Jane Gardner Batten, commonly known as Jean Batten, lived from 15 September 1909 to 22 November 1982 and was a New Zealand aviator who made several record-breaking flights. After two unsuccessful attempts she flew solo from England to Australia in May 1934 in a Gipsy Moth biplane, taking just under 15 days, and she then flew back, becoming the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia and back. In November 1935 she set an absolute record of 61 hours, 15 minutes from England to Brazil in a Percival Gull Six, and in October 1936 she flew the Gull from England to New Zealand in a little over 11 days, an absolute record for 44 years. After the war she lived a reclusive, nomadic life with her mother, and her death in Mallorca in 1982 went unnoticed until 1987.
Facts
FAQs
Why did Jean Batten's 1934 flight between England and Australia attract so much attention when the route had been flown before?
The route had been flown more than 30 times, but her gender and her beauty captured huge media attention.
The route had already been flown in one direction or the other more than 30 times by the time Jean Batten flew it. After two failed attempts in 1933, she completed a return journey in May 1934. According to the New Zealand History website, her gender and her beauty captured huge media attention, which is why her flight drew far more notice than earlier crossings of the same route.
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Source Jean Batten (Wikipedia)Lead paragraph [nationality]Quote, Lead paragraph [nationality]
was a New Zealand aviator
Sources
1. Jean Batten (Wikipedia)
Lead paragraph
15 September 1909
Lead paragraph [death-year]
22 November 1982
Lead paragraph [nationality]
was a New Zealand aviator
In Group: Women Pioneers of Flight, Lead sentence
Jane Gardner Batten (15 September 1909-22 November 1982), commonly known as Jean Batten, was a New Zealand aviator who made several record-breaking flights, including the first solo flight from England to New Zealand in 1936.
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