Amy Johnson, from Harrogate, namesake of the famous flier, helps launch the tribute weekend at the Yorkshire Air museum

A tribute event to one of the most famous female aviators in Britain will take place at the Yorkshire Air Museum next weekend.

Amy Johnson, who completed many daring solo flights and also flew with the Air Transport Auxilliary during the Second World War, captured the imagination of the public with her determination and ability.

She was the first woman in Britain to gain her ground engineer's licence after going solo with 16 hours of tuition, and in 1930 completed a daring flight from Croydon to Darwin, Australia, in a frail Gypsy Moth bi-plane.

Amy was born in Hull in 1903, the same year the Wright brothers pioneered powered flight. Other notable flights included a co-piloted flight from England to Tokyo in July 1931 and a record-breaking solo flight from England to Cape Town in 1932. She broke this record again in 1936 after marrying fellow aviator Jim Mollinson. She met her death in suspicious circumstances in January 1941 when she baled out of her Airspeed Oxford over the Thames Estuary.

The tribute weekend on Friday, Saturday and Sunday will include a lecture at 7.30pm on Friday. For more information call York 608719.

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