Devon dad writes novels to inspire young pilot daughter

A schoolgirl said she achieved her ambition of becoming a pilot thanks to books written for her by her dad.

Ellie Carter had wanted to learn to fly since she was nine, but was discouraged by bullying and negative attitudes.

To help inspire her, Ellie's father Neil wrote two 350-page novels about female aviators in 1918 New York.

In January, Ellie, from Great Torrington, Devon, became Britain's youngest solo pilot of a powered aircraft, three days after turning 16.

"I couldn't have achieved anything without my dad," said Ellie.

Ellie said she was often told flying was "for boys".

"I was bullied really badly and the attitudes of some primitive-minded adults are just as bad," she said.

"I wasn't sure whether I wanted to keep doing it or whether I should listen to them and give up."

Mr Carter said: "There was a moment at an air show where a man said girls don't make good pilots because they don't understand physics.

"It was very difficult to take. I sat down and thought, how do I overcome this?"

As no one else in the Carter family flies, Mr Carter, 49, found a different way to inspire his daughter.

"When I was about 12, dad wrote me an 85,000-word novel and fed it to me gradually," Ellie said.

"It's about three girls from different backgrounds who were passionate about flying but, because of their gender or ethnicity, faced different barriers to stop them becoming pilots.

"He works 60 hours a week, but would stay up until the early hours of the morning writing."

When Ellie was 14 and a solo glider pilot, her father wrote a sequel.

His stories, which have never been published, were inspired by Bessie Coleman, the first female African-American pilot.

"The characters grew with Ellie so she was reaching landmarks not long after them," Mr Carter said.

"They showed what women have achieved in the past and how they've changed people's opinions."

"My dad's books made me feel anything was possible," said Ellie, who is currently sitting her GCSEs.

"I wanted to become the flesh and blood version of my paper sisters - if they could do it in 1918 then I could do it now.

"I'd probably be nothing without my dad. I wouldn't know what I wanted to do with my life without him."

Neil, who works in logistics, said it was amazing to see how the books had impacted on his daughter.

"I feel I'm part of her achievements," he said.