haviland gipsy moth 3ds - De Haviland Gypsy Moth by pbratt

The Moth series of light aircraft began a revolution in private flying during the late 1920's. The fourth Gipsy Moth built G-AAAH was purchased by Captain Walter Hope as a single seat long range variant to obtain photographs of the British Royal family in Kenya for the Daily Mirror. Afterwards the aircraft logged 35,000 miles with Air Taxi's LTD.

In 1930 a 22 year old pilot and engineer named Amy Johnson publicly announced her intention to beat Bert Hinkler's fifteen and a half day record to Australia. Lacking an aircraft and much backing Wally Hope offered to sell G-AAAH to Amy for 600 Pounds, and borrowing 300 Pounds from Lord Wakefield and 300 Pounds from her father Amy Johnson purchased the aircraft.

Re-registered in her own name on April 30th 1930, the engine was overhauled by 'Jack' Humphries, long range tanks installed and given a new a new coat of green and silver dope. The aircraft also acquired a new name 'Jason' which was a contraction of 'Johnson' and was also the trade mark of the family's fish trauling business in Hull.

Amy Johnson took off in her heavily laden aircraft from Croydon on May 5th 1930 in front of an audience consisting of the proverbial two men and a dog. On the sixth day the record to Karachi was beaten and Amy was two days ahead of Hinkler's record. May 13th proved to be unlucky as the aircraft was badly damaged, landing in Rangoon Burma. After repairs the aircraft was flown to Singapore where the local flying club fitted a new set of lower wings. The next day Amy landed in a field at Tjomal tearing the wing fabric. Repairing the tear with adhesive tape Amy flew on reaching Atambua on May 23rd. The most difficult stage lay ahead the flight to Darwin over 500 miles of the Timor sea. On Empire Day Amy Landed in Darwin, to her surprise there was a vast crowd waiting to greet her. Since she had left Croydon she had become an international celebrity. On May 29th Jason was wrecked in Brisbane, but the aircraft was shipped home to Stag Lane and was rebuilt, awaiting Amy on her return to Britain in August. On August 11 Amy flew 'Jason' again for a three day family visit to Hull. After an aborted national tour 'Jason' was presented to the nation and may be seen at the Science Museum in London.

Amy Johnson was to set many more aviation records but was lost during the second world war when as a pilot for the Air Transport Auxilery she was lost delivering an Airspeed Oxford in bad weather.