Historic Kookaburra trip

In 1929, Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm set out to fly the Southern Cross from Australia to England. On the 1 April 1929, Smith and Ulm were forced to land near the mouth of the Glenelg River in the Kimberly region of Western Australia.

Keith Anderson and Bobby Hitchcock, set out to search for their friend, Kingsford Smith. They departed Richmond NSW on 10 April in a Westland Widgeon aircraft, registration G-AUKU, named Kookaburra. On their way from Alice Springs across the Tanami Desert, they lost power and were forced to land. After successfully landing and repairing the problem, they were unable to clear a runway long enough for the aircraft to take off again.

On 27 April, a group of aircraft, based at the Hunter Recreational Flying Club, plan to depart Cessnock NSW (YCNK) and follow the route that Anderson and Hitchcock took flying the Kookaburra. The route will take us out to Broken Hill, Oodnadatta via Port Augusta and Marree, Alice Springs and out over the final landing site of the Kookaburra in the Tanami Desert.

See the following articles for further information about the Kookaburra.

Dick Smith:
http://dicksmithadventure.com.au/kookaburra-1980/

Kookaburra Aircraft Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kookaburra_(aircraft)

Kingsford Smith Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Kingsford_Smith

Kingsford Smith Biography:
https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/kingsford-smith-sir-charles-edward-6964

For information regarding the flight and group email: vk2li at juddy dot net