In the early 1900s the new phenomenon of flying was taking off across the world. Public interest in flight provided Shell with an opportunity for exposure and established a long and successful relationship between Shell and aviation.

Advertising postcard announcing the first transatlantic flight. John Alcock and Arthur Brown won a £10,000 prize from the Daily Mail for the momentous achievement.

Captain Ross Smith’s magnificent flight of 10,925 miles was completed in 27 days, 20 hours and 20 minutes. King George V praised this achievement as a step that “will bring Australia nearer”.

During the interwar period, Shell fuelled a number of notable records achieved by the RAF. This non-stop flight record powered by Shell fuel was achieved between Cranwell, Lincolnshire and Walvis Bay in Namibia in 37 hours and 25 minutes.

On 31 October 1936, Captain James Mollison completed a 13 hour and 17 minute record flight from Harbour Grace, Newfoundland to Croydon, UK. Shell were proud supporters of the aviator Mollison, sponsoring many of his record-breaking flights.

The double-headed characters of the That’s Shell - That was! series were a strong promotion of the speed that could be obtained on Shell.

In 1938, using Shell Aviation oil and petrol, the RAF broke the world’s long distance record for a flight from Ismailia, Egypt to Darwin, Australia. The two RAF Vickers Wellesley bombers covered a distance of 7,162 miles non-stop, beating the previous record by 856 miles.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Shell publicly promoted women’s right to vote and encouraged them in activities traditionally dominated by men. As the company’s advertising evolved, women were regularly depicted in the driver’s seat.

The Irish aviator, Lady Bailey was one of the first female aviators to be sponsored by Shell. In 1928 Lady Bailey became the first woman to fly solo from London to Cape Town. This tremendous feat was the longest flight to be accomplished by a woman at the time.

The feat of becoming the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia was not Johnson’s only achievement on this journey. Whilst en route, Johnson gained a new record for a solo flight between England and India.

In 1932, Johnson broke her husband’s record for the England to Cape Town route. Johnson’s new time beat Mr Mollison by 10.5 hours in a De Havilland Moth. The return journey also set a new record.

In the 1930s Shell sponsored and fuelled many of the world’s greatest female pioneer aviators and promoted their successes in the company’s advertising.

On 4 May 1936, Johnson departed England for Cape Town. With her Percival D.3 Gull Six, Johnson completed the journey in 3 days, 6 hours and 29 minutes. Several stops were made to refuel along the way, but Johnson is reported to have only slept for approximately 6 hours during the journey.

New Zealand’s greatest aviator of the 1930s was Jean Batten. A flying sensation, Batten was famed for her incredible record-breaking flights across the world. Between 1934 and 1937, Batten broke three records with Shell fuel. These achievements included: a new record for a solo England to Australia flight; the first direct flight from England to New Zealand; and the return flight from Australia to England.