FEATU RE
Another Aussie aviation legend BY BRIAN BIGG
T
HE guest speaker at Rathmines this year was an Australian record breaking pilot, who few outside our industry will have heard of. Michael Smith doesn’t bang his own drum. But he has earned himself a unique place in Australian aviation annals. In April 2015 he set off from Williamstown near Newcastle in his amphibian SeaRey ‘The Southern Sun’. When he landed back there seven months later he’d been around the world, a distance of 31,100nm – the first solo circumnavigation by a flying boat. His plan loosely followed the Qantas Empire Flying Boat route of 1938 from Sydney to London. He reports on his blog that one of his earliest memories was going to Tullamarine with his family, to stand on the rooftop viewing platform in blistering summer heat to watch his grandfather take off in an early Qantas jet to London for work. “The story of the grand flying boats of the pre-war era I found captivating. All of the research I was doing came together when Matthew Holle curated an excellent exAustralian Geographic Award hibition of the Flying Boat era in Sydney. I snapped up photos of displays, maps, itineraries and the like, and decided - one day, I would really like to do that. In the meantime, I flew a lot around the world for work, always with Qantas or One World, and along the way I got my pilot’s licence and started flying a slightly smaller flying boat”. “The SeaRey has a similar range to the flying boat airliners of 1938 - just a little less amenity and comfort”. His journey took him up through Asia, across India and Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Caption here Italy, France, UK, the US and then a long overwater flight to Japan (when the Russian authorities wouldn’t give him clearance) then home. handy - and I’d love people to be able to join me Since his arrival back home, he’s been in big demand from aviation groups for for legs. The plane would have to be a diesel presentations. He’s also working on a book and I wouldn’t undertake this trip again and rely on Avgas or gasoline, it’s just too hard - scarce and a film of his adventure. And been busy answering the one question often crazy expensive - it needs to be diesel or jet A1. everyone asks him. “I really enjoying discovering the world this “Would I do another trip like this? I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this incredible adventure. If any- way and, with my keen interest in exploring, thing I’d like to go further and take more time travel, aviation, sailing, cinema, community and - at least three or four nights in each place - plus storytelling, I have some thoughts about how to Africa and South America would be fascinating do more in the future. Plus, my son Tim starts to add to the mix. Next time I’d stick with an his flying lessons in January! amphibian, it’s just too much fun being in a flying boat - but a slightly bigger plane, as cruising For more information, at 120kts rather than 80kts would be kind of http://tinyurl.com/gr5vp2h 19 / SPORT PILOT
The Southern Caption Sun flighthere path Michael’s worn bag
STATISTICS 7 month journey 25 countries 80 cities/towns 70 cinemas 93 airports/water bases 82 days flying 480 hours flying 9,798 litres of fuel Average 20.4l/hr Travelled 57,500km / 31,100nm First solo circumnavigation for a flying boat and/or amphibian