Jean Burns
Encyclopedia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's youngest female pilot in 1937 and the first Australian woman to parachute
Parachuting
Parachuting, also known as skydiving, is the action of exiting an aircraft and returning to earth with the aid of a parachute. It may or may not involve a certain amount of free-fall, a time during which the parachute has not been deployed and the body gradually accelerates to terminal...
from an aeroplane on Australian soil.
Biography
Born Jean Ethel Burns in December 1919 at Rathdown Street in the inner MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
suburb of East Brunswick, her father was a merchant seaman. At the age of 14 Jean joined the Junior Royal Victorian Aero Club
Royal Victorian Aero Club
The Royal Victorian Aero Club is an Australian aero club based at Moorabbin Airport in Melbourne. Originating in 1914 it is amongst the world's oldest Aviation organisations...
and started flying lessons at the age of 17. In 1937 she obtained her A class pilots licence and became Australia's youngest female pilot.
Parachuting
She made her first descent at Essendon AerodromeEssendon Airport
Essendon Airport is located at Essendon, in Melbourne's northern suburbs, Victoria, Australia. It is located next to the Tullamarine Freeway on , from the Melbourne Central Business District and from Melbourne Airport.-History:...
on 21 November 1937 from a Airco DH.4 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". "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.’"
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.’
"During her five previous jumps, Miss Burns has left the plane from heights varying from 3,200 feet to 1,500 feet. After making her last leap she did not pull the rip cord until she had dropped nearly 500 feet, which rather worried some of her spectators. ‘Until I am down to about 200 feet there is a beautiful floating sensation, and then suddenly the ground seems to rush up and meet me. Some parachutists can land on their feet, but usually I take a fall. The landing speed is about twelve miles an hour, and the jar is about the same as you would get if you jumped off a fifteen-foot wall,’ said Miss Burns.
‘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." Jean Burns also had a pilot’s licence and took up jumping to raise the funds to buy an aeroplane.
Later life
Street naming at Essendon Airport
In October 2008 Jean had the honour of having a street at Essendon AirportEssendon Airport
Essendon Airport is located at Essendon, in Melbourne's northern suburbs, Victoria, Australia. It is located next to the Tullamarine Freeway on , from the Melbourne Central Business District and from Melbourne Airport.-History:...
named after her, the street name is Burns Street, located within Essendon Fields.
Further reading
- Australian Parachute Federation: History of Australian Parachuting from 1958
- Jean Burns - website by Greg Weir