RENT TEXTBOOKS

Vimy : The Vimy Expeditions

ISBN: 9781608870622 | 1608870626

Format: Board Book
Publisher: Insight Editions
Pub. Date: 11/1/2011

Why Rent from Knetbooks?

Because Knetbooks knows college students. Our rental program is designed to save you time and money. Whether you need a textbook for a semester, quarter or even a summer session, we have an option for you. Simply select a rental period, enter your information and your book will be on its way!

Top 5 reasons to order all your textbooks from Knetbooks:

We have the lowest prices on thousands of popular textbooks
Free shipping both ways on ALL orders
Most orders ship within 48 hours
Need your book longer than expected? Extending your rental is simple
Our customer support team is always here to help

Summary Author Biography

This Vickers Vimy, G-EAOU (affectionately known as "God 'Elp All Of Us"), was flown by the brothers Ross and Keith Smith, together with mechanics Jim Bennett and Wally Shiers, to victory in the 1919 England to Australia Air Race. In the process, they became the first people ever to fly from England to Australia. Barely 16 years had passed since the Wright brothers had lifted off from Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, skimming just above the ground for only 120 feet.Ross Smith and his crew were part of an epic race. Australia's flamboyant prime mi... MOREnister, W M "Billy" Hughes, had offered a prize of �10,000, the equivalent of nearly half a million dollars today, to the first Australians to make the England to Australia journey in 30 days or less. His aim was to draw the world's attention to his up-and-coming nation, whose soldiers had recently made a name for themselves on the battlefields of World War I.But the race had a greater impact on the history of aviation, demonstrating the feasibility of long-distance air travel. At least one major airline, Quantas, traces its origins directly to the 1919 race.But who remembers the race today?The Vimy Expeditions will trace the history of the original aircraft and bring us to the replica that was produced to fly the same routes that the original flew in 1919.

Seventy-five years before, a brash young Australian pilot named Ross Smith, his navigator brother, Keith, and mechanics Jim Bennett and Wally Shiers flew a Vickers Vimy over this same spot on their way to becoming the first aviators in history to fly 11,000 miles from England to Australia -- an astounding feat in 1919. Barely 16 years had passed since the Wright brothers had lifted off from Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, skimming just above the ground for only 120 feet. Ross Smith and his crew were part of an epic race. Australia's flamboyant prime minister, W M "Billy" Hughes, had offered a prize of 10,000, the equivalent of nearly half a million dollars today, to the first Australians to make the England to Australia journey in 30 days or less. His aim was to draw the world's attention to his up-and-coming nation, whose soldiers had recently made a name for themselves on the battlefields of World War I. But the race had a greater impact on the history of aviation, demonstrating the feasibility of long-distance air travel. At least one major airline, Quantas, traces its origins directly to the 1919 race. But who remembers the race today? VIMY will trace the history of the original aircraft and bring us to the replica that was produced to fly the same routes that the original flew in 1919.

As a child in North Carolina, Peter enjoyed building model planes and dreamt of epics in faraway lands. In later years, these daydreams took to the air as he became avidly involved in flying and restoring vintage aircraft from a base near San Francisco. For the England to Australia flight, Peter wrote first-person accounts in a cover story for National Geographic and in an illustrated book, The Greatest Flight that was published in the UK. Peter works at TPG, a global investment firm. He and his family currently live in London.

Please wait while this item is added to your cart...