SHE DOES HER BIT

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 July 1939, Page 11

SHE DOES HER BIT

FAMOUS FLIER HELPS THE ARMY LONDON, Jupe 24. Rising at dawn each day this week Amy Johnson, world-famous flier, is helping the army in anti-aircraft manoeuvres at Portsmouth. This is in addition to her ordinary job. Starting a commercial career for the first time in her life, she is piloting ’planes for the five-shilling-a-trip ferry service between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight. Co-operating with the army as well, she will have to work seven days a we,ek. “It is just a commercial job like any other,” she said this week. “The aviation company running the ferry service have agreed to co-operate with the army, and as one of the pilots 1 naturally will be taking part. “I shall fly my ’plane to instructions given me from the ground for the men practising anti-aircraft manoeuvres. 1 suppose 1 shall do about four or five hours flying per day. “And then there is night flying as well. About two hours of it, from 10.30 to midnight. It means almost a daylight take-off, but 1 shall have to take a wireless operator up so that I can be given my flying instructions by wireless. “I am doing ’ this to help out the shortage among pilots. It is really very bad, but I suppose it will clear up when the young men and women of the Civil Air Guard are qualified to fly alone.’-’