On this day in aviation history, 43 years ago (July 22, 1983), the first solo flight around the world in a helicopter was completed by Richard Harold “Dick” Smith. Flying his Bell 206B JetRanger III VH-DIK, named Australian Explorer, this Aussie businessman successfully spanned the globe over the course of 352 days. Smith’s journey began and ended in Hurst, Texas, at Bell Helicopter’s Hurst Heliport, 0TE2. His circumnavigation was on an eastbound heading.
The Bell Model 206B-3 that Smith was flying, s/n 3653, was built at the Bell Helicopter/Textron factory in Hurst. The aircraft featured auxiliary fuel tanks, installed in the cabin, and also a Collins LRN 70 VLF/Omega navigation system with autopilot. The 206B’s global crossing journey was made in three segments. Leg #1 was from Hurst, Texas, to London, England, between August 5 and August 19, 1982. Leg #2 took place between London, England, and Sydney, Australia, from September 13 to October 3, 1982. The final leg of the flight was from Sydney back to Hurst, Texas, from May 25 to July 22, 1983.
Over the course of Smith’s journey, he and the Bell racked up 32,258 miles of flight distance and a total flight time of over 260 hours. Not only did Smith become the first pilot to span the globe via helicopter solo, but he also became the first to cross the Atlantic Ocean via rotorcraft by himself. Five Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) world records were set in total during this flight, including “Speed Over a Recognized Course.” Smith’s Bell 206B Australian Explorer survives today and is on display at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, Australia.
