Auckland Airport has donated several artefacts belonging to pioneering New Zealand aviator Jean Batten to MOTAT (the Museum of Transport and Technology).
The items include Batten’s signature white leather flying cap, a planisphere, a stopwatch, photographs and the engine and log books from her plane.
One of the log books details Batten’s historic flight from England to New Zealand in 1936.
“These items are very important and will complement the museum’s existing collection of Jean Batten artefacts,” says Library and Archives manager Philippa Robinson.
Jean Batten (1909-1983) is New Zealand’s greatest aviator, and was celebrated around the world for her solo flights during the 1930s. In 1935 she became the first woman to fly herself across the South Atlantic and in 1936 she made the first ever direct flight from England to New Zealand.
Find out more about Jean Batten at New Zealand History online
