Mrs Hilda Beatrice Hewlett

Royal Aero Club Certificate No. 122 (29 Aug 1911)

  in 1911, aged 47

Wow, nice... ummm... what is that exactly? 

b. Hilda Beatrice Bird, 17 Feb 1874 in Vauxhall, London; married novelist Maurice Hewlett. Created and ran the first flying school in the UK, and then a successful aircraft manufacturing business with Gustav Blondeau. Her 20-year-old son Francis got his RAeC certificate shortly after she did (No 156). He later became an Air Commodore.

Emigrated to New Zealand (to get away from "crowds, convention and civilization") and died there 21 Aug 1943.

See Hewlett, Gail (2010) 'Old Bird - The Irrepressible Mrs Hewlett' (Troubadour Publishing Ltd, Leicester, ISBN 978 1848763 371)

First British Woman to hold an RAeC Certificate.