Pioneer pilot
An Australian aviator, Burt Hinkler (1892-1933) made the first solo flight from Britain to Australia in 1928. He made the flight in a single-engined Avro Avian in fifteen and a half days. After the flight, which broke 5 aviation records, the Australian government gave him a grant of £2000 and made him an honourary squadron leader.
Hinkler was born at Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia, and was named Herbert John Louis Hinkler. He was educated at Bundaberg. In 1911, he went to Britain where he worked as an aircraft engineer. He joined the Royal Naval Air Service in 1914.
In 1920 he made the first non-stop flight from London to Turin, in Italy, taking 9 hr 30 min. later he flew an Avro Avian 1930 km on a non-stop flight from Britain to Russia, breaking the world distance record for light aircraft. In 1931 he made a round-trip flight from London to the West Indies, on to Brazil and Africa, and back to London. In 1933 he tried to break the flying speed record from Britain to Australia. He crashed in Italy and died.
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