Today in History – August 30: Empty plane flies over Sydney for three hours

The Auster, like this one, somehow took off from the runway and began flying in ever wider circles.

For hours the unmanned plane flew over the city, its range extending from Mascot to Vaucluse, over Punchbowl, Rockdale, Redfern and the CBD.

RAAF planes were dispatched from Richmond and Newcastle to shoot down the plane over the ocean, but they were unsuccessful.