Bert Hinkler
Herbert John Louis Hinkler , better known as Bert Hinkler , (born December 8, 1892 in Bundaberg , Australia , † January 7, 1933 in Italy ) was an Australian aviation pioneer and test pilot.
Life
In his youth, Hinkler constructed gliders in his home town of Bundaberg and made his first flight attempts with them.
In 1913 Hinkler went to England and worked there for the Sopwith Aviation Company .
During the First World War he reported to the British naval aviators, the Royal Naval Air Service , where he worked as a gunner and observer in Belgium and France, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal . He also received pilot training in the military and flew missions over Italy at the end of the war .
After the war, Hinkler found a job as a test pilot at the British aircraft manufacturer Avro in Southampton .
In May 1920 he flew without stopping in an Avro Baby from London to Turin , setting a new world record.
On February 7, 1928, Hinkler started a solo flight from Croydon in England to Australia in an Avro 581 ; he reached his destination Darwin on February 22, 1928. He had covered a total of 17,711 km after a pure flight time of 128 hours. He had stops in Rome , Malta , Tobruk , Ramallah , Basra , Dschask , Karachi , Cawnpore , Calcutta , Rangoon , Victoria Point , Singapore and Bandung . In March, the onward flight to Hinkler's birthplace Bundaberg followed. After landing, to the cheers of the people present, he rolled down the main road to his mother's house and parked the plane directly in front of the garden gate.
At the end of 1931 he flew from New York to London and was the first person to fly solo over the South Atlantic and, after Charles Lindbergh, the second pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic .
While attempting another flight from England to Australia in a de Havilland DH.80 Puss Moth , Bert Hinkler crashed on January 7, 1933 over the Italian Apennines . He was not found and buried in Florence until April 27, 1933.
In honor of Hinkler, Qantas Airways named an Airbus A380 VH-OQJ in his name.
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Hinkler, Bert |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Hinkler, Herbert John Louis |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Australian aviation pioneer and test pilot |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 8, 1892 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Bundaberg , Australia |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 7, 1933 |
| Place of death | Italy |