Jean Batten's Aviation Career

Jean Batten after completing her first
record-breaking flight from
England to Australia.

After two failed attempts at the completion of a flight from Australia to England in 1933, Jean eventually successfully completed a return flight in the following year. Her return flight set the record for the fastest time made by a solo female aviator. Fourteen days, twenty-three hours and twenty-five minutes, Jean’s time beat previous record holder, Amy Johnson, by over four days. Capturing the media’s attention she made numerous tours around Australia and New Zealand, staying in the spotlight due to her abundant number of record-breaking flights she proceeded to complete. 

In April 1935 She became the first female pilot to complete a solo flight from England to Australia. She became the first female aviator to fly solo from England to Argentina in November 1935 and the first person to ever complete a direct flight from England to New Zealand in October of 1936. After a few months spent in Franz Josef Glacier, New Zealand, Jean embarked on her last long distance flight from Australia to England in February of 1937. After this she would fade in and out of obscurity as she avoided the media and spent most of her days travelling alongside her mother.





This page is in answer to Key Question No. 4