Amy Johnson, 1903-1941

Amy Johnson was a pioneering English pilot who was the first female to fly alone from Britain to Australia. Amy was born in the 1st July 1903 in Hull, Yorkshire.

In 1923 she went to Sheffield University to complete a BA in economics. Following her graduation, she moved to London and worked as a secretary to a solicitor. It was in London where she became interested in flying. Amy set off from Croydon on 5th May and landed in Darwin on 24th May; this was a flight distance of 11,000 miles.

During the winter of 1928-29, Amy became part of the London Aeroplane Club and this was where her interest sparked. Amy was determined to prove that women could be just as competent in the field as men. One of her first achievements was to qualify as the first British-trained women ground engineer; Amy was the only woman in the world to do so at the time which is an amazing achievement.

In 1930 Amy set her sights on aiming to fly solo to Australia and to beat Bert Hinkler's record of doing so in 16 days. In July 1931, Amy set an England to Japan record in a Puss Moth with Jack Humphreys, followed in July 1932 with a solo flight from England to Cape Town. In May 1936, she set a record from England to Cape Town, solo, in a Percival Gull, a flight to retrieve her 1932 record.

Amy was the first woman to complete such a dangerous journey and following her success she propelled to celebrity status. The Prime Minister of Great Britain, Ramsey Macdonald, prominent dignitaries and even the King and Queen of England called on Amy to congratulate her.

During her lifetime, Amy was recognised many times. She was the guest of honour at the opening of the first Butlins holiday camp in Skegness in 1936. Amy was also the president of the Women's Engineering Society between 1935 and 1937.

Following the end to her commercial flying to due the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 Amy joined the Air Transport Auxiliary. This was a group of experienced pilots who were ineligible for RAF service. Amy's duties involved ferrying air craft from factory air strips to RAF bases. It was on one of these routine flights that Amy crashed into the Thames Estuary on the 5th May 1941.

Amy was the first person from the Air Transport Auxiliary to be killed in active service. A memorial service for Amy was held at the St Martins in the Fields church in Trafalgar Square on 14 January 1941.

Mystery still surrounds her death as the reason for the journey remains a government secret. In 1999, it was reported that Tom Mitchel from Crowborough, Surrey, claimed to have shot down the plane.

There are claims that Amy was mistaken for a German bomber, and was shot down by anti-aircraft guns on her final flight. Others believe that she was on a secret government mission.

After her death, several tributes were made. In 1974, Harry Ibbetson's statue of the pilot was unveiled in Kingston Upon Hull, while the University of Sheffield named the building that houses its department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering after her.

As part of the launch of Amy Johnson Festival, A Moth for Amy brings vibrant designs to life on giant sculptures inspired by Amy Johnson's de Haviland DH60 Gipsy Moth aeroplane, Jason. The 59-strong army of moths can be found at numerous locations throughout the city and beyond, including on the side of buildings and in the heart of Prospect Centre.