Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA)

ATA (Air Transport Auxiliary) is a British paramilitary air unit under the authority of the RAF that operated during World War II. It was created in December 1939 to deliver mail and medical equipment. As the war conflict intensified, ATA pilots also began to transport planes from factories, set aside damaged machines for repair and transport technical support. ATA accepted pilots who could not join the RAF – including women, foreigners, elderly men or men with health impairment. The organization was often the source of jokes, and the acronym ATA was humorously changed to Ancient and Tattered Airmen or Always Terrified Airwomen.

Due to the large variety of aircraft (approximately 140 models) that were transported by ATA pilots, each crew member received a special notebook containing basic data and specifications of various types and models of aircraft. For better organization, a 6-level class system was introduced: I – single-engine aircraft, II – advanced single-engine aircraft, III – light with a double engine, IV – advanced with a double engine, V – four-engine aircraft, VI – flying boats.

Polish female pilots also belonged to ATA: Lt. Jadwiga Piłsudska-Jaraczewska, Capt. Stefania Wojtulanis-Karpińska alias “Barbara” and Capt. Anna Leska-Daab. Each of them had hundreds or even thousands of hours flown. As transport pilots, they constantly trained and acquired qualifications to be able to operate various types of aircraft, including fighters (Submarine Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane) and bombers (Handley Page Halifax, Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress). During World War II, over 1,250 pilots from over 25 countries spent approximately 415,000 hours transporting 309 thousand various types of aircraft. The transported planes were not equipped with guns, which made the pilots defenseless in the event of enemy fire. The ATA pilots could not use the radio, and the British weather was not kind to them.