Background
Marion Alice Powell was born in Toronto, Ontario.
Marion Alice Powell was born in Toronto, Ontario.
On 5 January 1940 she obtained her private pilot"s license after working to pay for her flying lessons. She then worked as an aircraft inspector at de Havilland Canada, and qualified for her commercial license two years afterwards. She was the second woman in Canada to qualify as an air traffic control assistant.
He helped her gain her instructor"s license in 1942.
After being told about the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) by Violet Milstead, she applied, was tested in Montreal and was admitted to the ATA. Orr and Milstead moved to England in the summer of 1942. Orr"s first flight for the ATA was on 2 June 1943.
Her favourite aircraft to fly was the Spitfire, which she considered "the most beautiful plane ever built."
She began her career ferrying airplanes across the Atlantic, according to her citation for the Order of Canada. The Maidenhead Heritage Centre, the Spiritual Home of the ATA, and the Royal Air Force Museum report that no ATA pilot ferried aircraft across the Atlantic.
Her ATA record card in the Royal Air Force 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 factories, squadrons and other units. She was honourably discharged from the ATA with the rank of second officer in September 1944 with 700 logged hours.
Orr started her own flying school in 1949.
lieutenant opened for business, though she was forced to close and relocate to Maple, Ontario where she had to get permission from the Prime Minister to open her own airfield, Maple Airport. 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. Marion Orr continued to fly until her deteriorating health saw her license revoked in 1994.
She died in 1995 in an automobile accident.
She served with the Air Transport Auxiliary during and was awarded the Order of Canada in 1986. She was awarded the Ninety-Nines Incorporated. Medallion in 1976 in recognition of her outstanding achievements in the field of aviation. As one of Canada"s most distinguished pilots, she was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1993.
In 1981 Orr was named a member of Canada"s Aviation Hall of Fame.
