Charles Ulm

Charles Thomas Philippe Ulm AFC (18 October 1898 — 3 December 1934) was a pioneer Australian aviator.

World War I

Ulm joined the AIF in September 1914, lying about his name and age to get in. He fought and was wounded at Gallipoli in 1915, and on the Western Front in 1918.

Charles Ulm was married twice. In 1919 he married Isabel Amy Winter. After divorcing his first wife, in 1927 he married Mary Josephine Callaghan.

Partnership with Charles Kingsford Smith

Ulm is best known for his partnership with Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, and was Kingsford Smith's copilot on many of his famous flights, including the 1928 first crossing of the Pacific in the Southern Cross. Ulm was the "business brains" in the partnership, and acquired the funding necessary for the journey. Ulm was also Kingsford Smith's partner in establishing Australian National Airways.

Later flights and disappearance

After the failure of Australian National Airways, Ulm bought one of the airline's Avro X aircraft for himself, and named it Faith in Australia. In this aircraft in 1933, Ulm set the speed record from England to Australia at 6 days, 17 hours and 56 minutes, and made several trans-Tasman flights.