
Flying high: TV star Carol Voderman celebrated International Woman’s day on Tuesday by revealing her inspiration
Carol Vorderman observed International Woman’s day on Tuesday by uncovering she was roused by a female pilot to take flying example.
The TV character, 61, took to Instagram to recount the narrative of Mildred Bruce, an adrenaline junkie who was the explanation she started taking to the skies.
Close by photographs of Mildred, Carol shared snaps of herself in the cockpit as well as presenting on the landing area while remained on the wing of the airplane.
The star conceded she was so propelled she even named her plane after the globe-trotter.
In a single shot Carol looks more joyful than at any other time as she flies the plane in a couple of enormous pilot shades and Royal Air Force baseball cap.
In another she grins close to a secret man, as they present before a plane, her long hair falling onto her face and shoulders.
Carol captioned the photos: ‘I want to tell you of my inspiration. MILDRED BRUCE. She was wild. Born in 1895, she became the first woman to be fined for speeding. She was only 14 riding too fast on her brother’s motorbike’.
‘She was a single parent by the age of 20, which back then was considered to be shameful, but she went on to become a champion rally driver, coming 4th in the Monte Carol rally and setting world records for the 24 hour challenge’.
‘She drove non stop and solo for 24 hours averaging a speed of 89mph. Extraordinary’.


‘Then she turned her hand to flying. In 1930 she bought a small plane, took flying lessons and after only ever flying a few miles alone from her home airfield in England she took off around the world’.
‘Brave and fearless Mildred crashed and had adventures only you and I could dream of….after fixing her aircraft she flew on, was the first woman to fly to Japan. When she encountered oceans she folded up the wings of her little plane and put it onto a cruise liner. She always flew with a string of pearls around her neck, I loved that about her. Ha.’
‘She flew across America and buzzed the Empire State Building so many times they arrested her on landing. Undeterred, she flew on to the UK. This is all before aircraft were built which had the capacity for solo flight across the oceans’.


“After being part of a flying circus, she became a businesswoman and set up an airline of 30 Dragons. She was the first airline to employ flight attendants. She partied hard at the Dorchester (did that bit for 5 years myself!)”.
“During the second world war, she used her planes for transport and set up a company in South Wales which serviced RAF aircraft, This woman was something else”.
“When I learned about her and researched her life, I could only call my plane Mildred after her. I came to flying late in life but have loved it nonetheless. Here is ‘my Mildred’.
“Times have changed since Mildred, or even I, was growing up. Circumstances have improved massively for women BUT young women still need support & as Ambassador for many years now, I know we are there for them”.

Leave a Reply