Google Honors Female Aviation Trailblazer in New Doodle

Google is celebrating a trailblazer in aviation, the one and only Maude Rose 'Lores' Bonney, who was the first woman to fly solo from Australia to England with a new Google Doodle. 

Lores, who would have turned 122 on November 20, was a role model for female aviators around the world, making the 157-hour solo journey in 1933.

RELATED: THE FIRST AI-POWERED GOOGLE DOODLE IS AN HOMMAGE TO BACH

Lores survived crash to complete trip 

Lores faced grave danger during her record-setting trip, flying through heavy storms, walking away from two crashes and even having a run-in with a herd of water buffalo. 

Lores was a rebellious and independent child who went on to marry Harry Barrington Bonney, a wealthy Australian merchant. It was Bonney's cousin Bert Hinkler who took Lores on her first flight in 1928. That one flight was enough for Lores who was hooked on flying. Soon after Lores took flying lessons and when she gained her private pilot's license a year later her husband bought her a Gipsy Moth plane. Lores named it My Little Ship. 

Lores kept setting records

On 10 April 1933 Lores set off from Brisbane, Australia to complete her trip to England. A crash during the early days delayed her but shew resumed her flight on 25 May and landed in Croydon, England on 21 June. 

Lores wasn't done after the flight to London. She continued to push the boundaries, becoming the first person in 1937 to fly solo from Australia to South Africa, her birthplace.  Her accomplishments don't end there either. She received an honorary doctorate from Griffith University, was confirmed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire and a Member of the Order of Australia. 

The Bonney Trophy is still awarded each year to female British pilots that show outstanding achievements. Despite her accomplishments, she tends to be forgotten as other female pilots garner all the attention and fame.