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Summary

Sheila Christine Hopkins Scott, born in England on April 27, 1927, was an English aviator who broke over 100 aviation records through her long distance flight endeavours, which included a 34,000-mile (55,000 km) "world and a half" flight in 1971. On this flight, she became the first person to fly over the North Pole in a small aircraft. This collection consists of Sheila Scott's log book covering the dates May 1, 1971 through May 2, 1972, including her record-setting polar flight.

Biographical / Historical

Sheila Christine Hopkins Scott was born in England on April 27, 1927. During World War II, she served as a nurse in a naval hospital. From the end of the war throughout the 1950s, Scott worked as an actress and a model. In 1960, she earned her pilot's license and began to compete in races, winning both the 1960 De Havilland and Jean Lennox Bird trophies. In the early 1960s, Scott flew as a demonstrator for Cessna and Piper aircraft. Scott made her first around the world flight in 1966, and set several records during the late 1960s. On June 1, 1971, Scott set off from London in a Piper Aztec in an attempt to fly from equator to equator over the North Pole. Scott's aircraft, the Mythre, carried NASA equipment as part of a communications experiment to test the Interrogation Recording and Location System (IRLS) of the Nimbus polar orbiting satellite. With her landing in London on August 4, 1971, Sheila Scott became the first person to fly over the North Pole in a single engine aircraft. Scott is credited with more than 100 light aircraft records amassed throughout her career. In 1968, Scott was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire and, in 1972, was awarded the Royal Aero Club's Gold Medal. Scott also served as governor of the British section of the Ninety-Nines. Sheila Scott died on October 20, 1988.

Identifier

NASM.XXXX.0863

Date

May 1, 1971 - May 2, 1972

Provenance

Donor unknown; date of acquisition unknown; NASM.XXXX.0863

Extent

0.05 Cubic feet (1 folder)

Archival Repository

National Air and Space Museum Archives

Scope and Contents

This collection cnsists of Sheila Christine Hopkins Scott's log book covering the dates May 1, 1971 through May 2, 1972, including her record-setting polar flight. The log book has been water damaged, and a number of entries may not be readable.

Rights

Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.

Restrictions

No restrictions on access

Citation

Sheila Christine Hopkins Scott Journey Log Book, NASM.XXXX.0863, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Topics

Aeronautics

Women air pilots

Aviation

Type

Collection descriptions

Archival materials