Molly Reilly facts for kids

Molly Reilly (born February 25, 1922 – died November 24, 1980) was an amazing Canadian pilot. She was the first woman in Canada to become a flight captain and the first female pilot to work for a company. Molly also became the first woman to fly planes professionally to the Arctic! She even made changes to the Beechcraft Duke airplane that made it better.

During her career, Molly flew for over 10,000 hours as the main pilot. She did all this without a single accident! Molly Reilly is a member of the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame.

Molly's Early Life

An aerial view of Lindsay, Ontario, around 1919.

Molly Reilly was born on February 25, 1922, in Lindsay, Ontario, Canada. She grew up with seven brothers and sisters. At least one of her brothers became a pilot during WWII.

Her Flying Career

Flying During World War II

After finishing high school in 1940, Molly started taking flying lessons. She went to Pat Paterson's Flyers Limited School. One of her teachers was another famous Canadian pilot, Violet Milstead.

Molly's flight training stopped because of WWII. During the war, regular people were not allowed to fly planes. Molly wanted to finish her pilot training, so she tried to join the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). But she was not allowed to join as a pilot because she was a woman.

She also could not join the Air Transport Auxiliary, which accepted women, because she did not have her pilot's license yet. Molly was determined to work with planes. In 1941, she joined the RCAF as a photographer in the new Women's Division. She worked for the RCAF until 1946.

Flying After the War

After WWII ended in 1946, Molly could finally finish her flight lessons. She earned her private pilot's license in Ottawa. By 1947, she had earned her commercial flight license. This meant she could fly planes for money.

In 1947, Molly became famous across Canada. She took part in the Webster Trophy aviation race. She almost won, finishing very close behind the first-place winner. She received the Sanderson Shield for being the runner-up.

After becoming a certified flight instructor, Molly taught flying lessons. She worked at the Leavens Brothers Flying School in Toronto. While working there, she kept improving her flying skills. She learned to fly planes with multiple engines and how to fly using only instruments. She also learned to fly seaplanes in Port Alberni.

In 1953, Molly went to England to get more advanced pilot licenses. A year later, she was hired as the chief flying instructor for Canadian Aircraft Renters. In 1957, she became a full-time charter pilot for the company. She was transferred to Southern Provincial Airlines. This made her the first Canadian female pilot to reach the rank of captain.

While working at Southern Provincial Airlines, Molly became the first woman to fly planes professionally to the Arctic. She also helped create the company's air ambulance service in Eastern Canada. This service used planes to help sick or injured people.

A Beechcraft Duke aircraft.

In 1959, Molly took a new job with Peter Bawden Drilling in Calgary. She was a co-pilot on a DC-3 airliner. She flew a lot in Canada's North. She flew between major oil fields and to places like Frobisher Bay and Resolute Bay. Molly often flew in very bad weather, with poor visibility, and few navigation tools.

In 1965, Molly joined Canadian Coachways (later Canadian Utilities). She was hired as their chief pilot. This made her the first female corporate pilot in Canada. She flew a Beechcraft Duke airplane all over North America. Molly even made changes to the aircraft to help it fly better in the Arctic. The chairwoman of Beechcraft, Olive Beech, personally praised Molly for her improvements.

Awards and Recognition

In 1974, Molly Reilly was honored for her achievements. She was inducted into the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame.

Molly's Personal Life

In 1959, Molly married fellow pilot Jack Reilly. She had met him at her first job after the war. Jack was her co-pilot on the DC-3 airliner at Peter Bawden Drilling.

Molly Reilly passed away on November 24, 1980. By the end of her amazing career, she had flown over 10,000 hours as the main pilot. She did all this without ever having an accident.