Significant ceremony
Warrant Officer honours Kingsford-Smith

Warrant Officer Terry Panitz presents Charles Kingsford-Smith’s leather helmet to Christchurch mayor Garry Moore after the 75th anniversary re-enactment at Wigram Airfield. Photo by Geoff Sloan, Christchurch Star

By SQNLDR Robert Schouten

WARRANT Officer Terry Panitz (Regional Commercial Liaison Officer New Zealand) played a significant part in a ceremony commemorating the 75th anniversary of Charles Kingsford-Smith’s first flight across the Tasman to New Zealand at Wigram Airfield, Christchurch.

Representing the Australian High Commissioner, WOFF Panitz presented a letter from Mayor of Sydney Lucy Turnbull to Mayor of Christchurch Garry Moore and also carried Kingford-Smith’s original helmet on a re-enactment flight over Christchurch.

The Southern Cross Fokker Tri-Motor aircraft is now on display as a memorial to Charles Kingsford-Smith in a glazed, sealed hangar outside the International Airport in Brisbane.

Eagle Farm Aerodrome is where the Southern Cross landed after its record-breaking Pacific flight from Oaklands California via Honolulu, Fiji and arrival in Brisbane on June 9, 1928.

Following this flight, the Southern Cross was flown on the first non-stop flight across Australia. On August 8, 1928, the aircraft took off from Point Cook, Melbourne and arrived Maylands Airport, Perth.

On September 10, 1928, at Richmond Aerodrome, Kingsford-Smith, Ulm, Litchfield and McWilliams began the 1700 miles trans-Tasman journey from Sydney to Christchurch and arrived at 0922 hours on September 11, 1928.

The Southern Cross was to return as the first trans-Tasman commercial operation carrying three passengers to New Zealand on January 11, 1933. This service has since been developed by other companies into the trans-Tasman service between our countries as it is today.

The Christchurch re-enactment ceremony on September 11 was attended by a small group of the original 35,000 people who had flocked to see the arrival of the Southern Cross in 1928.

At precisely 0922 hours, the re-enactment aircraft carried out a perfect landing and taxied to the spot where the Southern Cross parked in 1928.

After the other escort aircraft landed, all aircraft taxied to the dais, parked line abreast, and carried out a formation shutdown.

Skydivers carried out a show while the aircraft crews maintained positions standing in front of the aircraft.
WOFF Panitz proceeded to the dais to present Smithy’s original helmet, deliver a short introductory speech and then read out and present the Mayor of Sydney’s letter to the Mayor of Christchurch.

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