 Regarded as one of the RAAF 's most skilful cross @-@ country pilots and <unk> , Eaton came to public attention as leader of three military expeditions to find lost aircraft in Central Australia between 1929 and 1931 . In April 1929 , he coordinated the Air Force 's part in the search for aviators Keith Anderson and Bob Hitchcock , missing in their aircraft the Kookaburra while themselves looking for Charles <unk> Smith and Charles Ulm , who had force landed the Southern Cross in north Western Australia during a flight from Sydney . Three of the RAAF 's five " ancient " <unk> <unk> went down in the search — though all crews escaped injury — including Eaton 's , which experienced what he labelled " a good crash " on 21 April near Tennant Creek after the engine 's <unk> melted . The same day , Captain Lester Brain , flying a <unk> aircraft , located the wreck of the Kookaburra in the <unk> Desert , approximately 130 kilometres ( 81 mi ) east @-@ south @-@ east of Wave Hill . Setting out from Wave Hill on 23 April , Eaton led a ground party across rough terrain that reached the crash site four days later and buried the crew , who had perished of thirst and exposure . Not a particularly religious man , he recalled that after the burial he saw a perfect cross formed by <unk> cloud in an otherwise clear blue sky above the Kookaburra . The Air Board described the RAAF 's search as taking 240 hours flying time " under the most trying conditions ... where a forced landing meant certain crash " . In November 1930 , Eaton was selected to lead another expedition for a missing aircraft near <unk> Rock , but it was called off soon afterwards when the pilot showed up in Alice Springs . The next month , he was ordered to search for <unk> <unk> and <unk> <unk> , who had disappeared in the biplane Golden Quest 2 while attempting to discover <unk> 's Reef . <unk> a total of four DH.60 <unk> , the RAAF team located the missing men near <unk> Creek on 7 January 1931 , and they were rescued four days later by a ground party accompanied by Eaton . <unk> in nearby Alice Springs , he recommended a site for the town 's new airfield , which was approved and has remained in use since its construction . 
