About Violet Milstead
Violet Milstead Warren (October 17, 1919 – June 27, 2014) was a Canadian aviator, noted for being the first female Canadian bush pilot and one of only four Canadian women to work in the British Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) during WWII. With over 600 hours of flight time during the war, she was the longest serving female Canadian ATA pilot. She worked as a flight instructor at Barker Field in Toronto, Ontario, and her students included commercial pilot Molly Reilly and author June Callwood. She is a member of the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame, the Order of Canada, and the Bush Pilots Hall of Fame. == Early life == Milstead was born October 17, 1919, in Toronto, Ontario. Her parents were Edith and Harold Milstead, and she had one brother named Fred. Milstead was taken out of school at the age of 15 in order to help at her mother's wool shop. Although she first aspired to become a surgeon, by the time she was 16 she was determined to become a pilot instead. Milstead saved up money for flying lessons from working at her mother's shop. She took her first flying lesson on September 4, 1939. Only six months after her first flying lesson, she had earned both her private and commercial aviation licenses.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.