Father: Le Von Berge Agazarian, originally from Armenia who fled to the UK in 1911, owner of an electrical company; mother: Jacqueline Marie-Louise de Chevalier, from France Ed. Sacred Heart Convent, Roehampton (School Certificate, 5 credits), RADA and Paris prev. from Apr-41, VAD attached to East Grinstead Hospital then RAF Uxbridge Address in 1943: (mother) 7 Park Mansions, Knightsbridge, London [ab initio pilot] Two of her three brothers died in WWII; one in the RAF, the other in SOE Completed "500 hours in Spitfires, Mustangs, Typhoons, Barracudas and Hellcats" as a Class III pilot.
Two accidents, one her fault: - 21 Nov 1944, her Proctor I LZ791 "skidded on wet grass when landing at Broxbourne and ran into an unmarked gunpit at the end of the landing run". [Mike Biddulph kindly sent me an eye-witness report written by the late Lee Miller, who remembered the accident thus: "The sound of an approaching aircraft gave me the excuse to dodge away from my workbench and nip outside to watch as many planes as I could, taking off, or landing. During one such event at 4pm., on a dull afternoon on November 21st 1944 I arrived in time to see a Proctor making a very bad landing approach on the shortest of our grass landing strips, it seemed certain that a crash was imminent if the landing was carried out, no attempt was made by the pilot to abort, resulting in the aircraft being unable to stop, thus hitting a pile of sandbags, which tipped it vertically onto its nose, - at that point it could have turned over, but luckily for the pilot, it fell backwards onto its tail-wheel, -- seconds later the door opened, the pilot emerged unharmed to be greeted by our ground staff who had rushed to help.
As of 2024, LZ791 is being restored, having crashed on its delivery flight to Sweden in 1951 and kept in a barn for over 50 years.] - 29 Mar 1945, a steam roller started up and hit her Seafire III IX953 whilst she was taxying round it at Lyneham.
After WWII, she gained her commercial licence and in July 1947 became a pilot for Island Air Charters / Island Air Services (IAS) which flew Proctors and Rapides between Lands End and the Scilly Isles, pleasure trips to Le Touquet and scheduled services to Deauville from Croydon. Ex-ATA pilot Cecile Power also joined IAS, in November 1947. Monique became Managing Director of IAS, then Chairman and Chief Pilot.
Island Air Services' first Dragon Rapide, (callsign 'Uncle Fox', although allegedly when Monique was pilot it was 'Auntie Fox''), in 1950. (c) Air-Britain
m. 20 Jul 1949 in Brompton, London, Capt Raymond Charles Rendall (also of IAS, divorced 1973), three daughters Annette Francine, Mary and Lou-Lou She competed in the King's Cup air race in 1950 and 1952.
In 1956, Veronica Volkersz wrote that Monique was one of only 7 women flying commercially: - "Monique Rendall is chief pilot and managing director of Island Air Services" - and concluded that "The tragedy is that for women, commercial aviation is now - except, possibly, in Russia - a closed field." [The others were Jackie Moggridge, Jean Bird, Suzanne Ashton, Zita Irwin, Diana Barnato-Walker and Freydis Leaf]
IAS ceased trading in 1959. After it closed, she was a pioneer in promoting flight simulation with Air Training Services Ltd, and published a manual on advanced instrument-flying procedures. Having reverted to her maiden name, she lived at 84 Park Mansions, Knightsbridge, and d. 3 Mar 1993 from cancer, leaving £140,949.
"The sad loss of this splendidly professional airwoman, brilliant tutor, hugely energetic, ebullient, and lovable friend will be felt deeply by all who knew her." - The Independent Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file): |
ATA
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