24 Dec To Infinity & Beyond !!!!
TO INFINITY & BEYOND !!!
I could talk about the latest Trump Tantrum or how the Brits are Brexiting or not or how Paris and parts of France are in rebellion from people dressed up as Australian Politicians visiting manufacturing sites (Can Anybody say the Rolling Stones “Street Fighting Man”)
Everywhere I hear the sound of marching, charging, feet boy
Because Summers here and the time is right for fighting in the street boy
Hey! Said my name is called disturbance
I’ll Shout & Scream, I’ll Kill the King & Rail at all his servants
But No – I give you the immortal words on one legendary space traveller Buzz Lightyear that can clearly sum up what has happened recently in regards to space for us here in South Australia and also we can celebrate the centenary of a most amazing feat by a couple of unassuming South Aussies.
South Australia has been awarded the National Space Agency which is going to be located at Lot 14 (the old Royal Adelaide Hospital site). This is a great achievement for our State as we need to develop a range of high tech jobs to continue to expand our economy. I heard our own Spaceman Andy Thomas on the radio last week talking about the opportunities and we have already seen Richard Branson express some interest. Can anybody say the Big Battery Man may be next ?
Just to reinforce this if you refer to my blog Ready For Launch I talked last year how Fleet Space were going to start launching satellites. Fleet Space intend building earth’s “digital nervous system” to power business in the future. By connecting the IoT there is the capacity to connect up to 75 billion devices world wide
Well now they have done it – Fleet Space Technologies launched it’s first two commercial satellites – called CubeSats into space. Named Proxima I and II, the two identical were launched on November 28. CubeSats are miniaturised satellites measuring 100 by 100 by 113.5 millimetres, and with a weight of just 1.33 kilograms per single-unit craft.
Fleet Space are now offering businesses the ability to use their satellite technology at a cost of $29 per month
But I digress – None of this could be possible without the Wright Brothers first flying a plane in 1903, but it took 2 great South Australians (yes I know their Father was a Scotsman and Mother a West Aussie – but I’m claiming them) to put South Australia & Australia on the air travel map. December 10 2018 represents the 100 year anniversary of Sir Keith & Ross Smith’s epic flight from London to Darwin
It took Ross & Keith Smith just less than 28 days to fly from Hounslow Heath in London to Darwin – an event that has changed Australia forever. I know today that Qantas has launched a service that flies you direct from Perth to London in about 20 hours and it now only takes 18 hours to fly from Darwin to London, but can you imagine taking 28 days in a converted World War 1 Bomber ?
The England to Australia Air Race was a 1919 initiative of the Australian Government headed by Prime Minister William Morris “Billy” Hughes to promote aviation in Australia. A £10,000 prize was up for grabs for the first Australian crew to fly from Hounslow, England to Darwin in the Northern Territory within 30 consecutive days and by midnight on December 31st, 1920. The race was under the supervision and rules set by the Royal Aero Club of England. Many Australian pilots were still based in England awaiting to be repatriated home and for some this seemed like an exciting way to have an adventure getting back there and maybe make some decent money in the process
The Smith brothers were one of six race entrants but only two completed the journey. Two crews crashed with the sad loss of four crew members and the other two withdrew following damage sustained in a crash and a heavy landing.
Smith and his brother Keith, Sergeant James Mallett (Jim) Bennett and Sergeant Wally Shiers, in a Vickers Vimy set off at 8am in poor weather from Hounslow, England on November 12th, 1919 (the first to depart), arriving in Darwin 27 days and 20 hours later, on December 10th, 1919 after flying the 18,000 km journey at an average of 137 kilometres per hour through numerous countries, with many hair-raising experiences along the way including foul weather (this must have been made worse by the open cockpit of the Vimy and flying in blizzard like conditions – freezing cold and soaking wet!), being stuck in mud, landing on primitive landing strips and also a charging bull at one stage! The crew arrived home as national heroes and apart from an equal share in the prize money, the Smith brothers were knighted by King George V (December 22nd, 1919) and the mechanics were commissioned and awarded bars to their Air Force Medals for their daring deed.
After the flight to Darwin they took twice as long to fly to Sydney. When they eventually returned to Adelaide some 20,000 people came out to see the Smith Brothers alone! (Can anyone say John, Paul, George & Ringo before their time)
Ross Smith’s history is even more impressive. During the 1st World War he was in the 3rd Light Hose Regiment landing at Gallipoli on 13 May 1915. In 1917, he volunteered for the Australian Flying Corps. He was later twice awarded the Military Cross and the Distinguished Flying Cross three times, also being an Air Ace with 11 confirmed aerial victories.
Smith was also a pilot for T. E. Lawrence (yes that Lawrence of Arabia) and fought in aerial combat missions in the Middle East. He is mentioned several times in Lawrence’s book, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, Chapter 114.
Today the Vickers Vimy is still at Adelaide Airport (in the old Terminal Building) in it’s own purpose built building. Hopefully the Airport can get it’s act together and shift it into the new terminal in a prominent place for everyone to see
So as we can see anything is possible when we put ur mind to it. I look forward to seeing how our Space industry can continue to develop and create opportunities for all South Australians and build on the legacy of the Smith Brothers into 2019 & beyond.
Sources
Wikipedia
Aces Flying High