OPPapers.com

Sir Charles Kingsford Smith

Orientation / Introduction:
Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, his nickname Smithy, is a renowned early Australian aviator. In 1928, he completed the first trans-Pacific flight from the United States to Australia. He also made the first non-stop crossing of the Australian mainland, the first flights between Australia and New Zealand, and the first eastward Pacific crossing from Australia to the United States.

Biographical Information:
Born in 1987 and died in 1935 Sir Kingsford Smith was one of seven children. He was born in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, but from 1903 to 1907, he and his family lived in Vancouver, Canada then he moved back to Australia at the beginning of 1907. Upon returning to Australia, he attended St Andrew's Cathedral School in Sydney where he was a treble chorister in the cathedral choir and then studied electrical engineering at Sydney Technical College. Unfortunately he was expelled from this school for being the first student to blow up the science lab.

When 16 he became an engineering apprentice with the Colonial Sugar Refining Company. After that, he enlisted in the armed services in 1915 and served at Gallipoli. And he earned his wings with the Royal Flying Corps in 1917.

How they impacted on their society /their time:
Sir Charles Kingsford Smith contributed to society a great deal of things. Sir Charles Kingsford Smith served duty as a motorcycle dispatch rider in Gallipoli and was discharged in August 1917 after being shot down, receiving wounds which required a great part of his left foot to be amputated. For his courage in battle, he was awarded the Military Cross. After the war, he worked as a barnstormer in the United State, creating an international reputation before returning to Australia in 1921, He did the same in Australia and also flew airmail services, and began to plan his record-breaking flight across the Pacific. So after his plan was complete he went back to the United States with Charles Ulm to purchase an...