"TWO LITTLE MEN AND THEIR FLYING MACHINE"

76 x 102cm    Oil on Canvas

Foreward by Greg Weir

Nikyla is very excited and honored to be asked to paint and replicate this lovely scene which took place in 1937.

The painting features Howard & Eric Morris with their 'Flying Flea' which was built by their father Howard Morris (Senior) in the 1930's. The boy's father was an aviation pioneer and had 21 years experience as a commercial pilot before he built the replica aircraft of the 'Flying Flea' which was a non-flying aeroplane and was based on Henri Mignet's original HM-14 tandem wing Flying Flea or as it's known in French "Pou-du-Ciel". Henri Mignet was a Frenchman who started building aeroplanes in 1919 and he is known world wide as the father of the modern homebuilt aircraft.

The little boy in the painting spinning the prop is Howard Morris Jnr (also pictured left) who was taught to fly by his father and went on to have a distinguished career as a pilot with Qantas Airways. Howard spent 15 years on the 707's and then was selected as a Senior Training Captain to train the RAAF pilots on the ex-Qantas 707's, after which he then spent another 10 years as a Captain on the 747's.

Howard's brother Eric, who passed away recently, also learnt to fly with his father and worked for Qantas as an engineer in their drawing office (Hanger 85). He left Qantas when he graduated and went to work for De Havilland as their engineering rep and sales manager, he then worked for the Government Aircraft Factory (GAF) as the marketing manager for the GAF Nomad.

After this Eric moved to Singapore to take up the position as head of marketing for Dowty-Rotol and when his visa ran out he became the Australian rep for the same company. Later on Eric developed motor neuron disease, however he was still giving out advice from his wheel chair not long before he passed away.

Whilst we have been doing research into the era and story behind this painting, we have also been able to track down the young lady who appears on the top right hand corner of the poster (pictured left), her name is Jean Burns and she was Australia's youngest female pilot and the first woman to jump from an aeroplane on Australian soil.

 Jean is still very much alive and well and has fond memories of her pilot Howard Morris (Snr), who took her up for that history making flight on the 21st November 1937 at Essendon Aerodrome.

Jean also clearly remembers the 'Flying Flea', along with it's two little pilots, which is pictured in the top left hand corner of the poster with Eric Morris sitting in the cockpit.

G-AUBZ which later became VH-UBZ (Spirit of Melbourne)

and was the aircraft that Howard Morris (Snr) flew and Jean Burns jumped out of.

(Thanks to the Airways Museum - Civil Aviation Historical Society for the use of the above photo featuring G-AUBZ)

JEAN BURNS

 The first woman to jump from an aeroplane on Australian soil was Miss Jean Burns (born December 1919), of Rathdown Street, East Brunswick, Melbourne. She made her first descent at Essendon aerodrome on 21 November 1937 from the DH4 aeroplane ‘Spirit of Melbourne’ at a height of 3,200 feet. She was 17 years old. The aircraft belonged to Aerat Passenger Flying (Essendon) Pty Ltd and was piloted by Howard Morris.

After making the prescribed three freefall jumps she received the approval of the Civil Aviation Board as a parachutist, “provided the parachute is folded by a person who holds a licence for that purpose” (SMH 22 and 29 November 1937; Argus, 22 November 1937 and 19 January 1938). “Miss Burns had to wait eighteen months before she could gain permission from the Civil Aviation authorities to make a jump. ‘They thought I was much too young, and I also found it difficult to get a parachute. They cost about 80 pounds.’” (Argus, 23 February 1938, p.8).

 “Miss Burns said that she found the first few seconds after she left the aeroplane were the most exciting. ‘There is a wild rush of air on your body as you hurl downwards until the rip-cord is released, and then after a bounce you just float steadily downwards. There is always a bounce when the ‘chute opens, owing to the elasticity of the silken cords.’

‘In the air you can lose height more rapidly by pulling a handful of cords which causes the ‘chute to sideslip. There are four red cords which you can pull on the ground to spill the air out so you are not dragged too far.’” “Mr. Felix Mueller, a licensed parachutist, instructed Miss Burns, and supervises the folding of her parachute, which is a very important item - a twisted cord or a wrong fold of silk would probably mean tragedy.” (Argus, 23 February 1938, p.8)