Forgotten story of aviation pioneer Constance Leathart

Constance Leathart flew Spitfires in World War Two and was one of the first women to get a pilot's licence having learned to fly in the 1920s. But her remarkable story has been largely forgotten.

Leathart, who hailed from Northumberland, never spoke about her flying career during her lifetime despite her achievements.

After the Second World War, she went to work with the United Nations on relief efforts in the Mediterranean.

Neil Clark from Northumbria Flying School talks about Leathart's early experiences of flying Spitfires. Family friends Dora and Derek Ions from Northumberland remember Leathart as a strong and determined woman.

Modern day pilot Tracey Curtis-Taylor uncovers the untold story of Constance Leathart, a woman ahead of her time.

Credit: Archive footage courtesy and copyright of British Pathé. Photos copyright of Northumberland Archive and Royal Aero Club Trust.

BBC Inside Out is broadcast in the North East & Cumbria on Monday, 12 October at 19:30 BST and nationwide thereafter on the iPlayer.