1934: Charles James Melrose
Aviator - Air Racer
Jimmy flew his Puss Moth from Australia to England so he could compete in the greatest air race of all time. When he got there they told him he had just beaten the Australia to England record!
From an article in the
Holdfast Bay Discovery Centre:
"Between the years 1934 and 1936 Jimmy shot to fame with a remarkable career as an
acclaimed international aviator and was, according to one national newspaper at the
time, "one of the most romantic figures in the flying world of Australia". Others
called him "the new Lindbergh". Yet fame did not go to his head; he remained
affable, self-deprecating and devoted to his mother. Women of all ages adored him
and still today, if you ask a 90 year-old woman if she remembers Jimmy Melrose, she
will sigh and her eyes glaze over."
There is also a new book out about Jimmy, The Boy Phoenix, by Helen Blake.
Jimmy Melrose
(1913-1936)
- 1930: First Flight
(age 16)
- 1933: Licence issued (No.118)
(age 19)
- 1934: Round Australia record
(5.5 days)
- 1934: Australia to England
(record, on way to race) - 1934: MacRobertson Race
(solo, 79h, 17m 50s)
- 1936: Melbourne-Darwin incomplete
Jimmy's Puss Moth, 1934
A "can-do"
Aussie aviator!