List of Australian aviation firsts

List of firsts for aviation in Australia or for Australian aviators.

International

Year Date Event Location Plane Aviator(s) 1917 1917-03-20 Victoria Cross for Australian AviatorGarrisson, A.D., "McNamara, Frank Hubert (Francis) (1894–1961)", " Australian Dictionary of Biography", 1986. Retrieved 2014-07-09. Gaza B.E.2c Frank McNamara (VC) 1919 1919-12-10 England to AustraliaBurness, Peter, " The 1919 Air Race", "Australian War Memorial", 2008-02-13. Retrieved 2014-07-07. Hounslow to Darwin Vickers Vimy Keith Smith, Ross Smith 1928 1928-02-22 England to Australia, soloMuller, Natalie, "The first solo flight from England to Australia was completed on this day by Australian aviator Bert Hinkler", "australiangeographic.com.au", 2012-07-22. Retrieved 2014-07-07. Croydon Airport to Darwin Avro Avian Bert Hinkler 1928 1928-06-09 North America to AustraliaJones, Michael, "Conquering Distance: Kingsford Smith and the first trans-Pacific flight", "National Museum of Australia", 2008-06. Retrieved 2014-07-07. Oakland to Brisbane Fokker F.VII Charles Kingsford Smith, Charles Ulm, James Warner, Harry Lyon 1928 1928-09-11 Australia to New ZealandNZ Ministry for Culture and Heritage, "1928 First trans-Tasman flight", "NZ Ministry for Culture and Heritage", 2012-12-20. Retrieved 2014-07-08. Richmond, New South Wales to Christchurch Fokker F.VII Charles Kingsford Smith, Charles Ulm, Harold Litchfield, Thomas H. McWilliams 1928 1928-12-20 Antarctic Continent, first flight overAustralian Aviation Hall of Fame, "Sir George Hubert Wilkins", Australian Aviation Hall of Fame . Retrieved 2014-07-08. Deception Island to Deception Island Lockheed Vega Hubert Wilkins 1930 1930-05-24 England to Australia, solo, femaleHsiao, Patrick, "On this day: Darwin applauds record flight", "Australian Geographic", 2012-05-24. Retrieved 2014-07-08. Croydon Airport to Darwin Gipsy Moth Amy Johnson 1930 1930-07-04 Circumnavigation of Earth, via Australia Oakland, California to Oakland, California, flying west Fokker F.VII Charles Kingsford Smith, Charles Ulm 1931 1931-01-07 Australia to New Zealand, soloNZ Ministry for Culture and Heritage, "Completion of first trans-Tasman solo flight", "NZ Ministry for Culture and Heritage", 2013-12-04. Retrieved 2014-07-09. Sydney Airport to Hari Hari, Westland Avro Avian Guy Menzies 1937 1937-08-18 Australia to South Africa, solo via AsiaThe West Australian, "Solo to Cape Town. Mrs. Bonney's Record.", The West Australian , 1937-09-16. Retrieved 2014-07-08. Archerfield to Cape Town Klemm Kl 32 Maude Bonney 1948 1948-11-20 Australia to South Africa, via Indian OceanThe History Journal, "Across the Southern Ocean" , "The History Journal". Retrieved 2014-07-08. Sydney Airport to Palmietfontein Airport Avro Lancastrian L.R. Ambrose 1951 1951-03-27 Australia to South AmericaPitkin, Melanie, "The Frigate Bird II and her Captain Revealed", Powerhouse Museum, 2010-03-01. Retrieved 2014-07-08. Rose Bay, New South Wales to Valparaíso Catalina Patrick Gordon Taylor 1983 1983-07-22 Circumnavigation of Earth by helicopter, soloBaker, Rebecca, "On this day: Dick Smith's around-the-world solo flight", australiangeographic.com.au, 2010-07-22. Retrieved 2014-07-07. Fort Worth, Texas to Fort Worth, Texas, flying east Bell 206B Jetranger III Dick Smith19871987-04-28First helicopter to the North PoleVancouver to North PoleBell 206B Jetranger IIIDick Smith 1989 1989-08-17 England to Australia, non-stopThe Airways Museum & Civil Aviation Historical Society, "First Non-stop England-Australia Unrefuelled Flight - 1989", The Airways Museum & Civil Aviation Historical Society. Retrieved 2014-07-08. London Heathrow Airport to Sydney Airport Boeing 747-438 David Massy-Greene; George Lindeman 1989 1989-11-11 Circumnavigation of Earth, solo, female Sydney to Sydney, flying east Piper Saratoga Gaby Kennard 1996 1996-05-19 Space flightNASA, "Andrew S. W. Thomas (Ph.D.)", NASA, 2014-03. Retrieved 2014-07-23. Kennedy Space Center to Shuttle Landing Facility, STS-77 Space Shuttle Endeavour Andrew Thomas 2013 2013-09-07 Circumnavigation of Earth, solo, teenager Wollongong to Wollongong, flying east Cirrus SR22 Ryan Campbell

National

Year Date Event Location Machine Aviator(s) 1858 1858-02-01 Balloon flightWebb, Carolyn, "Melbourne to celebrate historic flight", theage.com.au, 2008-01-18. Retrieved 2014-07-07. Richmond, Victoria "Australasian" Balloon Joseph Dean 1879 1879-04-14 Parachute descent (of balloon and pilot)Mines, Frank, "Draft History Of Parachuting In Australia" , Australian Parachute Federation. Retrieved 2014-07-08. Melbourne "Aurora" Balloon Henri L'Estrange 1888 1888-12-08 Parachute descent Ashfield, New South Wales "Gem" Balloon J.T. Williams 1890 1890-02-08 Parachute descent by a woman Newcastle, New South Wales "Australia" Balloon Valerie Freitas (as "Valerie Van Tassell") 1894 1894-11-12 Unpowered flight using heavier-than-air device (kites)Australian Aviation Hall of Fame, " Lawrence Hargrave", Australian Aviation Hall of Fame . Retrieved 2014-07-08. Stanwell Park, New South Wales Four box kites Lawrence Hargrave 1909 1909-12-05 Flight of heavier-than-air machine (glider)National Museum of Australia, "Taylor's biplane glider replica", "National Museum of Australia". Retrieved 2014-07-08. Narrabeen, New South Wales Taylor Biplane Glider George Augustine Taylor 1909 1909-12-09 Powered flight of heavier-than-air machineMonash University CTIE, "Colin Defries", Monash University CTIE . Retrieved 2014-07-08. Sydney Wright Model A Colin Defries 1910 1910-07-16 Flight of Australian-built planeMuseum Victoria, "Aeroplane - Duigan Biplane, Mia Mia, Victoria, 1910", Museum Victoria. Retrieved 2014-07-08. Mia Mia, Victoria Duigan pusher biplane John Duigan 1911 1911-12-05 First airman to qualify as pilot in Australia (Licence No. 1)Issacs, Keith, "Hart, William Ewart (Bill) (1885–1943)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, 1983. Retrieved 2014-07-18. Sydney Bristol Boxkite William Ewart Hart 1912 1912-08-06 Military pilotGarrisson, A.D., "Petre, Henry Aloysius (1884–1962)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, 1988. Retrieved 2014-07-11. England Deperdussin monoplane Henry Petre 1914 1914-03-01 Military flightMilitary History and Heritage Victoria, "RAAF Museum", Military History and Heritage Victoria. Retrieved 2014-07-11. Point Cook Bristol Boxkite Eric Harrison 1914 1914-05-11 Seaplane flightPatterson, Robbie, "French pilot Maurice Guillaux made aviation history with first seaplane flight over Sydney ", dailytelegraph.com.au, 2014-05-09. Retrieved 2014-07-08. Sydney Maurice Farman "hydro-aeroplane" Maurice Guillaux 1914 1914-07-18 Air mailCreedy, Steve, "Weather eye for airmail centenary flight", theaustralian.com.au , 2014-07-04. Retrieved 2014-07-07. Melbourne to Sydney Blériot XI Maurice Guillaux 1919 1919-08-06 Air mail over-water flight (in Southern Hemisphere)MacGillivray, Leith G., "Butler, Henry John (1889–1924)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, 1979. Retrieved 2014-07-08. Adelaide to Minlaton Avro 504 Harry Butler 1919 1919-11-16 Crossing of continentStephens, Alan, "Wrigley, Henry Neilson (1892–1987)", "Australian Dictionary of Biography", 2012. Retrieved 2014-07-08. Melbourne to Port Darwin B.E.2e Henry Wrigley and Arthur Murphy 1919 1919-12-16 Bass StraitThe Sun-Herald, "First Man To Fly Bass Strait Dies", The Sun-Herald, 1954-11-07. Retrieved 2014-07-09. Stanley, Tasmania to Torquay, Victoria Boulton Paul P.9 Arthur L. Long 1924 1924-05-19 Circumnavigation of continentMilln, Mike, "Flight Lieutenant Ivor Ewing McIntyre CBE AFC", "South Australian Aviation Museum", 2012-11. Retrieved 2014-07-08. Point Cook, Victoria to St Kilda, Victoria, anti-clockwise Fairey III floatplane Ivor McIntyre, Stanley Goble 1928 1928-05-17 Royal Flying Doctor ServiceAusPostalHistory.com, "50 Years Royal Flying Doctor Service 17th May 1928 to 17th May 1978", "AusPostalHistory.com". Retrieved 2014-07-08. Cloncurry, Queensland to Julia Creek, Queensland de Havilland DH.50 Arthur Affleck 1934 1934-10-01 Autogyro flightThe Argus (Melbourne), "First Test Flights of Autogiro", The Argus (Melbourne ), 1934-10-02. Retrieved 2014-07-22. Essendon Aerodrome Cierva Douglas Robertson 1937 1937-11-21 Parachute descent by femaleThe Argus, "Parachute Jump, First Woman in Australia", The Argus, 1937-11-22. Retrieved 2014-07-08. Essendon Airco DH.4 Jean Burns

Regional

Year Date State Event Location Machine Aviator(s) 1910 1910-03-12/3 SA First flight in South Australia Bolivar, South Australia Bleriot monoplane Carl William 'Bill' Wittber 1910 1910-03-17 SA First controlled flight in South Australia Bolivar, South Australia Bleriot monoplane Fred Custance 1910 1910-03-18 Vic Flight at Diggers Rest Diggers Rest, Victoria Voisin biplane Harry Houdini 1911 1911-04-18 NSW Flight at Sydney Airport (site)Hayes, Isabel, "100 years of Sydney Airport flying", "Sydney Morning Herald", 2011-04-17. Retrieved 2014-07-22. Sydney Airport Bristol Boxkite Joseph Joel Hammond 1931 1931-04-01 NSW Flight at Lord Howe IslandHughes, Peter, "Lord Howe Island, Australia: an island entire of itself", "Telegraph Media Group", 2011-02-15. Retrieved 2014-07-22. Lord Howe Island Gypsy Moth seaplane Francis Chichester

Images E.A Crome collection of photographs on aviation at National Library of AustraliaCrome, Ernest Alfred, "E.A Crome collection of photographs on aviation", "National Library of Australia", 1987. Retrieved 2014-07-22. Horrie Miller aviation photograph collection at National Library of AustraliaMiller, Horace Clive, " Horrie Miller aviation photograph collection, 1906 to 1984", "National Library of Australia", 1984. Retrieved 2014-07-29. Sam Hood collection of photographs (including aviation) at Mitchell Library of State Library of New South WalesHood, Sam, "Hood Collection part II : [Aviation]", "State Library of New South Wales", 1998-12. Retrieved 2014-07-27.Hood, Sam, "Sam Hood : photographic collection, 1916-ca.1955", "State Library of New South Wales", 1998-12. Retrieved 2014-07-27.

See also

List of Bass Strait crossings by air List of circumnavigations List of firsts in aviation Oswald Watt Gold Medal

References

Further reading Brogden, Stanley (1960), "History of Australian Aviation", The Hawthorn Press. Copley, Gregory R. (1976), "Australians in the Air" foreword by Sir Norman Brearley, Rigby. Gibson, Ron J. (1971), "Australia and Australians in Civil Aviation, An Index to Events, Volume 1 1823 - 1920" Lee, Adam (2008), "Australian Aviation, A Pictorial History", Axiom Publishing.

External links Trove at National Library of Australia