Amy Aviation is on a tour of the UK, visiting places well-known for their connection with UK aeronautics!
Today she’s in Hull finding out about Amy Johnson, the world’s most famous woman pilot!
Kingston upon Hull is in the north of the UK. It’s a big city in an area called the East Riding of Yorkshire…
Amy Johnson was born in 1903 – the very early days of aviation! By the time she was 26, she’d not only got her pilots licence but an engineer’s licence too.
Just two years later – in 1930 – she undertook an enormous journey – a solo flight from the UK all the way to Australia!
It was the first time that a woman had made a solo flight of that length – it took her 19 days.
At the end of her journey she was exhausted – sick from the fumes of petrol, and burned and blistered from the sun. But she’d done it!
It was incredible achievement and even to this day no other woman has made the journey solo.
Her adventures didn’t stop there – in the Second World War, Amy joined the Air Transport Auxiliary, whose job was to transport RAF aircraft around the country.
Sadly she went missing after her plane crashed in the Thames when she was only 37.
She never forgot Hull – and to reward children who had been especially brave, she set up an award called the Amy Johnson Cup of Courage.
It’s still awarded today to children who have performed acts of bravery. Hull’s got a lot to be proud about!
You can watch the animated series of Amy’s Aviation on YouTube or download the audio series on your phone or tablet so you can listen whenever you like – at home or in the car!
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The podcast that discovers how airplanes fly and what goes on behind-the-scenes at airports