Travellers and Explorers

Amy Johnson - 1930-1939
Amy Johnson took off from Croydon airport for her epic journey to Australia on 5 May 1930. The eyes of the world were on her as she made an emergency landing in the desert in a sand storm, crashed the plane in India and got lost amongst tribes people on a Pacific island. On arrival in Australia on 24 May, she was an international celebrity.
Amy took up flying to alleviate the boredom of her office job and became the first woman in Britain to get her ground engineer's licence. It was her confident ability to maintain her own plane that saved her life several times. During WWII, she joined the Air Transport Auxiliary and it was during a routine flight that her plane was lost. The mystery of her death has never been solved.

The Royal Air Force Museum at Hendon also has a collection of documents and artefacts relating to Amy Johnson’s life from her birth certificate to documents describing the winding up of her estate. It includes flying licences, log books, publications, memorials, honours and awards. Complementing these are personal papers, photographs and contemporary publications.


* Feature of the month
* Artefacts relating to the personality
* Maps of her journey
* Include copies of letters and personal papers
* Include personal photographs in the covergift pack
* Invite comments on the V-Mag website
* Create a project - mini book using copies of the map, photographs, words with inks, distressed techniques and using copies of memorabilia to create a historic record of her life and journey.

Look at Wikipedia for links and more information:
External links
Science Museum exhibit on Amy Johnson
BBC Humber site for Johnson centenary
BBC education page on Amy Johnson
Sewerby Hall, Bridlington, includes a display of Johnson memorabilia
The RAF Museum, Hendon, includes another Johnson display
RAF History page on Amy Johnson
Amy Johnson on Find-A-Grave
CWGC record
Amy Johnson: Pioneer Aviator Article by LaRue Scott
Categories: 1903 births | 1941 deaths | Female aviators | English aviators | Aviation pioneers | Harmon Trophy winners | Aviators killed in aircraft crashes | People from Hull | Commanders of the Order of the British Empire | Alumni of the University of Sheffield | Segrave Trophy recipients | Women in World War II | People lost at sea