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9781527289673

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In the relatively short history of aviation, there are certain names that stand out, names that are recognised, even by those people with no particular interst in the subject. The Wright brothers of course for the first powered flight, Louis Bleriot for the first crossing of the English Channel, Alcock and Brown for crossing the Atlantic and many others such as Amy Johnston, Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindbergh, Douglas Bader, and Chuck Yeagar, to name a few. Brave aviators who deserve to be remembered. But there are so many more, courageous men and women who pushed back the boundaries of what could be done and flew faster, higher and further than before. Some of them experienced a brief moment of fame and glory and are still remembered today by historians and enthusiasts of the subject, but some gave their lives in the attempt, and some have just faded into the dark annals of history. This is the story of just a few. In an attempt to be the first to fly from Britain to Australia, they faced more than just the normal hazards of flight at that time - the comparattively flimsy airframes, the unreliable engines, open cockpits in all weathers, together with the difficulties of navigation and the lack of communication systems. They faced the additional challenge of flying over uncharted and difficult and often hostile terrain, with no proper landing sites, mountains, jungles, deserts and seas, places where any kind of forced landing would probably end in serious injury or death. After suffering injuries, being frozen half to death, being arrested by militia or attacked by hostile tribes, some of those who set out were ultimately successful in their quest, but some fell short of their goal, some stumbled at the last hurdle and some, sadly paid with their lives.

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