Alcock and Brown

100 years ago tomorrow morning. John Alcock and Arthur Brown of the RAF took off from Lester's Field here in St. John's in their modified WW1 Vickers Vimy bomber and headed east. Some 16 hours later they crash landed in a bog just outside Clifden Ireland having just completed the first transatlantic flight in an airplane.

Charles Lindburgh made a more famous crossing some years later , but Alcock and Brown were first.


https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/alcock-brown-100-year-anniversary-1.5099625

NRMinister@gov.nl.ca

Alcock and Brown, isn't that a porn title ?


But seriously, talk about courage. Man. Wood, canvas and wire.

Ashamed to say I've never heard of these guys or their heroic feat. Possibly because they are Canadian. Shameful really.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Whitten_Brown
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Alcock_(RAF_officer)

http://www.aviation-history.com/airmen/alcock.htm

Nope ..not Canadian, Newfoundland did not join Canada until 1949. In 1919 we had nothing to do with Canada or Canadians

RIGHT. How could I forget ?
My inlaws are Newfoundlanders.
My wife's Grandpa use to tell his Grandkid's they were from the Rock, not Canada.
He never left the Rock.

The other famous Brown had a hand in the shooting down of the Red Baron. The house he grew up in still stands in Carleton Place ON..

I would love to somehow see that moment the one climbed out on the wing, holding on with one hand and hacking at ice with the other over the Atlantic. Men with a lot of courage and sand like that other gentleman that was posted about here earlier who also made a transatlantic flight by himself.

It just goes to show just how much "history" is written by those with power and influence. If you want some really good enlightenment that totally goes against the Hollywood grain, get educated on the facts behind WWI and WWII.

They were English, both born in Manchester.
Excellent presentation by the BBC here on the epic flight, and the reasons the achievement been somewhat overlooked compared to the commemoration of Lindbergh's solo crossing

Darn English try to claim everything for themselves.

Arthur Whitten Brown was born in Glasgow to American parents; his father had been sent to Scotland to evaluate the feasibility of siting a Westinghouse factory in Clydeside. The factory was eventually sited in Trafford Park in Stretford, Lancashire, and the family subsequently relocated there.

first NON STOP flight, the US navy (NC-4, commanded by Albert C. Read to be exact) were first to fly planes from one side to the other the month before (3 started, one finished), although they flew over in stages and with a heck of a lot of more support, they went from newfoundland, azores, lisbon, then up to the UK

and fun fact, NC-4 is actually owned by the Smithsonian Institution and it currently on display in the Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola Florida

Well look at that!!! Globalization already at work in the 1800's.

Some trivia,
The crewmen of the NC-1, including future Admiral Marc Mitscher, were rescued by the Greek cargo ship SS Ionia. This ship took the NC-1 in tow, but it sank three days later and was lost in deep water.
The pilots of the NC-3, including future Admiral Jack Towers, taxied their floatplane some 200 nautical miles (370 km; 230 mi) to reach the Azores, where it was taken in tow by a U.S. Navy ship.

These guys left from Botwood Nfld and headed for the Azores. The seaplane bases they used still exists and is now used as a local boat launch