Harold Gatty
Harold Gatty (born January 5, 1903 in Campbell Town, Tasmania , † August 30, 1957 in Fiji ) was an Australian navigator , inventor and aviation pioneer. Charles Lindbergh called him the "Prince of Navigators".
In 1917 he began his career at the Royal Australian Naval College. After the First World War he served on several ships and ran a business in Sydney Harbor until he emigrated to the USA in 1927.
In California he founded a navigation school for sailors. In 1928 he expanded this to include flight navigation .
In 1931 he served Wiley Post as navigator on his record flight around the world.
In 1934 he founded the South Seas Commercial Company with Donald Wills Douglas to offer flight services to the islands in the South Pacific. The company was soon sold to PanAm.
After the Second World War, he went to Fiji with his second wife, who was born in Holland, and founded Fiji Airways in 1947 , initially under the name Katafanga Estates Limited.
Works
- The Raft Book
- Nature is your guide
- Finding Your Way Without Map Or Compass ( Online )
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Gatty, Harold |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Australian inventor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 5, 1903 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Campbell Town , Tasmania |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 30, 1957 |
| Place of death | Fiji |