Freda Thompson lands at Mascot after eventful solo flight from England

Melbourne-born Freda Thompson (1906–80) was the first Australian woman to fly solo from the United Kingdom to Australia. In this newsreel she is seen landing at Mascot, Sydney in her de Havilland Gipsy Moth Major on Tuesday 20 November 1934, after her long journey.

Freda departed from Lympne, Kent (UK) on 28 September and was led by pilot Harold Owen of the Shell Company. She gave up her hopes of breaking Jean Batten’s record flight to Australia when she was delayed in Athens (near Megara); her plane became stuck in an olive grove, damaging her wing, and she waited 20 days for a spare part! The entire trip took 39 days, though actual flying time was 19 days, and she arrived in Darwin on 6 November.

Freda was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1972.

The de Havilland Gipsy Moth Major, G-ACUC was named Christopher Robin. G-ACUC VH-UUC was sold in September 1939 to the Broken Hill Aero Club. It was stored until 1947 when the Certificate of Airworthiness lapsed.