History of aviation – November 9, 1935. On this November 9, 1935, it is the pilot HF Broadbent who is making aeronautical news, the latter having signed a magnificent performance on this day by establishing the new speed record between the cities of London and Port Darwin , thereby dethroning Charles Kingsford Smith, who unfortunately has been missing since the day before, when he hoped to beat the speed record between England and Australia with Tommy Pethybridge, his co-pilot and radio operator.
On November 2, 1935, HF Broadbent left London at 7 a.m. (GMT), installed at the controls of a Percival “Gull” with a Gipsy engine, to head for Australia. Six days, 21 hours and 19 minutes later, after several stopovers, it landed at Port Darwin, on November 9, 1935 at 4:19 a.m. (GMT), thus setting the speed record on this route.
A remarkable feat considering the aircraft with which the pilot achieved it, in fact, carrying out such a long aerial trek with a tourist aircraft with a single engine was very daring on his part.
