Amazing Australians in Their Flying Machines

Author and licensed pilot Prue Mason shares how a handful of early aviators helped Australia reach beyond its borders to lands far away.

Imagine what it was like to travel to far-off places before there were aeroplanes. For early 20th-century Australians, it could take days, weeks, or months just to get where they were going. Amazing Australians and Their Flying Machines tells the stories of ten brave Australians, including the youngest licensed woman pilot Nancy Bird, who took to the skies and changed the face of aviation forever.

• Entertaining and informational text, alongside archival photography and humorous illustrations from Tom Jellett, make this a perfect read for young readers interested in aviation and Australian history.
• Co-authors Prue and Kerry Mason are both licensed pilots. Together they restore classic airplanes and take the skies as often as they can.
• Great for classroom use with its "Did You Know" sidebars and friendly informational text, but it's also fun and entertaining, making this a great option for the trades.

About the Author

Prue Mason grew up on a farm in South Australia. She is a licensed pilot and has travelled the world working in various jobs, including teaching English as a foreign language and working for a children’s magazine in Dubai. Besides writing, Prue does workshops and gives presentations at schools and writing festivals. In 2005, her first book Camel Rider won the Queensland Premier’s Literary Award and was a Notable Book at the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards. Prue has received several grants towards research for her books, including a May Gibbs fellowship for Amazing Australians in Their Flying Machines.

Tom Jellett has illustrated numerous books for children. He is also been an editorial illustrator for various newspapers throughout Australia. He lives in Sydney.