FrankPilot

Englishman, & then New Zealander, Sir Francis Chichester (1901-72) is perhaps best known for being the 1st solo yachtsman to sail around the word, for which he was knighted by the Queen. But before that he was a pioneer airman who flew in a tiny aircraft from the UK to Australia – the 2nd person to ever do so. He then became the 1st person to fly from NZ to Australia. There were other pioneering flights after that. Come see how he did the UK to Australia flight. Hope you enjoy. Cheers.

The 1930s/1940s Boeing 307 Stratoliner pioneered several aviation firsts & records, including being the first-ever pressurised airliner. Largely forgotten, perhaps because only 10 were made, it had a very successful civil & military aviation career. Come see some of the highlights of that career. Hope you enjoy. Cheers.

In October 2024, a Cessna is flying with a pilot, undergoing a Commercial Pilot Licence flight test, along with an examiner. A Jabiru is flying from a different airport, with some other Light Sport aircraft, on a social flight. The pilots, aircraft & weather are all OK. What could possibly go wrong? Hope you Like & Learn. Cheers.

Cpt Bill Lancaster (1898 – 1933) made several famous post-WW1 flights, none more so than from the UK to Australia with a woman nick-named Chubbie. Although both separately married, they fell in love. While together, she accepted a marriage proposal from another, & a love-triangle ensued. The other died from a bullet to the head & a trial followed, but Lancaster was acquitted. An attempt at a record-breaking flight, to restore his reputation, & provide money for him & Chubbie, ended in disaster. Come see how it all happened. Hope you enjoy. Cheers.

In Jan 1944, 23 young men faced the most perilous fight of their lives. In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, 6 of those pilots & 22 Corsair aircraft were lost in one of the worst air disasters in US Marine Corps history. Although the incident took place during the most furious phase of the Pacific War, not a single plane was downed by enemy action. They were victims of bad weather, technical difficulties, poor planning &, most of all, careless command & control. Hope you like. Cheers.

Ms Harriet Quimby (1875 – 1912) was the 1st women in the USA to gain a pilot’s license, & the 1st women to fly solo across the English Channel. She was a beautiful, high-profile feminist, journalist & playwright, & a powerful advocate for aviation & for women in aviation. She died tragically in her Bleriot XI monoplane at an airshow. Hope you enjoy. Cheers.

Canadian George Beurling DSO DFC DFM (1921 - 1948) was the top fighter pilot Ace in the brutal Battle/Seige of Malta in WW2, & Canada’s top WW2 Ace. He was a superb Spitfire fighter pilot. He survived many crashes, but died tragically in an aircraft crash in 1948. Hope you enjoy. Cheers.

440033 is correct. Lots of interesting stuff here that I never knew: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allied_military_phonetic_spelling_alphabets Cheers.

You made my wife laugh her head off! Cheers.😂😂😂

I enjoyed this. Lots of vintage planes and other stuff. You might enjoy too. Cheers.

Hi Peter, no speed cameras on Tulla freeway yet. Cheers, Frank.

Yep, a bit sad, not what it used to be. Cheers.

In November 1946 a USAAF C-53 Skytrooper aircraft crashed in bad weather onto the Gauli Glacier in Switzerland. The subsequent rescue of the 12 on board was the world’s 1st alpine air rescue & made headlines around the world. The aircraft later disappeared deep under thick snow & ice. With glacial changes (melting etc) the crashed aircraft began to re-appear some 70 years later. Hope you enjoy. Cheers. NB: Smithsonian RL footage https://dai.ly/x6sn4hs

There do not appear to be any on the Australian aircraft register. One crashed and was destroyed in WA around 2007 - maybe the last in Oz? Cheers.

Come see the exciting, but sad, history of the Bede BD5J jet aircraft featured in the James Bond “Octopussy” movie. If you have enough money to purchase the kit, & time & expertise to build it, you can still get yourself a modern, improved version! Hope you enjoy. Cheers.