HERBERT JOHN LOUIS (BERT) HINKLER
1892-1933
 
 
Bert Hinkler
 
 
Bert Hinkler
from The Pioneers
Courtesy or Russell Naughton
 

 
 
INTRODUCTION TO AUSTRALIAN PIONEERS
Email from Andrew Fullarton, 7-26-01

Dear Ralph
     It's good to hear from you. I found your site most interesting, having always been interested in the pioneer days of aviation. Here are a few bits of info on Wizard Stone, and I'll send more as I find it.
     He was born in 1874, and came to Australia late in 1912 with what I think was an American - built Bleriot monoplane - I've seen it referred to as a "Metz-Bleriot".
      His mechanic was Bert Hinkler, a young Australian aviation enthusiast who later became a famous solo long-distance flyer. In 1913, after completing his Australian tour and surviving a few severe crashes, he went to New Zealand. He also was a motorcycle wall-of-death rider and did some of this in Australia as well, and in New Zealand he had a try at setting a new land speed record.
      I've read various articles about Wizard Stone over the years and am told that back in the '60's a book was written about him, which a friend of my father has a copy of. I've also read that back in the US, Stone was test pilot for the Queen Aircraft Company, builders of another Bleriot copy.
     That's about all I can think of for now, and I've attached a photo of a little-known pioneer Australian aviator, Laurie Marshall, with the biplane that he built here in Melbourne in about 1911. It's not known for certain whether he succeeded in flying it, but he experimented with it until he went bankrupt, and the engine is now in a museum.
      'Bye for now, and I look forward to hearing from you again.
Best wishes from Andrew Fullarton
 

 
 
Bert Hinkler
 

 
 
La Grande Enciclopedia Aeronautica of Luigi Mancini
Courtesy of Giovanni Giorgetti, 7-29-11
     In La Grande Enciclopedia Aeronautica of Luigi Mancini - 1936 - Edizioni Aeronautica L. Mancini - Tel. 71 - 624 - Milano - Via Gesù 6, it is written:

Italian

HINKLER BERT. - Nel 1920 si rivelò con il viaggio - record (effettuato con un apparecchio da turismo Avro 40 HP) Londra - Torino di 900 km senza scalo.

Nel 1921 effettuò il flight Sydney - Bundaberg (1330 km.) in 9 ore.

Nel 1925 partecipò con un "Gloster" alla Coppa Schneider a Baltimora e nello stesso anno partecipò alla "Grosvenor Cup" ed alla "King Cup" classificandosi in entrambe terzo.

Nel 1927 volò da Londra a Riga per 1950 km. in 11 ore e nello stesso tempo in compagnia di Mc. Intosh volò dall 'Inghilterra alla Galizia orientale col "Fokker" "Princess Xenia".

Nel 1928 effettuò il flight Londra - Porto Darwin in 16 giorni stabilendo un record che non venne facilmente battuto.

Nel 1928 e '29 fu collaboratore alla Casa De Havilland e nel 1930 si trasferì negli S. U., poi nel Canadà.

Nel 1931, con un Puss - Moth, discese a grandi tappe dal Canadà fino a Porto Natal, da dove decollò il 26 novembre, compiendo la traversata atlantica fino a Bathurst (Gambia) in 24 ore.

Il 7 gennaio 1933 partì dall'aeroporto di Feltham (Middlesex) con un Puss Moth per tentare di battere il record Inghilterra - Australia, detenuto dallo Scott fin dall'aprile del 1932, ma l'apparecchio precipitava in fiamme sull'Appennino presso S. Niccolò (Arezzo) ove i miseri resti del pilota venivano ritrovati solo il 28 aprile.

English

HINKLER BERT. - In 1920, he revealed him self with the trip - record London - Turin 900 km non-stop (made by a light aircraft Avro 40 HP).

In 1921 he effected the flight Sydney - Bundaberg (1330 km) in 9 hours.

In 1925 he took part the "Gloster" Schneider Cup in Baltimore and in the same year he participated in the "Grosvenor Cup" and "King's Cup" and finished third in both.

In 1927 he flew from London to Riga for 1950 km in 11 hours and, at the same time with Mc. Intosh, he flew from England to Eastern Galicia with the "Fokker" "Princess Xenia".

In 1928, he affected the flight London - Port Darwin in 16 days setting a record that was not easily beaten.

In 1928 and '29 he was as assistant at the De Havilland Firm, and in 1930 he moved to the U. S., then to Canada.

In 1931, by a Puss - Moth, he came down to great steps from Canada to Port Natal, where he took off on November 26, making the Atlantic crossing to Bathurst (Gambia) in 24 hours.

IN 1933 January 7, he departed from Feltham (Middlesex) by a Puss Moth to break the record for England - Australia, owned by Scott since April of 1932, but the plane fell in flames over Apennines at S. Niccolò (Arezzo), where the miserable remains of the pilot were not found until April 28.
 

 
 
ONLINE RESOURCES
     If you search for "Bert Hinkler" +aviation, using the Google search engine,
(7-29-11), you will find about 21,000 links! Among the most helpful are the following.
 

 
 
Hinkler House Memorial Museum & Research Association,
     This is probably the preeminent source for information on the life and career of this pioneer Australian aviator. It includes sections on: The Hinkler House, His Life, His Achievements, His Aircraft and relevant links. You can access the site by clicking on the title above.
 

 
 
The Pioneers
     As usual Russell Naughton has assembled an impressive number of important stories, photos and links to other sites which feature Bert. You can access this site by clicking on the title above.
 

 
 
RECOMMENDED READING
 
 
Grande Enciclopedia Aeronautica
GRANDE
ENCICLOPEDIA
AERONAUTICA



 
L. MANCINI
 
Product Details
Hard: 660 pages
Price: Out of Print - Used copies occasionally available online.
Publisher: EDIZIONI - AERONAUTICA 1936

TEL. 71 - 624 - MILANO - VIA GESU 6
 
 
Excerpt
Courtesy of Giovanni Giorgetti, 7-30-11
Italian

HINKLER BERT. – Nel 1920 si rivelò con il viaggio – record (effettuato con un apparecchio da turismo Avro 40 HP) Londra – Torino di 900 km senza scalo.
     Nel 1921 effettuò il raid Sydney – Bundaberg (1330 km.) in 9 ore.
     Nel 1925 partecipò con un “Gloster” alla Coppa Schneider a Baltimora e nello stesso anno partecipò alla “Grosvenor Cup” ed alla “King Cup” classificandosi in entrambe terzo.
     Nel 1927 volò da Londra a Riga per 1950 km. in 11 ore e nello stesso tempo in compagnia di Mc. Intosh volò dall’Inghilterra alla Galizia orientale col “Fokker” “Princess Xenia”.
     Nel 1928 effettuò il raid Londra – Porto Darwin in 16 giorni stabilendo un record che non venne facilmente battuto.
     Nel 1928 e ’29 fu collaboratore alla Casa De Havilland e nel 1930 si trasferì negli S. U., poi nel Canadà.
     Nel 1931, con un Puss – Moth, discese a grandi tappe dal Canadà fino a Porto Natal, da dove decollò il 26 novembre, compiendo la traversata atlantica fino a Bathurst (Gambia) in 24 ore.
     Il 7 gennaio 1933 partì dall’aeroporto di Feltham (Middlesex) con un Puss Moth per tentare di battere il record Inghilterra – Australia, detenuto dallo Scott fin dall’aprile del 1932, ma l’apparecchio precipitava in fiamme sull’Appennino presso S. Niccolò (Arezzo) ove i miseri resti del pilota venivano ritrovati solo il 28 aprile.

English

HINKLER BERT. - In 1920, he revealed him self with the trip - record London - Turin 900 km non-stop (made by a light aircraft Avro 40 HP).
     In 1921 he effected the raid Sydney - Bundaberg (1330 km) in 9 hours.
     In 1925 he took part the "Gloster" Schneider Cup in Baltimore and in the same year he participated in the "Grosvenor Cup" and "King's Cup" and finished third in both.
     In 1927 he flew from London to Riga for 1950 km in 11 hours and, at the same time with Mc. Intosh, he flew from England to Eastern Galicia with the "Fokker" "Princess Xenia".
     In 1928, he affected the raid London - Port Darwin in 16 days setting a record that was not easily beaten.
     In 1928 and '29 he was as assistant at the De Havilland Firm, and in 1930 he moved to the U. S., then to Canada.
     In 1931, by a Puss - Moth, he came down to great steps from Canada to Port Natal, where he took off on November 26, making the Atlantic crossing to Bathurst (Gambia) in 24 hours.
     In 1933 January 7, he departed from Feltham (Middlesex) by a Puss Moth to break the record for England - Australia, owned by Scott since April of 1932, but the plane fell in flames over Apennines at S. Niccolò (Arezzo), where the miserable remains of the pilot were not found until April 28.
 

 
 
Bert Hinkler
 
 
Hinkler's Signature
Contributed by Ian Whalley, 5-16-11
 

 
 
 
 
Bert Hinkler died in 1933.

 
Editor's Note:
If you have any information on this pioneer aviator,
please contact me.
E-mail to Ralph Cooper

 
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