie about the Polish pilots who joined the RAF and fought for Britain during the war

PS # 2. For more information about the female ATA pilots, see the following books:

** Spitfire Women of World War II by Giles Whittell (2007, 2008)

** Spitfire Girl: My Life in the Sky by Jackie Moggridge (2014)

** A Spitfire Girl by Mary Ellis as told to Melody Foreman (2016)

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