On This Day

Friday 9th December 1927

92 years ago

The Hon Mrs Victor Bruce and her husband, assisted by J.A. Joyce, started a 10-day endurance record in fog at Montlhéry, driving an AC Six fitted with a racing screen but minus roof, mudguards and lights. The average speed was 68 mph (109 km/h) over about 15,000 miles (24,140 km).‪ On 6 June 1929, she drove a Bentley 4½ Litre at Montlhéry for 24 hours, to capture the world record for single-handed driving, averaging over 89 miles per hour (143 km/h). She is said to be the first woman ever arrested for speeding, on her brother's motorcycle, appearing before Bow Street police court in 1911 in her teens. In every race she wore a skirt, blouse and a string of pearls, her trademark as a ladylike professional. While window shopping in London in June 1930 she was astonished to see an aeroplane and bought it to fly around the world because it had wings that could be folded and carried between the continents by ship. She bought a Blackburn Bluebird, took flying lessons with its maker Norman Blackburn, and set out after only 40 hours of flying experience.When reporters clamoured for her itinerary she refused, figuring that if she lost her way nobody would know, and rejoiced when the press called it a mystery flight. With only a small shoulder bag containing her husband's compass, her passport, logbook, a bottle of water, sun helmet, light cotton dresses and an evening frock, Mrs Bruce took off from Heston Field, now Heathrow Airport, near London, on September 25, 1930.Great Britain, still a colonial power, provided her with contacts to supply fuel, lodging and occasional rescue en route.Mrs Bruce became the first person to fly from England to Japan, the first to cross the Yellow Sea, and the first woman to circumnavigate the world alone. The press unkindly dubbed her the "flying housewife" but though she was overshadowed by her contemporaries, Amy Johnson and Amelia Earhart, Mrs Bruce has remained an inspirational heroine to womankind. Upon her return in triumph she resumed car racing, joined a flying circus, flew helicopters, and won many horse show ribbons. Mrs Bruce pioneered mid-air refuelling in Britain and was a major force in pre-war commercial aviation, establishing several freight and passenger airlines. Her factory rebuilt damaged RAF planes during the Second World War, and when peace returned she continued her entrepreneurial ways that made her a millionaire. She never lost her love of speed, driving a Ford Ghia Capri at 110mph aged 79, her fastest speed. At age 81 she "looped the loop" in a De Havilland Chipmunk monoplane.