J J Hammond Centenary

[Mark_Pilkington]

Australia's Centenary of Flight that began in December 2009 with Celebrations of Taylors first glider flight, is drawing to its close with the current celebrations of the flights of JJ Hammond.

First practical powered flights, and birth of civil aviation in Australia.

First Cross Country Flight in Australia - Altona to Geelong
First Passenger Flight in Australia
First Female Passenger Flight in Australia
First Paying Passenger Flight in Australia
First multiple Passenger Flight in Australia

These remarkable “firsts” are the birth of passenger and air travel flights in Australia, all previous flights were simply flights to and from the same location, and consisting of only a pilot on board.More remarkably, these flights all occurred within a 4 week period, all from Altona Bay in Victoria, all in 1911 just on 100 years ago, and all by one pilot – J J Hammond.

New Zealander J. J. Hammond, employed by the British and Colonial Aeroplane Co.(Bristol), accompanied two Bristol Box Kites to Australia, giving demonstration flights in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney, and offering the Box Kite aircraft for sale from the factory at ₤1000 and 50HP Gnome engines for ₤50.

He made his first Victorian flight at Altona Bay on 18 February 1911 for 31 minutes and up to a height of 3000 feet.

On 20 February 1911 He flew the first cross country flight between towns in Australia from Altona Bay to Geelong in Victoria, covering 40 miles in 55 minutes, returning the next day.

On 28 February at Altona Bay, Victoria, he undertook the first powered passenger flight in Australia, taking his mechanic Coles on a 7½ minute flight, and then took Mrs Hammond on a 12½ minute flight, the first woman passenger flight in Australia.

On 2 March 1911, again at Altona Bay, Hammond took J.Bailleau as the first paying passenger in powered flight in Australia covering 12 miles at 700 feet, while on 26 March 1911 Hammond flew with his assistants L.F. McDonald and Coles both as passengers to demonstrate the weight carrying performance of the Box Kite and gave many demonstration flights thereafter in Melbourne and Sydney.


Joseph Joel "Joe" Hammond was born in New Zealand in 1886, flew with the RFC in WW1 and was killed in a flying accident in 1918 in the USA.


Regards

Mark Pilkington