Charles Ulm
Charles Ulm | |
---|---|
Disappeared during flight | |
Nationality | Australian |
Known for | Trans-Pacific flight Setting the speed record from England to Australia at 6 days, 17 hours and 56 minutes |
Awards | Air Force Cross |
Charles Thomas Philippe Ulm
Ulm was a member of the fascist New Guard.[1]
Early life
Ulm was born on 18 October 1898 in Middle Park, Victoria. He was the third son of Ada Emma (née Greenland) and Emile Gustave Ulm. His father was a French-born artist and his mother was an Australian. Ulm spent his early years in Melbourne, moving to Sydney as a child where his family settled in Mosman. He was educated at state schools.[2]
World War I
Ulm joined the
Charles Ulm was married twice. In 1919 he married Isabel Amy Winter. After divorcing his first wife, in 1927 he married Mary Josephine Callaghan.[2]
Partnership with Charles Kingsford Smith
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e1/Charles_Kingsford_Smith_and_Charles_Ulm_%28cropped%29.jpg/220px-Charles_Kingsford_Smith_and_Charles_Ulm_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Ulm is best known for his partnership with Sir
Later ventures
After the failure of Australian National Airways, Ulm bought one of the airline's
In 1934, flying in Faith in Australia, Ulm carried the first official airmail from New Zealand to Australia,[4][5] and the first official airmail delivery from Australia to Papua New Guinea.[6]
Disappearance
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/59/Charles_Ulm%27s_Avro-Fokker_10_aeroplane_%27Faith_in_Australia%27_1934.jpg/220px-Charles_Ulm%27s_Avro-Fokker_10_aeroplane_%27Faith_in_Australia%27_1934.jpg)
Ulm established a new company in September 1934, Great Pacific Airways Ltd, intending to operate a San Francisco-Sydney air service. Ulm disappeared in December 1934, together with copilot George Littlejohn and navigator Leon Skilling, on a test flight from
The plane had been customized by Airspeed to meet Ulm's own specifications; Airspeed's manager,
Tributes
In 1978 he was honoured on a postage stamp issued by Australia Post depicting Ulm and the Southern Cross.[10]
In November 2008 Qantas announced that it would be naming one of its Airbus A380s after Charles Ulm in recognition of his contribution to the aviation industry.[11] This A380 (registration: VH-OQG) entered service on 3 November 2010.[12]
Sydney Airport former office building was known as the Charles Ulm Building, until it was replaced by the Central Terrace Building in the 2000s.
In 2019 Sydney Airport announced that its two corporate office buildings would be renamed as part of the airport's centenary celebrations. As part of this change the former Customs House was renamed as the Charles Ulm Building.[13]
See also
References
- ^ Campbell, Eric (1965), The Rallying Point: My Story of the New Guard, Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, p. 100
- ^ a b c McCarthy, John (1990). "Ulm, Charles Thomas Philippe (1898–1934)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 12. Melbourne University Press.
- ^ "7:30 Report story on Ulm". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2007.
- ^ "Ulm and aircraft (photos)". Poverty Bay Herald in Papers Past (New Zealand). 16 April 1934.
- ^ "Ulm delivers message to PM Forbes (photos)". The Evening Post (New Zealand). 14 May 1934.
- ^ "Ellen Rogers collection highlight: National Museum of Australia". Archived from the original on 17 December 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
- ^ ISBN 0-7022-2193-7.
- ^ Clarence S. Williams, "What Happened to Ulm," Los Angeles Times Sunday Magazine, 30 December 1934
- ^ Nevil Shute, Slide Rule, p 200
- ^ http://www.australianstamp.com/images/large/0012170.jpg [bare URL image file]
- ^ "About Qantas - Media Room - Media Releases - Qantas A380s to Honour Our Aviation Pioneers". Archived from the original on 13 February 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ "Aviation Photo #1847706: Airbus A380-842 - Qantas".
- ^ "Aviation pioneers honoured for Sydney Airport centenary". St George and Sutherland Shire Leader. 19 June 2019.
External links
Media related to Charles Ulm at Wikimedia Commons
- Listen to recordings of aviators such as Charles Kingsford Smith, Charles Ulm, Amy Johnson and Bert Hinkler talking about their journeys on the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia's website: 'Our Heroes of the Air'
- Photos from an album kept by Ulm's wife Mary Archived 4 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine