Amy Johnson's pioneering flight to Australia recreated to inspire others 

Amanda Harrison in her vintage de Havilland DH82a Tiger Moth, preparing to follow in Amy Johnson's wake
Amanda Harrison in her vintage de Havilland DH82a Tiger Moth, preparing to follow in Amy Johnson's wake Credit: Solo2Darwin

When Amy Johnson became the first woman to fly solo from Britain to Australia in May 1930 she blazed a trail for future generations.

Now that landmark flight from Croydon to Darwin is to be recreated by a daring British woman in the hope of inspiring others to similar achievements.

Amanda Harrison, who overcame severe childhood dyslexia to become a commercial airline pilot, says she wants to show that - like Johnson in her day -  women can achieve whatever they want, despite the obstacles that continue to be placed in their path.

The 46-year-old from Bromley will set off next month in a vintage de Havilland DH82a Tiger Moth, similar to the open cockpit Gypsy Moth flown by Johnson.

Amanda Harrison and her vintage de Havilland DH82a Tiger Moth Credit: Solo2Darwin

The plane has a smaller fuel capacity than the Gypsy Moth, which means Ms Harrison will need to stop more frequently and is aiming to reach Darwin in 32 days rather than the 19 achieved by her predecessor.

But if she succeeds she will become the first woman to fly solo to Australia in a Moth biplane since the 1930s.

Ms Harrison, whose day job involves flying VIPs on private charter flights around the world, told The Telegraph: “Unlike many of the pioneer fliers of the 1920s and 30s, Amy Johnson wasn't born into money and had to work for a living and pay her own way. It wasn’t all laid out for her. “

But she showed that through perseverance and determination ordinary women could do these things. So if she could do it then I can do it now and so can others.”

Ms Harrison’s undertaking is all the more remarkable because in November 2017 she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

It took months of major surgery and treatment before she could return to the skies and now she wants to use her flight to inspire other cancer survivors.

“Women still seem to have more obstacles put in front of them and we need to encourage women to go for what they dream,” said Ms Harrison, adding: “I don’t see myself as inspirational. I’m just a normal woman who has never given up.”

Amanda Harrison, preparing for her solo flight from London to Darwin Credit: Solo2Darwin

Her gruelling flight will take her 9,497 nautical miles across 20 countries, along a similar route to that undertaken by Johnson almost 90 years ago. The only deviations are those forced on her by the need to avoid conflict zones such as Syria and Iraq.

In many of the countries where Ms Harrison will stop to rest and refuel women pilots or aircraft engineers are still a rarity and she hopes her arrival will inspire others to follow in her and Johnson’s footsteps.

Ms Harrison, who is raising money for her adventure through a Go Fund Me page and local sponsorship, wants to encourage more women to take up jobs in science, technology and engineering, as well as showing that dyslexia sufferers they do not have to be held back by their condition.

“Amy Johnson was the first British woman aeronautical engineer, as well as a pilot. She also had health problems and her sister killed herself. But she still went on to achieve, no matter what the obstacles,” she said.

Johnson’s trip to Australia was the first of several record breaking flights undertaken by the Hull-born pilot, before her death in disputed circumstances in the Thames Estuary.

These included a solo flight from London to Cape Town in 1932, in which she broke her new husband Jim Mollison’s own record.

Amy Johnson, who became a national heroine in 1930 when she flew single-handed from London to Australia  Credit: PA

Johnson was killed in January 1941 when she reportedly ran out of fuel and bailed out near Herne Bay, after going off course in terrible weather conditions while transporting a plane from Prestwick, in Scotland, to RAF Kidlington, near Oxford.

There has since been continued speculation as to the circumstances of her death, with some claiming her aircraft was shot down by friendly fire from British anti-aircraft guns.

Ms Harrison narrowly avoided disaster herself, after she took her 1942 built Tiger Moth, which she had just bought after saving up £70,000, for a check over.

Amanda Harrison: “I don’t see myself as inspirational. I’m just a normal woman who has never given up.” Credit: Simon Williams/Solo2Darwin

Engineers at the Aircraft Restoration Company at Duxford discovered that despite having all the correct paperwork the plane’s wings were no longer bolted on properly and in all likelihood would not have survived the long flight she had been planning.

“My father was an engineer who inspired me to take up flying because of his love of building remote control planes,” she said. “So it’s fitting that I owe my life to the engineers who spotted what was wrong.”