Amy Johnson
|
Amy Johnson CBE |
|
|---|---|
Amy Johnson c. 1930
|
|
| Born |
1 July 1903 Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 5 January 1941 (aged 37) Thames Estuary |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | Bachelor of Arts in Economics |
| Alma mater | University of Sheffield |
| Occupation |
Aviator First Officer ATA |
| Spouse(s) |
|
| Parent(s) | John William Johnson and Amy Hodge Johnson |
| Awards | Segrave Trophy (1932) |
Amy Johnson, CBE (1 July 1903 – 5 January 1941) was a pioneering English aviator and was the first female pilot to fly alone from Britain to Australia. Flying solo or with her husband, Jim Mollison, she set numerous long-distance records during the 1930s. She flew in the Second World War as a part of the Air Transport Auxiliary and died during a ferry flight.
Amy Johnson was born in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, and was educated at Boulevard Municipal Secondary School (later Kingston High School) and the University of Sheffield, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics. She then worked in London as secretary to a solicitor, William Charles Crocker. She was introduced to flying as a hobby, gaining a pilot's "A" Licence, No. 1979, on 6 July 1929 at the London Aeroplane Club under the tutelage of Captain Valentine Baker. In that same year, she became the first British woman to obtain a ground engineer's "C" licence.
Johnson's father, always one of her strongest supporters, offered to help her buy an aircraft. With funds from her father and Lord Wakefield she purchased G-AAAH, a second-hand de Havilland DH.60 Gipsy Moth she named "Jason", not after the voyager of Greek legend, but after her father's business trade mark.
Johnson achieved worldwide recognition when, in 1930, she became the first woman pilot, or in the language of the time, "aviatrix", to fly solo from England to Australia. Flying G-AAAH, the first of two aircraft she named "Jason", she left Croydon, south of London, on 5 May and crashlanded in Darwin, Northern Territory, on 24 May after flying 11,000 miles (18,000 km). This aircraft can be seen in the Science Museum in London. She received the Harmon Trophy as well as a CBE in recognition of this achievement, and was also honoured with the No. 1 civil pilot's licence under Australia's 1921 Air Navigation Regulations.
...
Wikipedia