12 Facts About Frank Neale

Frank Neale, AFC was a British-born Australian aviator.

On 1 April 1918, the RFC merged with the Royal Naval Air Service to become the Royal Air Force, subsequently Frank Neale's official rank became flying officer and he was an assistant Instructor at No 1 Training Depot Station.

Frank Neale arrived in Australia at Fremantle on 3 February 1925 aboard the Orient liner RMS Ormonde.

Frank Neale had been persuaded to come to Australia by Bert Hinkler, and was contracted as a new pilot for Western Australian Airways.

Charles Kingsford Smith was one of their first employed pilots, but had left to go out on his own, and Frank Neale filled the vacancy in the north-west of Western Australia, where the company was transitioning from the Bristol Tourer to the de Havilland DH.

The "Wattle Bird" and "Love Bird" were piloted by Jim Larkin and Frank Neale, to investigate the possibility of establishing tourist flights to the area.

Frank Neale remained on that run until he went south to join Donald Mackay for a series of survey flights covering the greater part of central and western Australia.

Frank Neale was the chief pilot for all four survey flights.

In June 1930, Frank Neale became the first pilot to land an aircraft at Ayers Rock during one of these survey flights.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, Frank Neale joined the Royal Australian Air Force Reserve as a flying officer at No 1 Communications Unit based in Laverton, Victoria.

Frank Neale was awarded the Air Force Cross in June 1942, and had logged 17,400 hours flying.

Frank Neale died at his home in Glen Huntly, a suburb of Melbourne, in 1979.