Today in History

1931 Completion of first trans-Tasman solo flight

Australian Guy Menzies' flight from Sydney ended in some embarrassment as he crash-landed in a swamp at Harihari on the West Coast. But set against the backdrop of the Depression, his heroic flight helped to lift spirits on both sides of the Tasman.

The first successful flight across the Tasman Sea was completed by the illustrious Australian aviator Charles Kingsford Smith and his crew aboard the Southern Cross in September 1928. While Menzies' landing was somewhat undignified, he had nevertheless taken 2½ hours off Kingsford Smith's time, completing the flight in 11 hours and 45 minutes.

The 21 year old had taken off from Mascot aerodrome, Sydney, in an aircraft named Southern Cross Junior. So as not to get in trouble with Australian authorities (or worry his parents), Menzies declared that his flight was bound for Perth. The flight across the Tasman encountered rough weather and Menzies was driven off course from his original destination at Blenheim. Shortly before 3 p.m. he mistook the La Fontaine swamp near Harihari for flat land and crash-landed his Avro Avian bi-plane, which flipped upside down.

Regular air services across the Tasman did not begin until April 1940. The flying boats of that era took around nine hours to complete their journey.