Scott, Sheila (1927–1988)
Scott, Sheila (1927–1988)
British aviator. Name variations: Sheila Christine Scott. Born Sheila Christine Hopkins, April 27, 1927, in Worcester, Worcestershire, England; died Oct 20, 1988, in London, England; m. Rupert Bellamy, 1945 (div. 1950).
Became a trainee nurse at Haslar Naval Hospital (1944), where she tended the wounded during WWII; spent a year acting with a reportory company under the stage name Sheila Scott; worked as a model (1945–59); began flying (1959) and won De Havilland Trophy (1960); set over 100 records by 1971; completed longest consecutive solo flight around world (1965); flew equator to equator over North Pole in a flight monitored by NASA (1971), the 1st pilot, male or female, to fly directly over true North Pole in a light aircraft; made many public appearances to raise money for other flights and founded British section of Ninety Nines and British Balloon and Airships Club. Made an Officer of the British Empire (OBE, 1968).
See also memoirs I Must Fly (1968), On Top of the World (1973) and Barefoot in the Sky (1974).