Jackie Moggridge (1922–2004), born Dolores Theresa Sorour in South Africa, became one of the most remarkable female aviators of the 20th century.Renaming herself after her hockey hero, she began flying at 15, becoming South Africa’s youngest licensed female pilot, and at 17 became the first woman in the country to complete a parachute jump.

During World War II, Jackie moved to England to join the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA), a civilian organization that ferried military aircraft from factories to operational squadrons.

Over the course of the war, she delivered more than 1,500 planes, including 83 different types, most famously over 500 Spitfires, which she described as a “lady’s aeroplane” for its agility and responsiveness.

The work was dangerous, with pilots flying without radios or weapons, often in bad weather, and Jackie experienced several close calls and the loss of colleagues on hazardous missions.

After the war, she continued to break barriers in commercial aviation, earning full RAF wings in 1953 and later becoming the first female airline captain in the UK.She challenged gender norms throughout her career, including campaigning to break the sound barrier.

Jackie’s legacy is immortalized with her memoir, 'Spitfire Girl: My Life in the Sky,' and in a final tribute, her ashes were scattered from a Spitfire she had once flown.