QANTAS LINK

I, as a reader from the first issue, was very interested in Alasdair McGregor’s story Flying far (AG 153) of Ross and Keith Smith’s winning of the Great Air Race from England to Australia in December 1919, 100 years ago.

The article is also so well illustrated and the flight must go down as one of the greatest in aviation history.

A disappointing omission was that there was no mention of the official organiser waiting in Darwin to greet the Smith brothers – their old Lighthorse and Australian Flying Corps comrade, Hudson Fysh, who went on to co-found Qantas.

He had made the overland journey from Longreach to Katherine in a Model T Ford with Paul McGinness, surveying landing grounds for competitors in the Great Air Race.

Here was inspiration for the foundation of Qantas, which grew to be that proud Australian organisation whose centenary will be celebrated in November this year.

JOHN HUDSON FYSH, WAMBERAL, NSW