I have a vague memory of a pretty good mini-series from the late 1980’s about the life of Charles Kingsford-Smith. It included his record making flights, the setting up of his airline and his eventual disappearance.
I was wondering if anyone knows the title of this series, and also which aircraft appeared in it. I guess the excellent replica of the Southern Cross appeared, but what else did?
Is the series available anywhere? Who were the actors in it?
Actually on the subject of TV dramas about Australian aviation, there was a film with Jack Thompson in the lead called The Riddle of the Stinson, about an airliner which crashed in the Aussie bush. I was wondering if a real Stinson was used or was it a model? Did any other planes appear? I recall seeing it years ago but I don’t remember details apart from the fact that Thompson played a farmer who went to search for the plane, and eventually found it I think. Was this a true story?
By: Dave Homewood - 26th July 2004 at 12:43
Yes mark, I think that was the title now come to think of it. Cheers. Sadly IMDb surprisingly has next to nothing on the series
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088630/
Must be the same one as the only character is ‘Airfield Vendor’
Any idea if it was released on video?
When did the replica Southern Cross first get flying? I remember it’s visit here in 1988, superb. 🙂 🙂
By: mark_pilkington - 26th July 2004 at 12:23
was the mini-series “A Thousand skies”?
By: Dave Homewood - 26th July 2004 at 11:52
Yes, that’s the one. From vague memory it was a really good dramatisation too. Was a real or replica Stinson used? Or a model?
And with a star like Jack Thompson you can’t go wrong. He was superb in the NZ film ‘Bad Blood’ where he also played a farmer taking to the bush, this time in murderous circumstances as he played NZ’s first mass murderer, Stan Graham. He was superb in the role, and should be made an honorary Kiwi for that performance where he played a real life murderer with great skill and subtlety to the point you feel empathy with him.
By: Wombat - 26th July 2004 at 11:16
Dave
The Riddle of the Stinson was based on fact. From what I can remember, a Stinson was lost in extremely rugged bush country during the 50’s ( I think) and an extensive air and ground search failed to locate it.
A local farmer with very extensive experience in the bush decided to take the search on for himself. Basing his search on what he knew of local weather conditions at the time of the plane’s disappearance, allied with his excellent knowledge of the local terrain, he commenced searching though the mountains until he came to a ridge which overlooked hills some distance away. He noticed a small area where the colour of the trees varied from those around them, as if they had been burnt.
He worked his way to the site, which was a considerable distance from where he had first seen the discoloured trees, and came across the crash site. Two or three of the passengers had survived with serious injuries and had crawled to a nearby creek bed to obtain water. The farmer found them there and was able to save some or all of them.
I wish I could remember the story better, but it was an outstanding story of personal bravery and determination by the farmer, allied with terrible suffering by the crash victims. I think it was quite a few days before they were found and they were close to death from their injuries, burns and exposure.
Regards
Wombat
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July 24, 2004 at 5:39 am