167:, and qualified for her commercial licence two years afterwards. She was the second woman in Canada to qualify as an air traffic control assistant. In 1942 she married D.K. "Deke" Orr. He helped her gain her instructor's licence in 1942. The marriage was brief and the couple separated later that year, although Marion Orr, as she was now known, would keep her married surname.
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report that no ATA pilot ferried aircraft across the
Atlantic. Her ATA record card in the RAF Museum shows she flew about 15 aircraft types, including the Airspeed Oxford, the only twin-engine machine. None of these types was capable of flying the Atlantic. Instead, she flew aircraft to and from
250:. During her career she flew over 21,000 hours, 17,000 hours as an instructor on single and twin-engine aircraft, on wheels, skis and floats, and helicopters. She also taught around 5000 people to fly. As one of Canada's most distinguished pilots, she was made a Member of the
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and was admitted to the ATA. Orr and
Milstead moved to England in the summer of 1942. Orr officially joined the ATA on 5 April 1943. Her first flight for the ATA was on 2 June 1943. Her favourite aircraft to fly was the
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Marion Orr continued to fly until her deteriorating health saw her licence revoked in 1994. She died in 1995 in an automobile accident.
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Inc. Medallion in 1976 in recognition of her outstanding achievements in the field of aviation. In 1981 Orr was named a member of
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Private communications with
Chairman, Maidenhead Heritage Centre and Head of Archives, Royal Air Force Museum July 2014.
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in 1947 and two years later acquired the company starting her own flying school in 1949. She was forced to close at
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She was honourably discharged from the ATA with the rank of second officer in
September 1944 with 700 logged hours.
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She began her career ferrying airplanes across the
Atlantic, according to her citation for the
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because the airfield was sold for developed purpose; Aero
Activities Limited was relocated to
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Orr assumed the responsibility of Aero
Activities Limited at
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where she had to get permission from the Prime
Minister
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Pauline Gower
Pioneering Leader of the Spitfire Women
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293:Orr biography on Canadian 99s chapter website
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203:, the Spiritual Home of the ATA, and the
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208:factories, squadrons and other units.
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155:Orr was born Marion Alice Powell in
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215:Post-war career, life and honours
131:who was the first woman to run a
391:. Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame
360:. The Governor General of Canada
447:Air Transport Auxiliary pilots
442:Members of the Order of Canada
248:Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame
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267:History of aviation in Canada
183:, she applied, was tested in
389:"Member Profile Marion Orr"
358:"Mrs. Marion A. Powell Orr"
175:After being told about the
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235:to open her own airfield,
201:Maidenhead Heritage Centre
452:Canadian women aviators
177:Air Transport Auxiliary
137:Air Transport Auxiliary
135:. She served with the
205:Royal Air Force Museum
99:Pioneer female aviator
437:Women in World War II
333:. The History Press.
329:Hill, Alison (2022).
309:archive.atamuseum.org
77:Peterborough, Ontario
242:She was awarded the
143:and was awarded the
427:People from Toronto
165:de Havilland Canada
40:Marion Alice Powell
432:Canadian aviators
340:978 0 7509 9682 2
233:Louis St. Laurent
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252:Order of Canada
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181:Violet Milstead
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107:D.K. "Deke" Orr
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395:30 September
393:. Retrieved
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364:30 September
362:. Retrieved
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312:. Retrieved
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244:Ninety-Nines
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225:Barker Field
221:Barker Field
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171:World War II
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141:World War II
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114:Marion Alice
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71:(1995-04-04)
69:4 April 1995
50:25 June 1918
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422:1995 deaths
417:1918 births
411:Categories
314:21 January
273:References
151:Early life
46:1918-06-25
254:in 1993.
179:(ATA) by
147:in 1986.
261:See also
190:Spitfire
185:Montreal
79:, Canada
60:, Canada
161:Ontario
157:Toronto
139:during
129:aviator
89:Aviator
58:Ontario
54:Toronto
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199:. The
125:Powell
123:(born
104:Spouse
397:2020
366:2020
335:ISBN
316:2024
66:Died
36:Born
117:Orr
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349:^
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121:CM
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29:CM
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