Margot Duhalde

Margot Duhalde Sotomayor (12 December 1920 – 5 February 2018)[1] was a Chilean pilot who served with the Air Transport Auxiliary in World War II.

[3] At the outbreak of World War II, Duhalde volunteered with a French-Chilean group and travelled by ship to Europe with the intention of joining the French Free Forces as a pilot.

[4] Upon her release, she was informed that the French Free Forces did not accept women pilots, and she was instead assigned domestic work and kitchen chores.

[3] Although she spoke almost no English, she was trained as a transport pilot to enable her to fly both single and twin-engine aircraft, and both British and American machines.

[4] In 2009 Duhalde received the Veteran's Badge from the British ambassador in Santiago, Howard Drake, for her work with the Air Transport Auxiliary during World War II.