Show 4 The First Flight Fligh t Across America Americ a Plane Took 49 Days t to o Make the Trip p in 1911 Was Wrecked Wre ked and Rebuilt Seven Times and Was Accompanied by Special Train Carrying Spare Parts Made M ade 65 Landings s J 4 J a JI M U l t Ji li tte to ancient ancient- plane suspended front from the Ehe ceiling of or Ute the Carn to muse museum in whiCh whicK Perry CalbraitH-Perry lh Y Rogers ers t made m e the he first firs f rot fit ht A. A t S from the llie to o Ute the Pacific coast I A Br By y NEA EA Service July 9 Three Three times P A during the past put two t o months the Atlantic ocean has been spanned by air Another plane has flown over o the Pacific from San Francisco to Hawaii HA all Already the public Is begin begin- beginning beginning beginning ning to regard long-distance long flights lights as something of an old od story Yet Just 16 years ears ago ago In In 1911 1911 the whole hole country was amazed be because be- be because cause Galbraith Galbralth Perry Rodgers of Pittsburg was able to fly clear across the United UnIt d States States Stales In 49 days Rodgers was the first to fly ily across America The transcontinental l jaunt that to Lindbergh was merely an unimportant prelude to the task of spanning the Atlantic was then a stupendous feat considered desperate and foolhardy How difficult It actually was may maybe maybe maybe be understood d from an examination of ot the record of the Rodgers' Rodgers flight WRECKED SE EN TIMES He left lert New York on September 17 1911 and did not reach Long Beach the California terminus of or his flight light until November 5 5 Seven times Umes en rf route his plane had to be entirely re- re rebuilt rebuilt rebuilt built because of ot accidents At the end nd of the trip only the rudder and two stanchions remained of the original original nal plane Rodgers' Rodgers actual time In the air to- to minutes He mad 65 landings and his longest single flight light was over o a stretch of miles A special train followed him all the thenay way nay containing spare parts for his plane Without this traveling base ba e of supplies Rodgers never ne would hate ha ha reached en e the Mississippi The phrase completely wrecked oc occurs oc- oc occurs occurs curs over and over o again In his story of the flight light Rodgers himself did not live ll long enough to enjoy enJo the fruits of his tri tri tri- In the following spring an exhibition flight light at Long Beach he was killed when his plane crashed The airplane In which he crossed the continent however howe still exists ft I looking bizarre exhibit In the Carnegie Carne Carne- Carnegie Carnegie gie museum here A glance at It en enables en- en enables enables ables one to understand why Rodgers' Rodgers trip was so risky No pilot today would be willing to go off oU the ground at all In such a machine Yet 16 years ago It was vas the best the coun coun- country country country try could produce FLEW FOR Fort PRIZE A prize of 50 had been of offered of- of offered offered the first aviator who could fly across the continent Rodgers who had learned to fly ny only that spring entered the contest Newspaper writ writ- writers writers writers ers called him foolhardy because he hean an amateur was attempting a stunt w 1 1 1 plane are rammed tamine a a. ar tree r ee at of NY RY NYU r and 1 ers era U fell Uto Fe tL 25 fee fee- to r s 's the e. e ground c r rOUn una unai t i 55 l OH I 1 V bers ers i plane lane taking off of y 1 1 in one o ct Ute the a many man jumps ju amps a t S 1 in iA the cross country cou flight l Rs f S t I I Elie L In ne Ero E skids of L e e. plane large 1 1 u i 1 kr Y- Y krIs Is- Is w j A A AIt It u A special s pe Cl al train raced r across the e country Y belov the plane one equipment for the plane p lane many times Eimes tHab it was cor i ip rebuilt reboil seven times that professional aviators considered too hazardous to try There were no beacon lights to guide a flyer then then then-no no beacon lights and very few landing fields s. s Rodgers accordingly followed the railroad tracks to keep from losing his way wa This made his route a zag zig-zag one and lengthened his total mileage to miles Rodgers flying fl west vest from New Ne' NewYork NewYork York cut across the northwestern comer corner of or Pennsylvania cross crossed d Ohio and Indiana and went to Chicago Prom From Chicago he headed southwest via Kansas City into Texas Then he turned west crossed New N w Mexico and Arizona and swung Into Califor- Califor California or- or nia near the Mexican border Always Rodgers had to walt wait on good weather Storms and winds de delayed de- de delayed delayed him for tor 25 days all told One glance at his rickety plane shows that tha It would have hate been sure death fo for him to go aloft In weather that today would not keep a single plane on th the ground His first mishap came a at Middletown N N. Y when he rammed a tree smashed his plane and fell 2 25 feet to the ground Repairs were made and the flight went on Many similar accidents were to happen before California was reached Even en when his flight had been fin nn- finished there were many people who wh regarded It solely as a valueless stunt stun that perhaps never would be repeat repeat- ed cd An editorial writer of the day voiced a very general opinion when he wrote that within a a. decade o or two the flying n machines of ot toda today will be useful for exhibition In mu mu- museums museums COULDN'T COULD T GUESS AT FUTURE He was right but he did not guess that they would be In museums only because newer and better planes had made them obsolete Nor did anyone guess gu that Rodgers Rodgers' toilsome flight was the forerunner of ofa I a dally daily commercial plane sen service ice that would cross the continent day and night Ight In spite of or the worst weather that hat winter could send nearly as regular as express trains that Ma- Ma Maready Macready ready cready would fly ny over Rodgers' Rodgers route without once coming to earth that Maughan would fly from coast to coSt coast In a single le day that thit Lindbergh would carelessly hop from San Diego to o New York as a I mere preliminary to o a ft greater more daring flight light Rodgers went unsung But he was the he trail blazer for the efficient soaring fast birdmen of today Copyright 1927 1921 NEA Service Inc |