LogoCmadeira2020

LogoSRTC2020

PT EN

We highlight the passage of aviation pioneer Amy Johnson (b. Kingston upon Hull, 1903; d. London, 1941) in Madeira, who stayed at the Reid's Palace Hotel from 2nd to 19th March 1933. 

Graduated in Arts and Economics, Amy obtained a pilot's license in 1929, at the London Airplane Club, at a time when flying an airplane was still a male’s domain. She accepted the challenge of a solo flight from London (England) to Darwin (Australia), something unprecedented for a female pilot. She left on May 5th, 1930 in her small plane, named “Jason” (displayed in the London Science Museum), and despite the various mishaps and breakdowns, she reached her goal on May 24th, covering 18 thousand kilometers. When Amy took off from London's Croydon Airport, she was a stranger to the general public but whilst the media followed her trip, a general enthusiasm took over and she became an international heroine. This prompted other great achievements and she was the first aviator to complete a one day air trip between London and Moscow (1931), from where she left in a record time to Tokyo. Along with her husband James Mollison, they set a new time record on the trip from England to India, in 1934. In July 1936, she broke the record that belonged to her husband, on the London / Cape Town (South Africa) connection. During World War II she collaborated with Air Transport Auxiliary of the Royal Air Force, flying from Scottish factories to Air Force bases in southern England. She was presumed dead when her plane was shot down on the 5th of January 1941 and crashed into the Thames River. Today tributes are still paid to her.

Credits: Madeira Photography Museum - Atelier Vicente’s.

Perestrellos Photographos - Amy Johnson posing with dance instructor Max Rinder in the Reid’s Palace Hotel garden (now Belmond Reid's Palace)

Dimension 8x11cm | Simple negative, film PT / ABM / PER / A-E / 016-002 / 000003 PER / 2313

AmyJohnson

Este sítio utiliza cookies para facilitar a navegação e obter estatísticas de utilização. Pode consultar a nossa Política de Privacidade aqui.