Brought to you by Flights Australia – Australia’s leading flight comparison website.
The quest to fly in the skies was strong in Australia, starting from the very beginning of aviation history. The country’s vast expanses made it a challenge to travel, but the country became a leader in this arena up until World War II. It has a fascinating array of personalities and events to make it unique.
The first individual to play with powered flight here was Lawrence Hargrave. Staring in 1884, he designed and built various wings for a monoplane. He was able to take off from the earth using four box kites in 1894. His inspiration came from careful observation of various animals, including birds, fish and snakes. 1910 saw the emergence of powered, man controlled flight in the country, when American Harry Houdini flew a Voisin biplane in Victoria, Australia.
The Australian Flying Corps came into existence in 1912, which did service in World War I. This led to establishment of the New South Wales, or NWS, School of Aviation. After the war, flying was beginning to take its place as an alternative form of transportation. Billy Stutt, an instructor at the school did a solo flight in a Curtiss Jenny from Sydney to Melbourne in 1917. Teaching at the school included flight instruction and training to maintain and build planes as a mechanic. The Royal Australian Air Force was back in service during World War II, when the country set up 41 various campuses to train 37,000 various aircrew workers over the war. Pilots and mechanics flew and maintained 5,620 planes during this period.
As Australia’s supremacy in flight soared, the Royal Australian Air Force was created in 1921. This time in the 1920′s and 1930′s was an exciting one for aviators, as the government offered 10,000 pounds for the one to fly from Australia to England within a month. The winners were Ken and Ron Smith in 1919, flying a Vickers Vimy. Women entered the scene of flight in 1927, when Millicent Bryant was the first woman to get a pilot’s license.
Flight offered numerous services during this time to the country, including a doctor’s service that came by plane and flying boats. In 1936, Australians could fly as passengers, with the first flight made from Adelaide to Melbourne. The company, Ansett Australia, later developed a successful passenger service all over the country.
Australia’s unique and proud part in flight gives it a unique place in aviation history. Their contribution in ingenuity, design and persistence to take to the sky will be an indelible part of its past.