One of the world’s aviation pioneers, Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith (Smithy) landed at Milson Airport, Palmerston North, 10 September 1928 just a few months after he and Charles Ulm made the first crossing of the Pacific in the “Southern Cross”. Pictured here are local residents with “Smithy” (behind crouching Air Force Officer) and Ulm (beside him) with their crew H A Hitchfield and J H McWilliam (both of Wanganui) who acted as Navigator and Radio Operator (4th and 5th from right).