June 18th, 1928 – A Day to Remember in Burry Port...
The town stirred to life with the familiar rhythms of a working day, shopkeepers opened their shutters, dockworkers went about their business, and children made their way to school. But by early afternoon, the skies above held a surprise that would place this quiet Welsh town on the pages of aviation history.
At approximately 12:30 p.m., the hum of an approaching aircraft broke the routine calm. But this was no ordinary plane, it was a large, gleaming seaplane in striking red-orange and gold. Painted in bold letters along its fuselage was the name "Friendship." The aircraft circled over the Burry Inlet, swept past Llanelli, and soared out towards the Gower Peninsula before returning to the skies above Burry Port.
This was the very same Friendship that had lifted off from Trepassey, Newfoundland the previous day, bound for Europe. Aboard was a young American social worker and pilot named Miss Amelia Earhart, attempting to become the first woman ever to cross the Atlantic by air.
At 12:40 p.m., after narrowly avoiding the towering chimney of the Frickers Metal Works, the Friendship touched down in the estuary between Burry Port and the neighbouring village of Pwll. News soon spread like wildfire, the daring flight had not reached Ireland as planned, but had instead completed its transatlantic journey right here! History had landed, quite literally, on our shores.