Jean Batten
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Jean Gardner Batten (September 15, 1909 – November 22, 1982) was a New Zealand aviator, born in Rotorua. Internationally, she was the most well-known New Zealander of the 1930s. In 1934 she flew solo from England to Australia. For this achievement and for subsequent record-breaking flights, she was awarded the Harmon Trophy three times from 1935 through 1937. In 1938, she was the first woman to be awarded the medal of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale, aviation's highest honor. World War II was the end of her flying adventures, and she retired from public life. She became a recluse and died alone in a Majorca, Spain hotel, from dog bite complications.
Because of her looks she became known as the "Greta Garbo of the skies."
Major Flights
- 1934 – England - Australia (women's record) 10,500 miles in 14 days 22 hours 30 minutes, breaking Amy Johnson's record by six days.
- 1935 – Australia - England in 17 days 15 hours. First woman to make return flight.
- 1935 – England - Brazil: 5000 miles in 61 hours 15 minutes, setting world record for any type of aeroplane. Also fastest crossing South Atlantic Ocean, 13 1/4 hours, and first woman to make England - South America flight.
- 1936 – England - New Zealand. World record for any type. 14,224 miles in 11 days 45 minutes total elapsed time, including 21/2 days in Sydney.
The Auckland International Airport International Terminal is named after her.
External Links
- NZEDGE.COM Jean Batten Hine-o-te-Rangi: Daughter of the skies (http://www.nzedge.com/heroes/batten.html)
- Auckland International Airport NZ Aviators Jean Batten (http://www.auckland-airport.co.nz/Community/aviators.php?batten)
- Hargrave: The Pioneers. Aviation and Aeromodeling – Interdependent Evolutions and Histories (http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/jean_batten_bio.html)
Bibliography
Mackersey , Ian, Jean Batten : The Garbo of the Skies, Warner Books, 1999, 466pp, ISBN 0751530190ja:ジーン・バテン