History of aviation – November 6, 1935. On this November 6, 1935, it is the Australian pilot Charles Kingsford Smith who is making aeronautical news, the latter setting out on this day to reconquer the speed record on the England-Australia link by route tunes. Holders of several records on this route in one direction or the other, the aviator wants to be crowned record holder again and to this end wishes to dethrone Charles William Anderson Scott and Tom Campbell Black who have been the title holders since 1934.
While participating in the Mac Robertson Air Race, Charles William Anderson Scott and Tom Campbell Black set the speed record on this route by completing it in two days, four hours and thirty-nine minutes, the two friends being then flying a Havilland Comet.
Charles Kingsford Smith intends to do better than them and for his attempt, he has chosen to team up with co-pilot and radio operator Tommy Pethybridge. The two men take their seats aboard an American-powered Lockheed Altair called “Lady Southern Cross”, which will take off from Croydon airfield in London. Charles Kingsford Smith and Tommy Pethybridge wanting to reach Australia, more precisely Port-Darwin, unfortunately after only two days of travel, they were reported missing…
