I like to fly. I think it would have been fun to be a pilot. Maybe that is why I am always interested in the early history of it. The people who braved the limits of those early planes. Especially the women who did this. They faced so many challenges.
So yeah. Back then, simply flying an airplane was quite an adventure. And the thought of flying one alone halfway around the world was plain old dangerous.
Anyway, we all know Amelia Earhart. She was the Golden Child of female pilots. But there were many others. One that I found who is particularly interesting is Jean Batten.
Batten was born in Rotorua, New Zealand, on September 15, 1909. At 18, she became fascinated with aviation after reading about Charles Lindbergh’s solo flight across the Atlantic. Before long, she decided she wanted to fly too.
Once again. This wasn’t an ordinary ambition for a young woman in the 1920s. It was pretty incredible if you ask me.
Batten moved to England to learn to fly, where she encountered plenty of skepticism. Even famous Australian aviator Charles Kingsford Smith reportedly discouraged her ambitions. But she did not listen to all those nay sayers. She pressed on.
In May 1934, Batten flew solo from England to Australia, setting a new women’s record. The following year, she became the first woman to fly solo from England to South America.
But she wasn’t finished because she truly loved to fly and would keep on doing just that.
In 1936, Batten climbed into her Percival Gull and set off from England for New Zealand. Eleven days and 45 minutes later, she arrived in Auckland, becoming the first person to fly solo from England to New Zealand. She would have been 27 years old when she did this.
Because of that historic flight, she became an international celebrity back then in 1936. And yet, I’d never heard of her before today.
Sadly, though, in the years to come, Jean Batten seemed to disappear from public view.
After World War II, she lived quietly and traveled with her mother, Ellen, who had long been an important part of her life and career. Batten occasionally resurfaced for aviation events, but she generally preferred privacy. She remained single her entire life. I wonder about that too.
Anyway. Then came her final chapter. It is kind of strange, really. Especially after all the dangers she faced when flying.
In 1982, while living on the Spanish island of Mallorca, Batten was bitten by a dog. The wound became infected, and she died from complications on November 22. She was 73. She died from a dang dog bite. Crazy.
Most of the world doesn’t know her. But New Zealand hasn’t forgotten her. The international terminal at Auckland Airport bears her name.
This story made me sad, a little. We all come and go in this world.
And in 50 years, most of us will be forgotten. In 100 years, pretty much for sure.
I guess it is a good reminder to touch this world while we can. To leave it a little better. In whatever way makes sense to us. Whether it is flying planes around the globe, or baking cookies for anyone who might like to eat them, to smiling whether someone catches it or not.
It is the goodness that matters. In you. In me. Today. Right now.
“””””””
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” — Anne Frank
“””””””
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
“””””””
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” — William James
“””””””
“Goodness is the only investment that never fails.” — Henry David Thoreau
“””””””””
