Ross Smith and his crew were part of an epic race. Australia's flamboyant prime minister, W M "Billy" Hughes, had offered a prize of £10,000, the equivalent of nearly half a million dollars today, to the first Australians to make the England to Australia journey in 30 days or less. His aim was to draw the world's attention to his up-and-coming nation, whose soldiers had recently made a name for themselves on the battlefields of World War I.

But the race had a greater impact on the history of aviation, demonstrating the feasibility of long-distance air travel. At least one major airline, Quantas, traces its origins directly to the 1919 race.

But who remembers the race today?

The Vimy Expeditions traces the history of the original aircraft and brings us to the replica that was produced to fly the same routes that the original flew in 1919.