[3] Whilst gaining a reputation as a playboy, Mollison was a skilled pilot who, like many others, took to record breaking as a means of "making his name".

During one of his commercial flights, he met the equally famous aviator Amy Johnson, to whom he proposed only eight hours after meeting, and while still in the air.

On 18 August 1932 he made an east-to-west solo trans-Atlantic flight of 31 hours, from Portmarnock, Ireland to Pennfield, New Brunswick, Canada, using a de Havilland Puss Moth called "The Heart's Content".

In 1933, using the same aircraft, Mollison flew from England to Brazil in 3 days, 13 hours, staging through West Africa, the first solo east-west South Atlantic crossing.

On 22 July 1933, they took off from Pendine Sands in South Wales on a non-stop flight to New York, but were forced to crash land in Bridgeport, Connecticut, just short of their target, after running out of fuel.

Their de Havilland DH.88 Comet Black Magic led the competitors off the line and was leading at Baghdad, but they were forced to retire at Allahabad after having to use non-aviation fuel, which damaged their engines.

In November 1936 Mollison made his last major record attempt, a flight from Croydon to Cape Town, South Africa.

Both Johnson and Mollison eventually served in the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) in World War II.

Mollison abused alcohol and, in 1953, the Civil Aviation Authority Medical Board revoked his pilot's licence.