Historical information

David Mann operated the family business in Wodonga begun by his father in 1921. David joined the business in 1945 and became the Managing Director of Mann Wodonga from 1965. As well as being a leading businessman, David was a leader in many other fields in the community including Scouting, Apex and Rotary and was a prime mover in advocating for further education in Wodonga.

David married Elaine Margaret Milnes of Tallangatta on 30th March 1957.
He obtained a pilot’s licence and owned a single engine Cessna 210. In 1978 he fulfilled a lifelong dream by flying the plane from Albury Airport to England with his wife Elaine and their friends Ian and Roma Richards. Their aim was to visit Elaine’s sister who lived in West Byfleet, England.

They took off on 24th May 1978 and their flight took them across Malaysia, India, Kathmandu, Saudi Arabia, Rhodes, Venice and France. It included 36 take-offs and used 1,200 gallons of fuel. They encountered a violent thunderstorm over Burma, accidentally landed on a military airfield in Thailand, lost radio signals over the Arabian desert and had to deal with pages of red tape.
They reached their destination on 23rd June 1978.
While David and Elaine visited her sister, the Cessna was given a thorough service in preparation for their return to Wodonga.

David Mann died in Albury in June 2012. Elaine now (2025) lives in Melbourne, Victoria.

Significance

This article is significant because it records an important activity undertaken by David Mann, a prominent member of the Wodonga community.

Physical description

A newspaper article from the Woking News & Mail in the England reporting on David Mann's flight from Albury to England in his Cessna in 1978 as well as two coloured photographs