English-born pilot Amy Johnson was one of a small yet historic group of women aviators who commanded headlines around the world and led the way for aerospace innovation. Like Jeanne Batten, Bessie Coleman, and Amelia Earhart, Johnson allowed the world to see that women had their place in the growing world of aviation. The aviatrix is best known for her historic solo flight from London to Australia.

Her early years

Johnson learned to fly at the London Aeroplane Club in the late 1920s while working as a secretary but soon moved into aviation full-time becoming the first British-trained female ground engineer. In fact, in 1929, she earned her “A” pilot’s license and engineer's "C" license. She was the first women to obtain the latter.

In 1930, her father (and oil baron) Lord Wakefield helped Johnson purchase a Gypsy Moth for 600 pounds. Known as ‘Jason’ after the family fish business, the open-cockpit, single-engine airplane was made from wood and fabric and sported only basic flight instruments with no radio. This airplane/pilot combination would prove to make a perfect match for many flying adventures that lay ahead.

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Amy Johnson and her Gypsy Moth "Jason."
Source: Dabbler via Wikimedia Commons

Making a name for herself

The same year she purchased the Gypsy Moth, Johnson flew 11,000 miles to become the first woman to fly solo from Britain to Australia. She departed Croydon Airport on May 5th and landed at Darwin, Northern Territory on May 24th. All went well during this first leg, but 'Jason' was damaged while landing at Brisbane's airport a few days later. Fortunately, Johnson was not hurt and soon made world headlines becoming a celebrity in Australia and back home in the UK.

Before leaving The South Pacific, Johnson received the Harmon Trophy as well as a CBE (‘Most Excellent Order of the British Empire’) in George V's 1930 Birthday Honours in recognition of this achievement. If that wasn’t enough, she was also honored with the No. 1 civil pilot's license under Australia's 1921 Air Navigation Regulations.

The accolades from down under were great, but Johnson was treated like royalty back home. In fact, a million people lined the route between Croydon Airport and London's West End to welcome her back to England.

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Johnson broke several records and became a household name. 
Source: Unknown (The Age newspaper), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

 

Far-reaching accomplishments

Her record-breaking flight to Australia would prove to be the first of many historic trips. For her next series of aerial adventures, Johnson obtained a de Havilland DH.80 Puss Moth G-AAZV which she named ‘Jason II’. In July 1931, she teamed up with Jack Humphreys to fly from London to Moscow in one day, completing the historic 1,760 miles (2,830 km) journey in approximately 21 hours. They didn’t stop there and opted to make Tokyo their final destination by overflying Siberia.

Love was in the air

On July 29th, 1932, Johnson married Scottish pilot James Mollison, who was a fellow record breaker and keen on continuing his aerial adventures. To solidify their common love for flight (and each other), Mollison proposed to Johnson in mid-flight just eight hours after they met. She gladly accepted the airborne proposal and the flying duo were ready to explore far off lands together. However, Johnson had another solo record (this time her husband’s) to break. Soon after the wedding, she departed England with a final stop in Cape Town, South Africa.

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Amy Johnson and her husband Jim Mollison flew many aerial adventures. Source: British government, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The flying sweethearts then set off on a planned circumnavigation around the world, which resulted in a crash landing in Connecticut while flying from South Wales to the United States. They ran out of fuel while attempting to land at night. Johnson and Mollison were thrown from the aircraft but avoided any major injuries.

The couple continued their flying adventures, but Johnson set her eyes on one more solo record. On May 4th, 1936, she flew from Britain to South Africa in a Percival Gull Six clenching yet another flying milestone. Later that year, Johnson was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Aero Club.

The aerial romance between the Mollisons eventually faded, and the couple divorced in 1938.

The loss of an aviatrix

Amy Johnson went on to fly in numerous civil and government-support service capacities, including her role flying in the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA), which sadly, is where we reach the tragic end of her story. The ATA was a British civilian organization that ferried new, repaired, and damaged military aircraft between various military installations. It also flew service personnel and performed some air ambulance work.

When flying a mission on January 5th, 1941, Johnson went off course in adverse weather conditions and bailed out into Herne Bay where snow was falling and the water was bitterly cold. She was briefly spotted but then disappeared and never recovered.

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KLM named this MD-11 in honor of Amy Johnson. Source: BarcexEspañol via Wikimedia Commons
 

Posthumously, Amy Johnson has been remembered with songs, plaques statues and even a KLM MD-11 with her namesake. She will also be remembered as one of Britain’s greatest aviators and a role model for generations to come.