Jet-age trail-blazer

Chaos as a Comet made landfall in Australia

The scenes were nothing short of chaotic, with crowds spilling on to the active runway and airport staff worried that someone might be killed.

About 25,000 people turned out at Sydney Airport on Sunday, December 4 1955 to welcome the arrival of
de Havilland D.H.106 Comet 3 G-ANLO – the first ever passenger jet to make landfall in Australia. Sydney was a long-distance step in the round-the-world proving flight of the revolutionary airliner.