1932: Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly solo non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean. This is the ocean between America and Europe. She set many flying records but, in 1937, she disappeared while attempting an around-the-world flight. Here is some movie footage about Amelia… Amelia Earhart 1928: Transatlantic (Newfoundland to Wales) 20 hours 40 minutes (first woman passenger) 1932: Transatlantic Solo (Newfoundland to...
1930: Amy Johnson
Queen of the Skies Born in England, Amy Johnson was one of the most courageous pilots of her time. She set many records, including being the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia, in 1930. Amy set many other records, both by herself and with her aviator husband Jim Mollison. Here is some movie footage about Amy… Amy Johnson and her Gypsy Moth aircraft, in India, 1930. She called her plane “Jason”. This...
1928: Charles Kingsford Smith
Charles Kingsford Smith was the first to fly an aeroplane across the Pacific Ocean, along with crew members Charles Ulm, James Warner and Harry Lyon. His plane was named “Southern Cross”. His flight, from America to Australia was in three stages… stopping in Hawaii and Fiji on the way, finally landing in Brisbane, Australia. This was a total distance of 7400 miles, taking 83 hours (almost 3 and a half days)....
1928: Bert Hinkler
The Lone Eagle Born in Bundaberg, Australia, Bert Hinkler was an inventive and courageous flyer. He started out building his own gliders, eventually gaining his pilot licence towards the end of World War 1 (1918). He went on to set some aviation records, and became a test pilot. His most well known flight was from England to Australia, being the first person to make the flight to Australia solo. Bert also was the first person to fly...
1927: Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh was the first person to fly solo non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean. This is the ocean between America and Europe. His flight, from New York to Paris, took 33 hours and 30 minutes. Lindbergh had to stay awake the whole way. Being “solo”, there was no one else onboard who could fly the plane while he had a sleep. If he had fallen asleep he would have crashed into the ocean. Here is some actual footage of...
1914: Tony Jannus
The First Airline Pilot The first ever airline started flying in 1914, between St.Petersburg and Tampa, Florida, in the United States of America. This was just over 10 years after the Wright Brothers made their first flight. This airline was called the St.Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line, because they used flying boats, and Tony Jannus was the pilot. Tony left the airline after about 3 months, becoming a test pilot for the Curtiss...
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