Flying the Southern Cross

Michael Molkentin

Australian aviators Charles Ulm and Charles Kingsford Smith made the first trans-Pacific flight in 1928 in the Southern Cross, an aircraft constructed largely of timber and fabric. Throughout this extraordinary journey of electrical storms, torrential rain, equipment breakdowns and the ever-present fear of engine failure, Charles Ulm kept a logbook in which he recorded his raw impressions of this historic flight.

Using logbook entries and other documents, Michael Molkentin gives a gripping account of the flight and its aftermath, and brings to life the airmen who flew the Southern Cross.

Soft cover, photographs and colour illustrations, 212 pages.