Honouring the 50th anniversary of the first flight between these two countries in 1919,

This race was open to all aircraft, which were divided into weight and power classes. The main race started December 18th, but a few started slightly earlier on the 17th. The race started from Gatwick Airport, south of London, and finished in Sydney, Australia on January 3rd/4th.
Of the 72 starters,  more than three-quarters flew American Pipers, Beechcraft and Cessnas.

The over-all winner was W.J. Bright and F.L. Buxton, in a Britten-Norman Islander (No.72). Second was J.A. Masling in a Cessna 310 (No.10), and third were B.C. Holland and H.J. Shaw in a Piper Twin Comanche (No.50).

England to Australia Air Race 1969

For a Concise history of Air Racing dating from 1909 visit  the Society of Air Race Historians here

Flag drops for Sydney

When the list of entries for the England- Australia Air Race was closed, There were 77 entrants likely to take part  with 5 dropping out later leaving 72 actual participants.

The  Air Race 1969 follows the tradition of the Great Air Races of 1919 and 1939 -each of them destined to become defining moments in world aviation history.

Ten of the smaller, slower aircraft departed on the 17th December and were flagged off by Sir Francis Chichester, the well known aviator and yachtsman. Miss Jean Batten who still holds the solo single-engined England to Australia record of 5 days 21 hours will take part in the opening ceremony.

The bulk of the remaining aircraft will take-off on the 18th and some on the 19th during the hours of darkness.

All competitors will have to make seven compulsory control point stops at Athens, Karachi, Calcutta, Singapore, Darwin, Alice Springs and Adelaide; many will make intermediate stops and each crew can select the best route between the various points. The bulk of the aircraft are due to reach Adelaide before Christmas. They will wait there until January 2nd for the race from Adelaide to Sydney, where the overall winner will then be found on a basis of total time, according to handicap.

A Fan Jet Falcon of the Canadian Armed Forces and a Hawker Siddeley HS.125 of Quantas will take off from Gatwick on Christmas day for an additional ‘no rules’ race for  Adelaide and Sydney. The three classes of entry in the main part of the air race are as follows:

Class A - Single Piston engined aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of less than 5000lbs.

Class B - Un-supercharged twin piston-engined aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of of less than 12,5000lbs.

Class C - Aircraft powered by super-charged piston or propellor turbine engines with a maximum take-off weight of of up to 12,500ibs.

The following list shows the participants and their order of take-off.

(Extract from Flight International December 18th 1969)

Beagle Pup G-AXMX affectionately known as ‘Bob the Beagle’ took part and completed this prestigious race in 1969.  

Some background information about the England to Australia race is reproduced opposite courtesy of the  ‘Flight International’.

G-AXMX our featured Beagle Pup was piloted in the race by its owner Susan Jones who  learnt to fly at Blackbushe, her  flying instructor Richard Britton accompanied her.

This article appeared in the Evening News on Tuesday September 9, 1969

Christine Turnbull (left) and Mrs Sue Jones at Blackbushe.

TWO GIRL pilots are to compete with more than 200 International fliers in a 12,000 mile dash from London to Sydney.

One is Christine Turnbull who at the age of 21 has already made history by becoming the first woman to pilot a balloon from England to France.

The other is Sue Jones also aged 21 from Padworth Berkshire. When she takes off from Gatwick on December 17th on the first leg of the race, her husband, Bill will be setting out to travel overland to Australia. They plan to live in New Zealand.

Both girls are members of the Three Counties Aero Club at Blackbushe Hants. They are teaming up with club instructors for the race.

QUALIFIED

And both of them have been qualified as light aircraft pilots for only a matter of weeks,

Although Christine has had a ballonists licence for more than a year.

The race is being organised by the Royal Aero Club of the United Kingdom and the Royal Federation of Aero Clubs of Australia and is sponsored by an oil company .

Christine of Canterbury Road Farnborough Hants said”This is a tremedous challenge,I have always wanted to do something like this” She is teaming up with Mike John aged 30, of Aylesham Terrace Yateley, Hants, who has been an instructor at Blackbushe airport since March.

Sue’s partner will be Richard Britton aged 25 of Knights Way, Reading, Bucks.

Christine and Sue in 12,000 - mile air dash

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The photos immediately below show Beagle Pup G-AXMX in Australia with Sue Jones, showing the Australian registration number VH-UPT.  The additional photos further down the page (courtesy of the National library of  Australia archives) show other aircraft  and some of the competitors in Australia after the completion of the  1969/1970 Air Race

If you can identify any of the contestants in the photos please let me know -  use the contact form found here

more photos can be found  here in our photo gallery

Sue Jones with Beagle Pup VH-UPT (G-AXMX) in Canberra

Sue Jones with Beagle Pup VH-UPT (G-AXMX) in Canberra

Beagle Pup VH-UPT (G-AXMX) in Australia

Beagle Pup G-AXMX photographed at Gatwick before the start of the Air Race in 1969, bearing the race number ‘61’ on the tail