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1919 C-5 airship transatlantic flight attempt......



Item # 686434

May 18, 1919

ROTOGRAVURE SECTION ONLY of the New York Times, May 18, 1919

* United States Navy C class blimp
* Transatlantic flight attempt
* Aviation - airship - dirigible - zeppelin


The front page of this section has 3 related photos concerning the C-5 transatlantic flight attempt. (see)
Other topics throughout. Complete with 8 pages, irregular along the spine, generally good.

wikipedia notes: On 14 May 1919, the C-5 departed Montauk Point in clear weather. The ship made good time, but encountered heavy fog and thunderstorms near Saint Pierre Island, France and became lost for several hours. The blimp eventually regained its way, but the extended trip caused the crew to exhaust their food supply and wind and rain continuously tossed and buffeted the blimp. Many of the crew became airsick. The blimp pitched and rolled so heavily at times that the engines stalled and had to be restarted. The C-5 again became lost, this time over Newfoundland itself, when its radio navigation equipment malfunctioned. The blimp's crew used its voice radio to contact the U.S. Navy cruiser Chicago, which was in St. John's, and the radio signal was used to guide the C-5 to the tracks of the Colonial Railroad, which it followed to St. John's and a safe landing at 11 a.m. on 15 May. The commander of the blimp, Lieutenant Commander Coll, said it was the roughest trip he had ever experienced.

Category: The 20th Century