NZFF

Thanks to Peter Watkins for this, which I found on flightsim this morning and of course Keith Paine for the model.

Bert Hinkler I believe, the West Coast was the real forefront of travel thru out New Zealand, Great Screen Mike I did see it this morning at Flightsim.com. Edit: I quickly checked , Bert Mercer it was.

Ian Warren wrote:Bert Hinkler I believe, .. Edit: I quickly checked , Bert Mercer it was.

Hehheh, good job you checked

We have an early Qld/Oz aviation exhibit in our museum and of course Bert Hinkler is a prominent part of that. Not sure if we discussed him or not.
He flew from England to Oz, more than once, navigating with a school atlas and a sixpenny compass. Coasting down the west of Italy, he was caught by bad weather and driven inland, and crashed into high ground. The wreckage of his plane was found in two pieces, and Bert's body was about 80m away from the larger part. The Hinkler Museum folk from Bundaberg went to the area about three years ago, and were able to interview the man who as a shepherd boy, had found Hinkler's body. Mussolini, who was a great supporter of aviation, gave Hinkler a State Funeral, and a monument was erected near the crash site.
Following their visit, the Hinkler Museum folk started a project which resulted in the RAAF transporting a large rock from the beach at Bundaberg - where Bert had flown many of his experimental gliders - to Italy, where it was placed at the exact location his body had been found and carved into a new memorial.

To many Bert's and not enough Ernie's you then can get them mixed up with the Mcdonld and the Wigleys .. all old name peoples of 1930s.

Nice shot Mike .... it really was a golden age .

Ian Warren wrote:To many Bert's and not enough Ernie's .