Kingsford Smith's trans-Pacific flight

Kingsford Smith's trans-Pacific flight was a 7,316-mile journey from the United States to Australia, completed on June 9, 1928. The flight's staged route and long hours in the air turn the achievement into a record of distance crossed through successive oceanic legs, rather than a single uninterrupted passage.

Route and Schedule

Charles Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm left San Francisco on May 31. They flew first to Honolulu, reaching it after 27 hours, then continued to Fiji, where they arrived on June 3 after a 34-hour flight. The final leg to Australia took 21 hours; the journey was completed on June 9.

Crew and Aircraft

The Australian pilots were accompanied by James Warner, the radio operator, and Harry Lyon, the navigator. They made the journey in a Fokker F.VIIb-3m. The account identifies the crew's distinct roles alongside the aircraft, presenting the flight as a coordinated undertaking rather than the work of the pilots alone.

Distance and Significance

The 7,316-mile total links the named stops into a single trans-Pacific itinerary: San Francisco, Honolulu, Fiji, and Australia. The account's precise departure, arrival, and flight durations give the achievement its shape—27 hours to Hawaii, 34 to Fiji, and another 21 for the final flight—while the June 9 completion date marks the end of the crossing.