Sir George Cayley

"vincent p. norris" wrote in message
...
...Beryl Markham, British dame, was the first person to fly SOLO
from London to New York, a more difficult feat because she was flying
against the prevailing winds. September 1936.

Her "West With the Night" is a good read. My sister lent it to me about ten
years ago. I really should return it one of these days.

The whole transatlantic flight mania was an interesting phenomenon......not
so much the competition, as the fact that people took it so
seriously.....and still do. By the time Lindbergh made his famous flight,
the state of aviation technology was such that nonstop flights (solo or
otherwise) between any two points on opposite shores of the Atlantic were
pretty much a foregone conclusion. It was only a question of who would do
it first and exactly when. An achievement, to be sure, but more so for the
aircraft designers and builders than for whatever pilot had to stay awake
and on course for a few hours. Dangerous, without a doubt, but considerably
less so than many another adventure....or stunt....of the era. I guess
flying an airplane is just sexier than pulling a sled, slogging through a
swamp, or chopping ice.

Wolfgang

...Beryl Markham, British dame, was the first person to fly SOLO
from London to New York, a more difficult feat because she was flying
against the prevailing winds. September 1936.

Her "West With the Night" is a good read.

Yeah, I intended to mention the book, but forgot.

By the time Lindbergh made his famous flight,
the state of aviation technology was such that nonstop flights (solo or
otherwise) between any two points on opposite shores of the Atlantic were
pretty much a foregone conclusion.

An achievement, to be sure, but more so for the
aircraft designers and builders.....

Yes, crucially important was the Wright Cyclone engine, which woudl
run and run and run.

than for whatever pilot had to stay awake nd on course for a few hours.

I believe it was something like 34 hours. And he hadn't had much
sleep the night before, either. He had deliberately had the Spirit
designed to be unstable, so it would awaken him if he dozed off.

I guess flying an airplane is just sexier than pulling a sled, slogging through a
swamp, or chopping ice.

I like it. But it's not sexier than sex!

vince