History of Aerial Circumnavigation
The first great flights were transcontinental flights, going over land so that emergency landings were possible if anything went wrong. As flight technology progressed people started flying across the Atlantic Ocean. After the first true global circumnavigation expedition, taking 175 days, was completed by the United States many European countries followed suit in the next few years. The first few flights took a western path, but since then the vast majority have taken eastern routes. The time to complete the journey has dropped from 175 days in 1919 down to only 4 days 8 hours set in 1977. Below is a list of interesting firsts in the field of aerial circumnavigation.
- 1919 – The First Transatlantic Flight
- John Alcock and Arthur Brown (Great Britain) piloting a Vickers Vimy.
- 1924 – The First World Flight
- U.S Army in two teams with Lt.’s Smith and Arnold, and the team of Lt.’s Nelson and Harding both flying a Douglas World Cruiser.
- 1929 – The First world flight in AirShip
- Headed by Dr. Hugo Eckener (Germany) in a Graf Zeppelin.
- 1933 – The First Solo World Flight (1933)
- Wiley Post (USA) piloting a Lockheed Vega
- 1933 May 7/8
- Capt Stanislaw Skarzynski flew Senegal to Brazil in a Polish RWD-5bis weighing 450 kg and setting a World Record. Awarded first Blériot Medal in 1936 by F.A.I.
- 1939 – First and Only known Flight from Asian Country Pilots
- Nakao / Yoshida /Shimokawa / Saeki /Sato / Yaokawa (Japan) flying a Mitsubishi G3M.
- 1964 – The First Solo Woman Flight
- Geraldine Mock (USA) piloting a Cessna 180.
- 1976 – The First Home Built Aircraft
- Don Taylor (USA) piloting a Thorp T-18.
- 1983 – The First Solo Helicopter
- Dick Smith (Australia) from 1982-1983 in a Bell Jet Ranger 206.
- 1984 – The First Wheelchair Aviator
- Donald Rodewald (USA) piloting a Comanche 260.
- 1986 – The First Unrefueled Non-Stop Flight
- Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager (USA) piloting a Voyager.
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