top of page

Bourke welcomes historic flight team


The three pilots that flew into Bourke on Saturday to mark 100 years of the flight from London to Bourke – Louise Humble, Michael Coates and Michael Smith on top of Michael’s Russian-built Sea Bear “Southern Sun” PHOTO TWH

Bourke people turned out in force to welcome a team of aviators at the airport on Sunday, recreating an event that made headlines around the world 100 years ago.

Adventurer Michael Smith, world aviation record holder Michael Coates and Ballarat nurse Louise Humble made a spectacular entrance to Bourke to mark the centenary of the transcontinental flight by Ross and Keith Smith, James Bennett and Walter Shiers from London to Australia 100 years ago.

As part of the re-creation of that record-breaking feat, historic, ultralight and high-tech aircraft are making their way from Darwin to Adelaide.

Read more in the printed edition of the Western Herald.

bottom of page