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Life of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith

By kebab
  • Birth

    Charles Edward Smith (later Kingsford-Smith) is born in Queensland, Australia
  • Canada

    Smith and hsi family move Canada
  • Australia

    Smith and his family return to Australia. He studies mechanics at school.
  • Near-drowning

    Smith and a friend are swept out to sea while at Bondi Beach and nearly drown.
  • Graduates

    At 16 years old, he graduates an a mechanical engineer from Sydney Technical College
  • Injured

    He joins the Royal Flying Corps, is shot down while serving, and receives injuries. Subsequently, he is awarded the Military Cross for bravery.
  • Refused permission

    Kingsford-Smith is refused permission to fly from England to Australia in a Blackburn Kangaroo.
  • Stunts

    He performs as a stunt pilot in the United States.
  • Pilot

    He is appointed Chief Pilot of West Australian Airways.
  • Trans-Pacific

    Kingsford-Smith and Charles Ulm make the first trans-Pacific flight to Australia. They land 9 days later after approximately 7,400 miles total flight.
  • Trans-Tasman

    Accompanied by Charles Unn, Kingsford-Smith crosses the Tasman to arrive in New Zealand
  • Coffee Royal incident

    Kingsford-Smith and others take off from Sydney to fly to England, but are lost for I2 days in north-western Australia. Rescue team crash land in Central Australia on their way and die of thirst and exposure. Called Coffee Royal because it was the brew of coffee and brandy which the crew had drunk while awaiting rescue.
  • England to Australia

    He competes in an England to Australia air race and wins the event.
  • Marriage

    He marries Mary Powell at Scots Church, Melbourne
  • Air-mail

    Kingsford-Smith is rescued making the first England-Australia airmail from Koepang in April, and in May takes the first Australia-England air-mail to Akyab.
  • New Zealand once again

    Kingsford-Smith , Taylor and Stannage repeat the flight to New Zealand and back in the "Southern Cross".
  • Engine problems yet again

    1935
    Kingsford-Smith ,Taylor and John Stannage attempting to fly to New Zealand in "Southern Cross" sustain engine problems half-way across Tasman Sea. The aircraft and crew are saved by Taylor transferring oil in flight using a leather satchel.
  • Disappearance

    On his way from India to Singapore, Smith and his crew disappear. A theory was developed that Smith had flown into a rocky peak on the island, which in turn sent the aircraft into the sea