Cirrus@Austlit

'Charles Ulm and Charles Kingsford Smith were the two of the most important pioneers of Australian aviation. Together they succeeded in a number of record-breaking flights that made them instant celebrities around the world: the first east-to-west crossing of the Pacific and the first trans-Tasman flight. Setting up Australian National Airways (ANA) in late 1928, Ulm’s tenacity and organisational skills made him well-suited to the role of managing director, leaving the public acclaim to Smithy as the face of the airline.

'Charles Ulm reveals Ulm’s valiant attempts to develop the embryonic Australian airline industry and the setbacks experienced with a catastrophic crash on the airline's regular route and the increasing bite of the Great Depression, which forced ANA's bankruptcy in 1933. Desperate to drum up support for a new airline venture, Ulm took a final flight to demonstrate the potential for a regular trans-Pacific passenger service. Tragically, somewhere between San Francisco and Hawaii, his plane, Stella Australis, disappeared. No trace of the plane or crew was ever found. His untimely death robbed Australia of a huge talent. While Ulm lacked Smithy's charisma and prowess as an aviator, this fascinating biography reveals him as a visionary and driving force behind the growth of modern global air travel, and as truly deserving of great acclaim in the country’s memory.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.