Charles Ulm and Charles Kingsford Smith were the original pioneers
of Australian aviation. Together they succeeded in a number of
record-breaking flights that made them instant celebrities in
Australia and around the world: the first east-to-west crossing of
the Pacific, the first trans-Tasman flight, Australia to New
Zealand, the first flight from New Zealand to Australia. Business
ventures followed for them, as they set up Australian National
Airways in late 1928. Smithy was the face of the airline, happier
in the cockpit or in front of an audience than in the boardroom.
Ulm on the other hand was in his element as managing director. Ulm
had the tenacity and organisational skills, yet Smithy had the
charisma and the public acclaim. In 1932, Kingsford Smith received
a knighthood for his services to flying, Ulm did not. Business
setbacks and dramas followed, as Ulm tried to develop the embryonic
Australian airline industry. ANA fought hard against the young
Qantas, already an establishment favourite, but a catastrophic
crash on the airline's regular route from Sydney to Melbourne and
the increasing bite of the Great Depression forced ANA's bankruptcy
in 1933. Desperate to drum up publicity for a new airline venture,
Ulm's final flight was meant to demonstrate the potential for a
regular trans-Pacific passenger service. Somewhere between San
Francisco and Hawaii his plane, Stella Australis, disappeared. No
trace of the plane or crew were ever found. In the years since his
death, attention has focused more and more on Smithy, leaving Ulm
neglected and overshadowed. This biography will attempt to rectify
that, showing that Ulm was at least Smithy's equal as a flyer, and
in many ways his superior as a visionary, as an organiser and as a
businessman. His untimely death robbed Australia of a huge talent.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
