Vera Elsie Strodl Dowling

Vera Elsie StrodI Dowling was born July 16, 1918 in Braughing, Hertfordshire, England. She received her first airplane ride at the age of twelve on the Isle of Wight. This experience, in an Avro 504K, made her determined to become a pilot. She took her first dual instruction on Gipsy Moth G-AAAV at the Sussex Aero Club in Wilmington, Sussex. While working in a cafe kitchen she had to save two weeks wages and tips to pay for a 20 minute flying lesson.

In January of 1937, StrodI Dowling qualified for Pilot's 'A' Licence #11442. She applied for employment at Phillips and Powis Aircraft Ltd. Miles Aircraft and learned about wood and fabric construction of aircraft. The following year she trained and qualified as an Aircraft Inspector, #PP79, inspecting aircraft as they came off the assembly line.

In 1938 she trained for and received her Glider Pilot's 'A' and 'B' certificates, gaining both on the same flight, at the Oxford University and City Gliding Club. At this time she joined the Civil Air Guard as a pilot, continuing in this role until the outbreak of World War II.

In 1939 she went to work as an aircraft inspector for H.H. Martyn of Gloster Aircraft Ltd. inspecting the manufacture of parts for the Gladiator fighter. It was here that she learned about rivet construction on aircraft. At the outbreak of WW II she worked for Taylorcraft Aeroplane England Ltd. as a test pilot of a prototype which later became the famous observer aircraft, the Auster.

In 1941 Strodl Dowling joined the Air Transport Auxiliary, #W60, as a Ferry Pilot, under the auspices of BOAC. She ferried numerous types of fighters, bombers and training aircraft from factories to maintenance units in the British Isles to front line bases and returned damaged aircraft to repair depots and to scrap. Pilots in this ferry group flew without radio and navigation aids, often through difficult weather conditions and having to avoid the cables of barrage balloons. During the war she did broadcasts on BBC radio and dropped morale-building leaflets over Denmark. For this secret work she received the Freedom Fighters Medal from Denmark after the war.

In 1946 Strodl Dowling traveled to the United States on a visa and qualified for an American Commercial Pilots Licence. As well, she trained on the Grumman Widgeon and the Republic Seabee to obtain an amphibian and float endorsement. When she returned to England, she ferried the first civilian Auster aircraft to Sweden and spent two years working as Charter and Commercial Pilot for Ostermans Aero, Stockholm, on flying boats and float and ski equipped aircraft.

Strodl Dowling qualified as Flying Instructor #1739 in 1947 and joined the Women's Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (WRAFVR #2654771) as pilot, and served for four years learning aerobatics, formation flying, instrument and night flying. In 1952 she was one of the first twelve women to hold an Officer's Commission in the WRAFVR.

She was appointed Chief Flying Instructor at Sandown, Isle of Wight in 1949. In 1950 she was appointed Royal Aero Club Official Observer #274 and was qualified to conduct Pilot Licence Examinations.

In 1952 she graduated through the WRAFVR from University of the Air, Air Service Training, Hamble, Southampton with an Instrument Rating. The same year, she immigrated to Canada and was appointed Flying Instructor at the Lethbridge Flying Club in Alberta, which included the RCAF Chipmunk Program, a refresher training program for RCAF reserve pilots. She was also appointed Royal Aero Club Official Observer for Canada which qualified her to conduct commercial and private examinations for pilots wishing to hold valid British Pilots Licences.

Strodl Dowling was the first female flight instructor in Alberta.  In 1954 she operated a satellite training school at Pincher Creek, Alberta, managed by the Lethbridge Flying Club. She remained with that club for five years.

The Edmonton Flying Club's manager, Maury Fallow, hired her in 1957 as Flight Instructor for duties in flight, ground and Link simulator training. An added responsibility was the Edmonton Flying Club's satellite training school at Westlock, Alberta. In 1963 she married Stanford Dowling of Edmonton.

In 1971 she began work at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) as a Ministry of Transport Ground School Instructor in Private Pilot, Commercial and Instrument courses. These were mainly evening courses, and she continued to instruct part time at the Edmonton Flying Club.

Strodl Dowling was honoured in 1971 when she received the Award of Merit from the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators of the British Empire, London, England for outstanding service in the field of aviation. At the time, it was the ninth such medal in the world and the first in Canada. That same year she received a citation from the Canadian Ministry of Transport for her "contribution to Civil Aviation in the Western Region and particularly in Pilot Training." In 1972 she was presented with an award from the Alberta Government recognizing her outstanding achievement in the field of aviation.

In 1975 she was recalled and recommissioned by the Canadian Forces (WRAFVR) to design and teach Air Cadets Pilot's Ground School Academic Courses at CFB Penhold in Alberta. The same year, the Ministry of Transport appointed her a Designated Flight Test Examiner. Strodl Dowling retired from instructing in 1987 with her logbooks totaling over 30,000 hours, but she continued to hold a valid Commercial Pilot's licence in 2000.

She has been honoured many times for her contributions to aviation. In 1982 the International Northwest Aviation Council presented her with its Amelia Earhart Medal. The Western Canada Aviation Museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba presented her the Pioneer in Aviation Award in 1987, and in 1993 the Alberta Aviation Council named her recipient of the Molly Reilly Memorial Trophy.

In 1989 Vera Strodl Dowling travelled to Great Britain to attend the ATA reunion where she and other women pilots were finally recognized for their contributions during the Second World War. She was presented with three medals: The Freedom Medal from Denmark, the Defence Medal, and the WWII Victory Medal.

Her life has been dedicated to serving Jesus Christ and she has shown her concern for her fellow man in many humanitarian ways. She has journeyed to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to minister to leprosy patients and to northern Canada to spread the gospel to First Nations peoples. Vera Strodl Dowling passed away in St. Albert, Alberta on January 11, 2015.

Vera Elsie Strodl Dowling was inducted as a Member of Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame in 2000 at a ceremony held at Wetaskiwin, Alberta.