GIVEN UP FLYING

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LVIII, Issue 67, 24 August 1937, Page 7

GIVEN UP FLYING

AMY JOHNSON'S DECISION,

NOWHERE LEFT TO FLY TO

(From The Guardian's Special Correspondent—By ..Air Mail).

LONDON, July 24

Amy Johnson, most famous living airwoman, is through with flying, after headlining with six years of record flights.

Amy was at Deauville this week as one of the Royal Aero Club members in the British Air Rally, staged by the local aero club.

"Fly?" said Amy. "It is the last thing I would dream of doing now. If I saw any prospects of doing anything by flying again I would go ahead. No, I am just going around now wondering what on earth I am to do with my life. What can I do? Go into business, or air transport on the office side? I just don't know yet. I must try and work it out for myself quietly. lam not going to fly. I don't know what I'm going to do. In the old days it was my business to be photographed and interviewed, with Jim, my husband. For me all that terrific publicity now is ended." Amy Johnson is a business woman. In half a dozen great flights she made many thousands of pounds, lived in fashionable hotels, bought a Kensington house and expensive cars. She was known to holidaymakers in Bermuda and America. Her job was dangerous, but there were quick profits to be made, and no competition. Her nearest rival and close friend was Amelia Earhart. | Between them these two flying wives scooped up practically every world! stunt air record for women. Now Amelia has disappeared, on the final hop of what would probably have been her last adventuring flight. Apart from Amelia Earhart, | she had seen Kingsford-Smith, Wiley | Post, Charles Ulm, Bert Hinkler, "go West" flying. Scarcely one of the regular record big fliers is now alive, unless he is working ori the ground. | Tommy Rose has a City job and Scott has given up big record flying. I Amy knows that Empire air liners and R.A.F. Empire cruising 'planes j are to fly fast enough to smash every stunt record to South Africa .and 'Australia within two years. Airboats like Caledonia and Clipper 111. are ! scheduled to make regular Atlantic hops within a few months. Clippers have already flown one million miles across the Pacific on mail services. Amy the Airgirl believes there is nowhere left in the world to fly to, and set up new records,. unless you are backed by Government finances. That is why she said: "Fly? That is the last thing I would dream of now!"