After university and a spell working at a solicitors, Amy Johnson joined the technical school of the De Havilland aircraft company. In 1927, she received her first licensed engineer's certificate awarded by the Air Ministry. She was the first British woman to receive such a license.

On the 5th May 1930, after only completing one hundred hours solo flying, she set off from Croydon Airport to break the record for the quickest flight between England and Australia record set in 1928. She arrived at Port Darwin, Australia nineteen and a half days later. From then on Amy and her husband John attempted to break other records, until their divorce in 1938. Amy continued to race and break records in her own right and as a result received various awards and medals.

On the outbreak of the Second World War she was appointed national leader of the Women's Air Reserve and later became a pilot for the Air Transport Auxiliary. It was in this role that she flew her last flight from Blackpool. Sadly, she did not make it back to her own airfield due to bad weather and instead lost her way. After reportedly being out of fuel, Johnson was forced to abandon her journey over the Thames Estuary and her body was never found.