Yvonne MacDonald

British born, was still in school when the war started. In 1943, as Yvonne Wheatley, a young RAF widow, she was, along with her sister Joy Gough (now Lofthouse) among the first ab initio pilots whom the ATA took in and trained. Given twelve hours to solo she progressed through the various flight and ground school hazards, and ended the war ferrying 20 different types, including light twins but mostly single engine fighters. " Not a big deal when compared to the record of Lettice Curtis, of whom we were all in awe". But not bad for a non technical young woman who, on her husbands death early in 1943, was judged incapable of driving a car safely from the north of England to her home in the south.
Living in the US since 1946, and only recently became a full fledged citizen, she has 5 children from a second marriage, one English, one Canadian, and three Americans. In addition to her family life, her postwar activities have included volunteer work such as driving an ambulance, social work with Children's Services, and the Prison Association.
Cape Cod on the east coast is her home, but she manages to get back every year to the ATA gatherings.