A brief history of Sir Charles Edward Kingsford Smith
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18.05.2025
Sir Charles Edward Kingsford Smith, MC, AFC born on (9 February 1897 was an early Australian aviator who in 1928, made the first transpacific flight from the United States to Australia. He also made the first non-stop crossing of the Australian mainland, the first flights between Australia and New Zealand and the first eastward Pacific crossing from Australia to the United States. He also made a flight from Australia to London, setting a new record of 10.5 days.
Australian aviator Charles Ulm was the relief pilot. The other crewmen were Americans James Warner, the radio operator and Captain Harry Lyon, the navigator and engineer.
The flight was in three stages. The first, from Oakland to Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii, was 3,870 kilometres (2,400 mi), taking an uneventful 27 hours 25 minutes (87.54 mph). They took off from Barking Sands on Mana, Kauai, since the runway at Wheeler was not long enough. They headed for Suva, Fiji, 5,077 kilometres (3,155 mi) away, taking 34 hours 30 minutes (91.45 mph). This was the most demanding section of the journey, as they flew through a massive lightning storm near the equator.
The third leg was the shortest, 2,709 kilometres (1,683 mi) and was completed in 20 hours (84.15 mph). The crew crossed the Australian coastline near Ballina before turning north to fly 170 kilometres (110 mi) to Brisbane, where they landed at 10.50 a.m. on 9 June. The total flight distance was approximately 11,566 kilometres (7,187 mi).
They were met by a huge crowd of 26,000 at Eagle Farm Airport and received a hero's welcome
Kingsford Smith and co-pilot John Thompson "Tommy" Pethybridge were flying the Lady Southern Cross overnight from Allahabad, India, to Singapore, as part of their attempt to break the England-Australia speed record held by C. W. A. Scott and Tom Campbell Black, when they disappeared over the Andaman Sea in the early hours of 8 November 1935.
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