Adventurer Michael Smith has set off to recreate the first circumnavigation of Australia by seaplane on the day two Air Force pilots did it 100 years earlier.
Mr Smith took off from RAAF Base Point Cook near Melbourne on Friday April 12 in his twin engine Chaika LLC L65 Seabear, and is following the same anti-clockwise route taken by former acting Chief of the Air Staff, Wing Commander SJ (‘Jimmy’) Goble, and pilot, Flying Officer Ivor McIntyre, a century earlier.
The journey around the continent is expected to take 44 days, though depending on weather conditions, Mr Smith and his seaplane “Southern Sun” could complete it in a third of the time.
When asked why he is taking on this feat, Mr Smith responded like a true adventurer: “Because it’s fun and I’m looking forward to seeing the beaches at 500 feet,” he said.
“It’s so important to recognise the mechanised apparatus that made Australian life possible. Still today there are towns where their mail and milk are delivered by plane.
It’s also a chance to reflect on the services of our Air Force and the importance of airbases today. We must preserve these airfields, built where they are, because of the information gathered from that flight 100 years ago,” Mr Smith said.
Mr Smith is hoping the weather conditions will be more favourable than those encountered by the initial pioneers who faced strong winds, heavy rain, and terrible turbulence that caused damage to their aircraft.
Goble and McIntyre also battled fatigue, poor maps and compass failure, but were rewarded on their return by being appointed Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
Mr Smith, who owns Yarraville’s Sun Theatre, has been flying for 20 years and is no stranger to long distance journeys.
In 2016 he was named the Australian Geographic Adventurer of the Year after becoming the first person to solo circumnavigate the globe in a single-engine seaplane.
Cade Lucas.
