Guy Menzies

Guy Lambton Menzies (1909 - November 1, 1940) was the Australian aviator who flew the first solo trans-Tasman flight, from Sydney, Australia to the West Coast of New Zealand, on 7 January 1931.

The first crossing of the Tasman by air had been achieved on the 10-11 September 1928 by Charles Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm in the "Southern Cross". The plane Menzies used for his solo crossing was the Avro Sports Avian that Smith had flown from England to Australia, the "Southern Cross Junior" cite web
publisher = Classic Fighters Charitable Trust
url = http://www.classicfighters.co.nz/marlborough/omaka.htm
title = Omaka Aerodrome History
accessdate = April 18
accessyear = 2006 ] . Fearing he might be denied permission for the flight cite web
last = Wearne
first = Max,
url = http://www.guymenzies.com.au/
title = The Life of Guy Menzies - The Forgotten Flyer
accessdate = April 18
accessyear = 2006 ] , Menzies informed the authorities and his family that he was flying to Perth. Instead, he left Sydney at 1 am on January 7, 1931, and headed for Blenheim, New Zealand. Poor weather forced Menzies off course, and after 11 hours and 45 minutes he crash-landed upside-down in the La Fontaine Swamp near Hari Hari on New Zealand's west coastcite news
author=Madgwick, Paul
url=http://www.newzealandnz.co.nz/discussions/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=33;t=000008;p=0
title=Pilot to retrace famous flight
publisher=The Press
date=2005-05-02
accessdate=2006-04-18] . Despite the unfortunate landing, he had broken Smith and Ulm's time by 2½ hours.

During the Second World War, Menzies was a Squadron Leader in the Royal Air Force. He was killed on November 1, 1940, when his flying boat was shot down over Italycite news
author=Madgwick, Paul
url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/dick-smith-recreates-first-solo-transtasman-flight/2006/01/07/1136609980878.html
title=Dick Smith recreates first solo trans-Tasman flight
publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald
date=2006-01-08
accessdate=2006-04-18] , and is commemorated at the [http://www.cwgc.org/search/certificate.aspx?casualty=1810821 Alamein Memorial] in Egypt.

On 7 January 2006, celebrations were held in Hari Hari to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Menzies' trans-Tasman voyage, and were marked by a re-enactment of the flight by adventurer Dick Smith.

References

External links

* [http://www.nzine.co.nz/features/menzies_anniversary.html Account of the 75th Anniversary celebrations] , Peter Clarke, NZine
* [http://www.nzine.co.nz/features/75yearold_album.html Images of Guy Menzies from 1931] (from the family album of Dr Peter Clarke)

Persondata
NAME=Menzies, Guy Lambton
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Aviator
DATE OF BIRTH=1909
PLACE OF BIRTH=New South Wales
DATE OF DEATH=November 1, 1940
PLACE OF DEATH=Italy