Amy Johnson



Amy Johnson was an English aviator. She was the first ever female pilot to fly solo from Britain to Australia. She completed numerous journeys as a female pilot and she became very famous around the world.

  • Born: 1st July 1903, Hull, England
  • Died: 5th January 1941, Thames Estuary, England
  • Family: Amy Johnson was born in her family home in Hull. Her mother was also called Amy and her father, John owed a fish processing factory. She married Jim Mollison in 1932. Amy was introduced to flying as a hobby whilst working as a secretary in London.

Amy Johnson 

Why is she famous?

  • Amy bought her first aircraft with the help of her father. She bought a second-hand aircraft called a de Havilland DH.60 Gypsy Moth.
  • She named this aircraft ‘Jason’ after her father’s fish business.
  • On 5th May 1930, Amy set off on her endeavour. She wanted to beat the world record for flying from the UK to Australia and the record at the time was 15 days. Unfortunately, due to bad weather conditions and some mechanical problems, she did not beat the world record. Her flight time was 19 days.
  • Amy did become the first female pilot to fly from Croydon, England to Darwin,
  • This was a phenomenal and courageous achievement and she was famous around the world.
  • She was so famous that when she came home to England, a big crowd came to greet her and she had a tour of the London streets in an open topped car to see her fans.
  • Amy Johnson had a mysterious death. It was reported that her plane crashed into the Thames. However, her journey was a routine flight and she was a very experienced pilot, therefore people questioned how her plane crashed. Her body was never recovered and so her death will always remain a mystery.

Fun Fact. After only knowing each other for 8 hours, Jim Mollison proposed to Amy during a flight together. She said yes!

What impact did she make?

  • She was an inspiration to other women, encouraging them to be aviators and seek an interest in flying.
  • She became the first female pilot to fly from England to Australia, solo.

Learning resources

Example questions:

  • When was Captain James Cook born?

  • What was Amy Johnson’s occupation when flying was introduced to her as a hobby?

  • What was the name of the ship that Captain Cook commanded?

  • How did Amy Johnson rise to fame around the world?

  • Which country did Cook and his men find whilst sailing in the Pacific Ocean?

  • What did Cook name this newly discovered land?

  • How many days did it take Amy Johnson to fly from the UK to Australia?

  • Give me some possible reasons as to why she did not break the world record.

  • How did Captain James Cook die and in which country?

  • What can you tell me about Amy Johnson’s death?

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