Margot Duhalde facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Margot Duhalde
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Margot Duhalde APA photo
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| Born | 12 December 1920 Río Bueno |
| Died | 5 February 2018 (aged 97) Santiago |
Margot Duhalde Sotomayor (born 1920, died 2018) was a brave Chilean pilot. She flew planes during World War II for a special group called the Air Transport Auxiliary. Margot was a true pioneer. She was Chile's first female military pilot. She was also the first woman to work as an air traffic controller in Chile. Margot was the last Chilean person who fought in World War II to pass away.
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Margot's World War II Adventures
Margot Duhalde learned to fly planes in Santiago, Chile. This was at the Air Club of Chile. When World War II began, Margot wanted to help. She joined a group of French and Chilean volunteers. She traveled by ship all the way to Europe. Her goal was to join the French Free Forces as a pilot.
She arrived in Liverpool, England, in April 1941. At first, things were tough. She was held in jail in London for five days. They thought she might be a spy! After her release, she learned that the French Free Forces did not accept women pilots. Instead, they wanted her to do chores like cooking.
But Margot didn't give up on her dream of flying. She soon found out about the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA). This group needed pilots to move aircraft. The ATA was willing to accept women pilots. Margot quickly applied to join them.
Even though she spoke almost no English, she was trained to fly. She learned to pilot many types of planes. This included both single-engine and twin-engine aircraft. She also flew both British and American planes. For four years, Margot flew over 900 aircraft. These were 70 different kinds of planes! She moved them from English bases to battle zones. These zones were in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Margot became a first officer in the ATA.
Life After the War
After World War II ended in 1945, Margot continued flying. She flew warplanes for the French Air Force. This made her France's first female combat pilot. She worked as a transport pilot for the French. Her base was in Meknes, Morocco. In 1946, the French government asked her to show off French aircraft. She traveled to Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, and Chile.
Margot returned to Chile in 1947. However, the national airline, LAN, did not hire women pilots then. So, she took a job as a private pilot for a rich businessman. She worked for him until 1949. Later, Margot opened her own flying school. She also worked as a flight instructor. She became an air traffic controller for the air force.
She was Chile's first female air traffic controller. Margot kept this job until she was 81 years old! Margot Duhalde passed away in Santiago on February 5, 2018. She was 97 years old.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Margot Duhalde received many important awards for her service. In 1946, she was made a Knight of the Legion of Honour. This is a very high award in France. In 2007, she was given an even higher honor. She was made a Commander of the National Order of the Legion of Honour.
In 2009, Margot received the Veteran's Badge. The British ambassador in Santiago, Howard Drake, gave it to her. This badge honored her amazing work with the Air Transport Auxiliary. It recognized her bravery during World War II.
Images for kids
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Margot Duhalde in her Air Transport Auxiliary uniform.
See also
In Spanish: Margot Duhalde para niños
