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1st non-stop Transatlantic flight... John Alcock...
1st non-stop Transatlantic flight... John Alcock...
Item # 596918
June 16, 1919
THE BETHLEHEM TIMES, Pennsylvania, June 16, 1919
* 1st Non-stop Transatlantic airplane flight (historic)
* John Alcock & Arthur W. Brown
The front page has a banner headline: "LONDON CELEBRATES ACHIEVEMENT OF AIRMEN" with subheads that include: "Some Notable Features Of The First Non-Stop Trans-Atlantic Flight" and more (see photos).
This issue contains other news of the day throughout including sports and various advertisements. It is complete in 16 pages, has light browning and a little margin wear. It should be handled with care.
Wikipedia notes: In April 1913, the Daily Mail offered a prize of £10,000 to "the first person making a transatlantic flight in a hydro-aeroplane in seventytwo consecutive hours between any point in the United States of America, Canada or Newfoundland and any point in Great Britain or Ireland". They flew a modified Vickers Vimy IV twin-engined bomber powered by two Rolls-Royce Eagle engines, each of 360hp, taking off from Lester's Field in St. John's, Newfoundland at around 1:45pm, June 14, 1919. The aircraft crash landed ( [show location on an interactive map] 53°26′N, 10°01′W) in a bog near Clifden in Connemara, Ireland, at 8:40am on June 15, 1919, crossing the coast at 4.28pm. They flew 1890 miles (3040 km) in 16 hours 27 minutes, at an average speed of 115 mph (185 km/h).[4] The altitude varied between sea level and 12,000 ft (3,700 m) and 865 gallons (3,900 L - assuming imperial gallons) of fuel were on board.
The flight nearly ended in disaster several times owing to engine trouble, fog, snow and ice. It was only saved by Brown's continual climbing out on the wings to remove ice from the engine air intakes and by Alcock's excellent piloting despite extremely poor visibility at times and even snow filling the open cockpit. The aircraft was badly damaged upon arrival due to the attempt to land in what appeared from the air to be a suitable green field but which turned out to be the bog on Derrygimlagh Moor, but neither of the airmen was hurt.
Alcock and Brown were treated as heroes on the completion of their flight. In addition to the Daily Mail award of £10,000, the crew received 2,000 guineas from the Ardath Tobacco Company and £1,000 from Lawrence R. Phillips for being the first British subjects to fly the Atlantic Ocean. Both men were knighted a few days later by King George V.
Category: The 20th Century
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