Amy Johnson School: Remembering Hull’s Aviation History Landmark

Hull, like many places, names schools after famous people. These people shaped Hull’s story over time, and schools kept their stories alive for years. Amy Johnson School was one such school, but it closed now.

Many former students remember times at Amy Johnson School, though they may not know much about Amy Johnson herself. She was born in Hull in 1903 and became a pilot.

Amy’s father ran a fish factory, and Amy Johnson’s mother shared her first name. In 1930, Johnson flew solo to Australia, becoming the first woman to achieve this feat.

Her plane was a De Havilland Gipsy Moth biplane with a top speed around 102 mph. She named the plane Jason, after her dad’s trademark. Amy and her husband, Jim Mollison, made long flights and became world famous in the 1930s.

During World War II, she served in the Air Transport Auxiliary. Her plane crashed in 1941 over the Thames Estuary, and her body was never found after the crash.
Amy Johnson School shut down in July 2001.