Going It Alone
Cato Williamson
Cato “Dinky” Williamson (maiden name Ladan) was one of the first South African female pilots. The tiny woman used to ride around on a Harley Davidson and even in her 80s she would ride from Cape Town to Johannesburg and back, alone on her Packard motorcycle. Her brother, Eduard, said that she was so small that she had to sit on pillows when flying or motorcycling. She passed away in Kalk Bay in August 1989. Her funeral was held at the St James church in Kalk Bay. Cato was born in the Netherlands in 1893. At the age of 18, she married Bill Williamson, a pilot. By 1929, Cato and Bill were flying around South Africa. During WWII, Bill flew planes to Crete but was injured during a flight and was made Adjutant at Wingfield. He passed away in 1942.
Ann White
Ann White learnt to fly at Virginia Airport in 1964 with her husband. Both served on the flying and executive committees of the Durban Wings Club for many years. Ann went on to do a commercial pilot’s licence and Instructor’s and Instrument Ratings. She was a member of the Aero Club power flying committee in 1972-3 and served on the executive committee of the Aero Club in 1973. The same year she was awarded Aero Club Gold Wings for her services to flying, especially in Natal. While a private pilot, she participated in flying competitions and won a number of trophies in the Women’s Aviation Association competitions. In 1971 Ann was awarded the Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarship by the International Organisation of Women Pilots – the Ninety-Nines. This enabled her to get an open rating on singles and a conversion to Cessna 310/320 series. In 1984 she was awarded the Paul Tissandier Diploma.
Goosen sisters
Jean Goosen and her sister Agnes were the first women in South Africa to earn their private pilot’s licence after WWII.
Valerie Wiggett
In 1988 Valerie Harriot Wiggett, then a public relations officer in Cape Town, and Monique Masson of Pretoria, were selected to be the first women to undergo pilot training in the SAAF. Later that year, the Air Force changed their decision.
A disappointed Valerie then enrolled for a BA arts degree. She eventually managed to get a bank loan to pay for lying lessons and obtained her private pilot’s licence. Her father is retired SAAF Brig.-Gen. Barry A.A. Wiggett, a fighter pilot in the Korean War and was awarded the American Distinguished Flying Cross. During his career he was commanding officer of Langebaanweg, Dunnottar and Air Force College. He was one of the SAAF’s first helicopter pilots. Valerie has nine siblings and was born in Langebaan in 1966. One of Valerie’s cousins was an Impala pilot and her brother-in-law was a Puma pilot. There are seven pilots in the Wiggett family. Valerie matriculated from Hoërskool Vredenburg where she was the first English-speaking head girl. Afterwards she spent a year in St Paul, Minnesota, USA, as a Rotary exchange student. She has taught English in Japan and is currently working for Media City in Dubai.
Monique’s father is Bob Masson who was a test pilot for Atlas.
Sue Beatty
Sue Beatty is a helicopter pilot. To get her licence she offered secretarial work in exchange for flying lessons. She’d offer to move the helicopter from the grass to the cement pad, logging five minutes. Eventually she applied for and won a national grant to do her commercial license, passing the exams at first attempt. Sue joined Court helicopters. Later on she went to the USA where she saw a S-61 helicopter logging in Oregon. She is now a support pilot in Oregon, with her sights set on flying the logging helicopters. She purchased a trailer (caravan) and takes it wherever her job takes her, along with her cat. Sue married Peter Dinkerlacker in November 1999.
Nadia Gous and Shelley Gould
In May 2006, Base 4 Flight Academy in Cape Town was training 18 female helicopter pilots. Nadia Gous and Shelley Gould are flight instructors at the company. Nadia has been flying for five years, taking her first helicopter flight at the age of 16. Her father was a SAAF Colonel and her mother is an administration manager at a flying club.
Shelley is an outdoors person who enjoys mountain biking and hiking. After obtaining a B.Sc. she worked for an investment bank overseas. Her brother Michael is a pilot and she became interested in flying. In June 2006, Shelley was seriously injured when the Grand Caravan she was co-piloting crashed in southern Mozambique. The other co-pilot died in the crash.