NON-STOP ATLANTIC FLIGHT

Turning to the historical events that glorified the beginning of the last century with legendary air travel, the question naturally arises: who was the first to make a non-stop flight across the Atlantic alone?

One hundred years ago (in 1913) a popular English newspaper announced a reward of £10,000 for a flight across the Atlantic Ocean. The Daily Mail newspaper prophesied glory to that crew of an airplane or a lone pilot who would be the first in 72 hours to make a non-stop flight across the Atlantic in any direction from America to the shores of Ireland or Great Britain.

At that time, flights over such long distances seemed fantastic, because the planes were just beginning to master the sky, and their structural elements were often destroyed even when trying to get off the ground.

Attempts to conquer the sky of the Atlantic

The Martinsyd Raymore crew was preparing to conquer the three thousandth distance, but the plane did not take off. The reason for the failure was the failure of the landing gear, in which the nose of the aircraft was buried in the ground.

In the same way, during takeoff, another plane broke its nose (“Handley Page”).

The attempt by the crew of the Sopwith Atlantic aircraft was almost successful - they did not have the strength to overcome the last 850 miles to the coast.

The first pilots who made a non-stop flight across the Atlantic (they had not yet flown alone) were the British crew of the Vickers Vimi winged car. The pilot, John Alcock, and navigator, Arthur Witten Brown, received a well-deserved cash prize in 1919.
Much more famous is another pilot, namely the one who first made a non-stop flight across the Atlantic alone. But this flight took place already in 1927.

Flight by Charles Lindbergh

In 1926, a wealthy New York hotel owner, Raymond Orteig, offered a $25,000 prize for a non-stop flight from New York to Paris.

Charles Lindbergh was 25 years old, he served as a pilot in an airmail company. Lindbergh decided that existing models were not suitable for such flights and a special aircraft was needed. According to his calculations, such an aircraft should be a monoplane containing the required amount of kerosene. Maybe someone would have doubted, but Charles Lindbergh decided to fly alone and a year later he was the first to make a non-stop flight across the Atlantic.

The plane ("Spirit of St. Louis" - Spirit of St.Louis), named after St. Louis, was fully loaded, with all 1700 liters of fuel, and with difficulty overcame the takeoff on May 19, 1927. They say that when climbing, telegraph wires were cut off, this flight began so low above the ground.


The pilot had to determine the course, performing calculations in his mind, based on the time of flight in any direction, and he estimated the wind speed from the waves! To do this, Lindbergh had to descend to get out of the clouds and fog. On top of that, the plane became heavily iced over and became much heavier. Flying in these conditions, struggling with sleep, was incredibly difficult and dangerous.

However, luck accompanied the brave pilot, and after 28 hours, Charles Lindbergh's plane was next to Valentine Island, which is located near Ireland. It is simply amazing that the deviation from the chosen course was within 5 km!

And six hours later, Lindbergh was received by the Paris Bourget airport. In Paris, over 200,000 French people hailed him as a hero, and about 4 million compatriots awaited his return to New York. We can compare this event with the meeting of the first cosmonauts by our countrymen.

There was no end to the enthusiastic reviews of contemporaries: someone admired the courage and courage of the first solo pilot who made a non-stop flight across the Atlantic; someone carefully analyzed the modernization of the aircraft commissioned by Lindbergh.

Lindbergh's innovation was that he preferred a single-engine aircraft, although multi-engine aircraft were considered safer. He also requested that the wingspan be increased and that the aircraft be fitted with additional fuel tanks. It was important for him to reduce the weight of the aircraft as much as possible, so he fought for every gram. Eyewitnesses claimed that Lindbergh refused to take a parachute and a walkie-talkie on board, he replaced the massive leather seat with a wicker seat, special light boots were made to order, and even the map lost its “unnecessary” part.

The flight of Charles Lindbergh forever made him a legendary pilot, and for society marked a breakthrough into previously inaccessible areas. He gave aviation strategic importance, bringing closer the distance between the European and American continents.

THE FIRST ATLANTIC FLIGHT MADE BY A CREW

The first flight across the Atlantic Ocean was made by a brave British crew. The first non-stop flight across the Atlantic on June 14, 1919 was performed by the crew members of the Vickers Vimi aircraft of the British Air Force. Their names are Captain John Alcock (pilot) and Lieutenant Arthur Whitten Brown (navigator).

There were other daredevils who flew over the Atlantic Ocean. Eight years after the British flight, everyone was talking about the American pilot Charles Lindbergh, the one who first made a solo non-stop flight across the Atlantic. People liked Lindbergh's youth and courage. In 1927, the public was already able to appreciate such a flight. However, pilots Alcock and Brown were ahead of everyone.

Overcoming obstacles and difficulties

It was decided to fly from Canada to the shores of Ireland. At first it took a long time to find appropriate place for takeoff. The choice of site was approached carefully - after the accident of other British (the crew of the Martinsayd Raymore), it was clear what they had to risk by raising a bomber overloaded with fuel into the sky.

When an airstrip near the Canadian city of St. John's was found, Alcock named it the first transatlantic airfield. They waited for the right weather to come and were very nervous because they were afraid that others might be able to get ahead of them.

One day, on the first fine day, a military plane flew right over them towards the ocean. John and Arthur only found out later that it was a test flight. And at first it seemed to them that they were seeing a terrible dream - another plane had already taken off first to fly across the Atlantic before anyone else.

The pilots were nervous, as everything was ready for the flight, but they had to postpone the start due to heavy winds. The unrest was added by a telegram from England with accusations of indecision.

Finally, on June 13, a favorable weather situation was established. At the command of Captain Alcock, refueling of the aircraft began. First, the fuel was filtered through a sieve, and then it was pumped with a manual pump into aircraft tanks. It was a tedious and lengthy process. Closer to noon, a shock absorber failure of one of the chassis was discovered. He could not withstand such a large load, and the plane began to roll on its side.

To eliminate the defect, it was necessary to raise the aircraft, and for this it was necessary to drain all the previously filled fuel. People worked the rest of the day until midnight, then refilled the tanks, working non-stop with car headlights on and illuminating the site with paraffin lamps.

The weather report received on the morning of June 14 promised a strong westerly wind that would intensify in the coming hours. The pilots who arrived at the airfield decided that if they did not take off now, then they would have to give the championship to someone else who would fly across the Atlantic Ocean before they did.

Brown and Alcock climbed into the cockpit, warmed up the engines, brought them to full power, and Alcock signaled to the mechanics to let go of the plane's wings. The bomber rolled slowly along runway, without gaining sufficient speed and not looking up from the ground. The long-awaited start came at the end of the strip, when the plane with great difficulty climbed over the fence and trees, and then disappeared from view behind the hills.

All observers decided that there was an accident and ran in the direction of the alleged plane crash. People were worried, and the doctor screamed most of all, asking to make way for him to provide first aid. The panic subsided when the silhouette of the plane was again visible in the sky, gradually gaining altitude.

The crew experienced excruciatingly tense moments, it seemed that the car would fall down, it was so hard to climb. But now St. John's is left behind. The ships horned the retreating plane, which with a roar overcame the four hundred meter mark and left the coastline. The navigator took a course in the direction of Ireland.

Incredibly difficult flight

They walked in solid clouds, and barely visible accumulations of ice floated below. It became incredibly cold, even special heated suits could not save from the low temperature. At first, Brown's radio messages were received on the ground about following the route, but then the wind generator broke down and they were left with a useless radio station.


For about seven hours, the pilot flew the bomber blindly. Of course, they had to fly in dense clouds before, but not for such a long time, and besides, problems began with the right engine. At first, frequent claps were heard, the sounds of which resembled machine-gun bursts, and then the unit “spit out” some part of its structure. The exhaust pipe quickly became hot: first it turned red, then turned white and was torn off by a stream of air. The exhaust flame of a running engine reached a stretch wire, which heated up, but withstood the temperature and did not change its shape.

At seven o'clock the pilots decided to have a snack, their dinner consisted of sandwiches and coffee. Now they could navigate by the starry sky, so Brown wrote a note to Captain Alcock about the need to see the stars. The pilot brought the plane out of the clouds only at an altitude of 1800 meters. The navigator was able to determine their location: after eight hours of flight, the Vickers Vimi retired from the coast of Newfoundland by almost one and a half thousand kilometers. The first half of the journey has been completed. It turned out that their ground speed was slightly higher than the calculated one. It was decided to descend and continue to go under the edge of the clouds at an altitude of 1200 meters.

At about three o'clock in the morning, strong gusts of wind began to throw their car, a thunderstorm front appeared on the way of the plane. In conditions of poor visibility, orientation was lost, and the speed of the aircraft dropped sharply. The bomber went into a tailspin. Lightning flashes prevented the pilot from determining the position of the car in the raging space and leveling the plane. Alcock tried to put the rudders in the neutral position - nothing worked. The only thing he could see was the readings of the altimeter, which showed less and less distance to the ground: first 900, then 600, 300, now 150 ...

There was still nothing to be seen, but Alcock heard the sound of the raging ocean below them, and at the same moment the low sky cleared around the plane. They flew up wheels, incredibly close to the surface of the ocean, huge shafts rolled over their heads. There were fractions of a second to make decisions.

In this critical situation, the pilot talent of Captain John Alcock passed the most rigorous test. The experienced pilot instantly regained spatial orientation and leveled the plane in the last seconds, giving the engines full throttle. It seemed to both aviators that from their cockpit they could reach the foam ridges. Moving away from the ocean waves, which were at a distance of some fifteen meters, the car picked up a saving speed.

It continued to rain heavily, and as we climbed, it began to snow. The weight of the aircraft increased rapidly - dangerous icing began, which caused interruptions in the operation of the right engine. Its carburetor was clogged with snow, and the aircraft began to lose altitude due to lack of power when one engine was running. The situation became critical.

Alcock looked back at his navigator, but he was gone. It turned out that Brown went on the wing to the failed engine. He clung to the racks with all his might and cleared the ice with a knife. In their situation, this was the only saving solution. After a while, the left engine began to fail. Brown had to repeat his feat on the left wing. His courageous actions saved the engines and saved the lives of both pilots. In total, Lieutenant Brown made 5 such exits.

On June 15, the Vickers Vimi jumped out of the cloud layer in the morning, and after another half an hour the crew saw two small islands, behind which the Irish coast was already guessed. They flew along the coast and found a green field to land on. Not far from this place was the Clifden radio station. People noticed them and began to wave their hands, showing that it was impossible to sit on the field - it was swampy.

However, the pilots seemed to be welcomed, they waved back and continued landing. As a result, the plane buried its nose in a swamp and got stuck in the ground, but the guys were lucky: the damage to the plane was minor, and they themselves were not injured (except for Brown's scratched nose).

Their legendary flight lasted 16 hours and 28 minutes. Captain John Alcock and Lieutenant Arthur Witten Brown were the first to conquer the sky of the Atlantic, having traveled 3040 kilometers. The average speed of the aircraft "Vickers Vimi" was about 190 km / h. Interestingly, after landing, the fuel supply in the tanks remained quite impressive, they could reach the English coast.

The Wright brothers made their first airplane flight in December 1903. But it took another five years before airplanes began to fly for real. An important psychological barrier was overcome on July 25, 1909, when Louis Blériot crossed the English Channel for the first time. The conquest of a significant water barrier showed that the plane is capable of being not only a new circus attraction, but also a serious one. vehicle. Flight training for everyone was carried out by many private aviation schools, airplanes were continuously improved.

Blériot's flight stimulated a further assault on the waters. On September 11, 1910, Robert Loraine flew over the Irish Sea for the first time in a Farman airplane. True, due to engine problems, he did not reach the Irish coast 60 m. His business was completed by Corbett Wilson in April 1912. Morane-Saulnier crossed the Mediterranean for the first time, his journey was 730 km. Then it was the turn of the Atlantic.

However, several aviators from Great Britain, the USA, Denmark and other countries began to prepare for a transatlantic flight as early as 1910-1912. After the failure of Wellman's airship, the challenge to the ocean was decided by pilot Harry Carter (Harry Grahame Carter). He set the launch date for March 19, 1911. On a plane of his own design, Carter was going to fly from Sandy Hook, USA, to Queenstown (now Cove), Ireland. The aviator expected to cross the Atlantic in 49 hours.

According to the project, Carter's aircraft had an all-metal frame and sheathing made of a material that the author called parchment. Two 30 hp engines were used as a power plant. unspecified model with two-bladed metal propellers. The engine life was only 27 hours, but Carter hoped to bring it up to 54 hours. He believed that 136 liters of gasoline would be enough for him to overcome the distance of 3860 km.

The gas tanks were hollow tubular frame structures. To build the car, Carter rented a garage in Jamaica Plain, a suburb of Boston. What happened next is unknown even to perhaps the most complete guide to US aircraft, but the available design description makes it highly doubtful that Carter's plane could fly long distances.

A more serious contender was Hugh Robinson (Hugh Armstrong Robinson, 1881-1963), a former chief pilot at Curtiss. He began preparing for a transatlantic expedition in September 1911. But after making preliminary calculations, Robinson came to the conclusion that the available technologies did not yet allow such a project to be implemented. In 1912, Robinson switched to the development of the Benoist XIII flying boat, on the basis of which the Benoist XIV aircraft later arose, the first in the world to start regular passenger air transportation in January 1914.

Robinson's refusal to storm the Atlantic did not prevent his former boss Glenn Curtiss (Glenn Hammond Curtiss, 1878-1930) from completing the job. More precisely, almost to the end. In August 1913, he began building the Curtiss H twin-engine flying boat. The project was sponsored by Rodman Wanamaker, owner of a chain of department stores in New York and Philadelphia. The transatlantic flight was planned to be carried out in the summer of 1914.

The flying boat, which received the name "America", was a wooden tricycle biplane of the classical design. Ailerons were located only on the upper wing. The aircraft had two Curtiss OH 90 hp engines. between the wings with two-bladed pusher propellers. The boat is weak. The cockpit, designed for two pilots and a flight mechanic, was closed. The fuel supply allowed to make non-stop flight at a distance of 1770 km.

The Curtiss H-1 prototype was launched on 22 June 1914 and first flew the following day. In the process of intensive testing, a number of shortcomings were identified that required refinement of the design. But even after that, the car could not raise the required fuel supply. Therefore, a third engine with a pulling propeller was installed on the upper wing.

Deciding technical problems, the organizers of the flight scheduled the launch for August 5, 1914 (the sources also give the date August 15). The expedition was supposed to start from St. John's, Newfoundland. The further route passed through the islands of the Azores Faial and San Miguel, where intermediate landings were planned. From there, "America" ​​was supposed to fly to Portugal, then cross the Bay of Biscay, the English Channel and reach the coast of Britain near the city of Plymouth.

The crew included the aircraft designer and his friend, naval pilot John Henry Towers. But Curtiss's flight was categorically opposed by his wife, and Towers' flight by the command of the US Navy (five years later, he nevertheless took part in the transatlantic expedition).

Then the commander of the crew Weinamaker appointed a retired lieutenant of the British Navy John Porte (John Cyrill Porte, 1883-1919), and the co-pilot of the American George Hallet (George Hallett). But the first began World War and the flight was cancelled. Port went to serve in the Royal Navy, and there he persuaded the Lords of the Admiralty to purchase the America and her understudy. On the basis of these machines, more powerful flying boats were developed, which were built in a large series, but that's another story.

One of the incentives for the creation of the Curtiss H-1 "America" ​​aircraft was a prize established on April 1, 1913 by the British newspaper magnate Alfred Harmsworth, Lord Northcliffe. The owner of the Daily Mail promised to pay £10,000 to the first person to cross the Atlantic Ocean from anywhere in the US to anywhere in the UK or Ireland on any aircraft without landing in 72 hours. Both an Englishman and a foreigner could become the owner of the prize. The high prize amount has intensified the work of many designers, most of whom turned out to be fellow countrymen of Lord Northcliffe.

Photo by Curtiss H-1 America.

One of the main contenders was Samuel Cody (Samuel Franklin Cody), the creator of the first British actually flying aircraft. He designed the float monoplane Cody monoplane No.VII with a gigantic wingspan of 36.58 m for that time and a cabin designed for three crew members. Such an aircraft required a 400 hp engine, which then did not exist in nature. Cody issued an order to an unnamed French firm to develop the motor. But the death of the aviator on August 7, 1913 stopped work on the project. In the aviation press of 1913-1914, one can also find reports about the construction of transatlantic aircraft by the British firms of the James brothers (James Bros.) and A. V. Roe and Co. (Avro), however, no details are given.

Another contender for the prize was Handley Page. In December 1913, the chief designer of the company, George Volkert (George Rudolph Volkert, 1891-1978), developed a project for a single-engine biplane L / 200 - in the 1920s it was retrospectively designated HP.8, on which a woman first decided to conquer the Atlantic. Lady Anne Seivil, married Princess Lövinstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg (Lady Anne Savile / Anne Prinzessin zu Lowenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg, 1864-1927) was going to fly with Roland Ding (William Rowland Ding, 1885-1917). The pilot and airwoman had to be placed side by side in the cockpit. The power plant is a 14-cylinder Salmson (Canton-Unne) liquid-cooled engine with 200 hp. with pull screw. The fuel reserve is designed for a 23-hour flight. But before the start of the First World War, the aircraft was never completed, and later the company was fully loaded with military orders.

Characteristics aircraftwho unsuccessfully tried to cross Atlantic by air

Model	Curtiss H-1	Handley Page L-200	Martin Handasyde Transatlantic
Engines, power, hp	Curtiss OH-5 3x90	Salmson 1x200	Sunbeam 1×215
Upper wing span, m	22,55	18,29	20,12
The span of the lower wing, m	14
Length, m	11,43	12,5	14,12
Height, m	4,87	4,87
Wing area, sq.m.		83,6	71,5
Takeoff weight, kg.	2268	2722	2177
Empty weight, kg	1360	1270	1089
Max speed, km/h	105	129	137
Ceiling, m.	1372
Flight range, km.	1770
Crew	3	2	2

The transatlantic aircraft was also created by the British company Martin-Handasyde Ltd. The sponsor of this project was the Canadian financier Mackay Edgar (E. Mackay Edgar). The wooden monoplane with a trapezoidal wing received the quite understandable name Martin-Handasyde Transatlantic. The flight across the Atlantic was planned to be carried out from Newfoundland to Ireland. The pilot was appointed Gustav Hamel (Gustav Hamel, 1889-1914), who had previously made the first official postal flight in the UK.

The Sunbeam 215 hp engine was chosen for the aircraft. - 12-cylinder V-shaped liquid-cooled with a pulling 4-blade propeller Lang with a diameter of 3.66 m.

Although the Transatlantic had a wheeled undercarriage, the design made it possible to safely splash down on the surface of the ocean. The trihedral fuselage had watertight bulkheads. In front of the fuselage was a fuel tank with a length of 2.74 m and a diameter of 0.91 m. Behind him was a double cockpit with seats side by side. The landing gear was separated after takeoff, reducing the weight of the structure. Regular landing was provided for on the water.

The construction of the aircraft began in May 1914. Shortly thereafter, on May 23, 1914, Hamel disappeared without a trace while flying on another airplane over the English Channel. Nevertheless, the construction of the aircraft and the search for a new pilot continued until the outbreak of the First World War.

The outbreak of war did not allow a number of projects to conquer the Atlantic to be realized. At the same time, it stimulated the development of aircraft designs. Strength and reliability have increased, engine life has increased, and the speed of airplanes has increased. Increased flight range, especially for bombers. The latter could already, in the presence of sufficient fuel reserves, cover a distance of more than 4000 km without landing. This was enough for a non-stop flight from Newfoundland to Ireland. The only obstacle to the implementation of the idea was the involvement of the main aviation powers in hostilities. But in industrialized countries that did not take part in the war, or remote from the theaters of military operations, flight attempts resumed as early as 1917.

In August 1917, the Italian pilot Silvio Resnati arrived in the USA. The main purpose of his visit was the preparation of serial production in the United States and the training of American pilots to fly on it. On the same machine, equipped with three Isotta-Fraschini engines, the Italian pilot planned to make a transatlantic flight in 1918. This was not destined to come true - on May 16, 1918, Resnati died in the crash of his Caproni Ca.3 near Hampstead, New York.

Two months later, on July 15, 1918, forty American military pilots at once filed a petition on command with a proposal to carry out a transatlantic flight in an American-made Caproni or Handley-Page bomber. The idea was supported by US Secretary of Defense Baker. At a military airfield in the city of Elizabeth, New Jersey, preparations began for the expedition, which was to take place in the same year on the Handley-Page bomber. The expedition was well prepared. It was planned to place ships along the entire route from Newfoundland to Ireland at intervals of 200 nautical miles in order to promptly provide assistance to pilots in the event of an accident. However, the land pilots were outpaced by sailors in Curtiss NC flying boats.

Sources: V.O. Bykov. "The Conquest of the North Atlantic".

NOTES

Going on a long journey, when it is necessary to make a visit to the countries of America, there is a long road ahead, where even an airplane needs a lot of time to overcome such a distance. Flying across the ocean is always unusual, as it takes a lot of time, and passengers get tired waiting for the flight to end. The flight to any of the countries of this region lasts from 13 to 16 hours.Which makes passengers very tired.

Flight over the ocean video

The most adventurous, especially those who do not like to stay in a closed space for a long time, try to spend most of the flight having a good night's sleep, try to immediately after eating, get comfortable and fall asleep. Yes, if nothing interferes, then this is one of the most reliable ways to spend time. After all, there is not much entertainment on the plane, and a long flight causes fatigue. The best part is still ahead, after landing, so it won't hurt anyone to gain strength.

Flights of this complexity are carried out on special types of aircraft. Not everyone can overcome such a distance without landing. More than one crew is also needed, because managing such a long flight is also difficult. It requires certain strengths and energy. After all, making any flight is a very important moment for the crew.

Transatlantic flights are mainly operated on Boeing 747 or 767 and Airbus aircraft, since other types of passenger aircraft cannot perform such long non-stop flights. It requires not only a special type of aircraft, but also special training. What is needed is an aircraft that can take enough fuel, fill all the empty seats with passengers, and provide food to everyone on board for this long time.

transatlantic flight is a hard and long flight that exhausts everyone. Therefore, it is also necessary to observe special safety measures in such difficult conditions. Most of this flight takes place over the ocean, which causes many special feelings that are associated with increased anxiety. But you should not be afraid of this, since there is no particular danger, the aviation services provide everything for any flight to be completed successfully.

So, takeoff, the planned provision of meals to passengers, a sound, restful sleep, and now it is America, which one could only dream of. Transatlantic flight completed, and as always, thanks to the airline, a success!

The working model of the first airplane "Bird of Prey" in flight

In the center of Rio de Janeiro, on the waterfront near the ultra-modern Museum of Tomorrow, there is a mock-up of the world's first 14-bis airplane or "Oiseau de proie" (in French, "bird of prey").
Today, Brazil occupies one of the world's leading positions in the field of aircraft construction. The Brazilian Embraer (E-Jet) is the world leader in the medium-haul (regional) aircraft market.
Thanks to the dominance of the American media in the world, there was a conviction about the priority of the Wright brothers, who made the first airplane flight. In Brazil and France, undeniable primacy is given to a native of Brazil, holder of the Order of the Legion of Honor, aeronaut, pilot and inventor Albert Santos-Dumont(1873 - 1932), who lived for some time in France. The Brazilian was the first in the world to prove the possibility of regular, controlled flights. Santos-Dumont made a public airplane flight in Paris on October 23, 1906. It was the first heavier-than-air vehicle to take off, fly, and land that, unlike the Wright brothers, did not use catapults, high winds, launch rails, or other external devices. The inventor was against the use aircraft for military purposes.

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The first transatlantic direct flight was made from the island of Newfoundland (Canada) to Ireland by British pilots John Alcon and Arthur Brown on June 14-15, 1919 in 16 hours 28 minutes at an average speed of 190 km per hour. The effect of a jet air current in the Northern Hemisphere from west to east was used. In the opposite direction, it would have taken more time, and there were no aircraft with the corresponding resource then. The first direct 36-hour flight across the Atlantic from Europe (Dublin) to North America took place only a decade later in April 1928.

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Today, flying across the Atlantic to South America is an everyday affair and requires only patience (up to 14 hours of flight from Paris to Santiago). I first saw the monument to the first aircraft (seaplane) and the crew that flew from Europe to South America many years ago in Lisbon.

Portuguese pilots Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral made the first dramatic flight from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro on an English-made Fairey 17 hydroplane, dedicated to the centenary of Brazilian independence. Aircraft of this type were produced from 1918 to 1941, and took an active part in World War II.

During the flight to South America, a new artificial horizon device was tested, which makes it possible to control the position of the aircraft out of sight of the earth or the surface of the sea.

On March 30, 1922, the pilots took off from naval base Lisbon and reached late in the evening canary islands(Las Palmas) for refueling. On April 5, another throw was made to the Cape Verde Islands (San Vicente), where engine repairs were required. On April 17, the pilots continued on their way to the rocky uninhabited island of Sao Paulo (St. Peter and Paul). Here, during splashdown in rough seas, the airplane lost one of its floats and sank. The aviators were rescued by the Portuguese cruiser República, which took part in supporting the flight. The cruiser delivered the pilots to the port of the Brazilian island of Fernando de Noronha.

But the epic didn't end there. Enthusiastic Brazilians and Portuguese watching the flight forced the government in Lisbon to poison another seaplane for the aviators.

The new plane was delivered to the island and on May 11 the pilots took off... reverse side to the island of Sao Paulo to resume the flight from the crash site. However, an engine failure forced them to commit again. emergency landing in the ocean. The seaplane again successfully sank, and the pilots were picked up by a British cargo steamer and brought back to Fernando de Noronha.

But this time, with the support of the Brazilian government, the brave aviators receive a third plane, on which they were able to complete the flight with landings in Recife, Salvador da Bahia and Vitoria. Finally, on June 17, the flight was completed in Rio de Janeiro, where the seaplane landed in Guanabara Bay. Brazil welcomed the aviators like heroes, and aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont delivered a welcoming speech at a rally on the waterfront. The journey lasted 79 days, of which the actual flight time was 62 hours and 26 minutes. The aviators covered a distance of 8,383 kilometers (5,209 miles) by air.

Flight map

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In 1930 a French pilot Jean Mermoz He made the first non-stop flight across the South Atlantic. From French Toulouse, he flew to the African port of Saint Louis (Senegal), located on the Atlantic coast. From here, with 130 kg of mail on a converted aircraft, in 21 hours he completed a transatlantic flight to Rio de Janeiro. In 1936, the pilot with the plane disappeared on another flight over the South Atlantic.

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Over time, regular passenger flights from Europe to South America began. On July 10, 1962, regular transatlantic flights of the Soviet Aeroflot began to Latin America to Cuba along the route Moscow - Conakry (technical landing) - Havana, and then across the North Pole with an intermediate landing in Murmansk. The specially modernized Tu-114 could accommodate only 60 passengers, but had a large supply of fuel. The flight took over 20 hours.

May 27, 1973 began regular flights to Peru and Chile on the route Moscow - Rabat - Havana - Lima (Peru) - Santiago (Chile). For that time it was the world's longest passenger airline (18,000 km), travel time - 23 hours. Today, they fly from Moscow to South America with connecting flights via Paris, Amsterdam, Istanbul and other aviation hubs.

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On the air route between Europe and South America On June 1, 2009, one of the largest aviation accidents occurred. Airliner Airbus A330-203 airlines Air France operated flight AF447 on the route Rio de Janeiro - Paris, but 3 hours and 45 minutes after takeoff, it crashed into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and completely collapsed. All 228 people on board (12 crew members and 216 passengers) were killed. This is biggest disaster in the history of Air France and the largest disaster passenger aircraft from 2001 until the Boeing 777 crash in the Donetsk region (July 17, 2014, 298 dead).

As the causes of the disaster, freezing of the pitot tubes, the subsequent shutdown of the autopilot and uncoordinated actions of the crew, which led to the stall of the aircraft, from which the crew could not get out, are indicated. Inconsistency of actions, poor preparation and panic of the crew (co-pilot and trainee who were in the cockpit during the rest of the commander). The called commander made the right decision and at an altitude of about 600 meters the plane began to pick up speed, but it was not possible to stop the stall in time. Experts point to shortcomings in the design of modern aircraft and in the training of crews. Computer systems control the aircraft for the vast majority of the flight time, deprive pilots of the experience of direct piloting and reduce their readiness for emergency situations.

100 Great Events of the 20th Century Nepomniachtchi Nikolai Nikolayevich

1927 Flight across the Atlantic by Charles Lindbergh*

Flight across the Atlantic by Charles Lindbergh*

A strange little plane slowly crawled over Atlantic Ocean from New York to the east. The front glass of the pilot's cockpit was covered with canisters of gasoline; to look ahead, the pilot opened the side window and looked out of the window. However, he rarely looked out: he knew that there was not a single other airplane over the entire expanse of the ocean. The “point of no return” was left behind, the engine hummed monotonously, and pilot Charles Lindbergh could think of pleasant things: for the first flight across the Atlantic, a prize was awarded - not $ 2,000, as it once was for Farman, who flew one kilometer in a circle, and not 1,000 pounds, like Blériot for a flight across the English Channel, but $25,000!

One could recall with gratitude the sponsors from the distant American outback - the city of St. Louis, Missouri; it was they who bought the plane to throw across the ocean and gave the monoplane the proud name "Spirit of St. Louis." In order not to fall asleep on the second day in the air, one could dream of the coming glory, especially since the pilot had nothing remarkable in the first twenty-five years of his life: he loved technology, with eyes closed disassembled and assembled a shotgun, entered the engineering department of a provincial university, studied poorly, had to leave the second year, was a motorcycle racer, entered flight school, there was the first in the issue. There was odd jobs, performing figures in the "air circus" aerobatics, then he got a permanent job - he carried air mail from St. Louis to Chicago, and now - they made a bet on him.

Pilot Charles Lindbergh

First, Ireland turned green under the wing, after an hour and a half, Cherbourg, a port in northern France, remained behind. An unexpected thought flashed through the "Blue Ribbon of the Atlantic" - the annual award for the fastest cruise between Europe and America: who will now fight for it? The cruise lasts more than a week, the winners of the race reduce this time by minutes, and the air route is five to six times faster than the water one.

When the "Spirit of St. Louis" passed Cherbourg, newspapermen on the streets of the French capital shouted: "Paris held its breath - perhaps success is near!" Crowds of Parisians rushed to Le Bourget airport, the streets over which the monoplane descended, there was a roar of applause. The pioneer landed thirty-three and a half hours after taking off from New York; three hundred thousand greeters - it was a triumph!

In one day - May 21, 1927 - Lindbergh became a national hero on both sides of the Atlantic, a visible symbol of America, like Edison or Ford, or, it seemed, even brighter. Their fame was formed for a long time and gradually, and fame fell on Lindberg instantly. He became a recognizable figure, and no signature was required on the poster, where a handsome young man against the backdrop of an airplane joined the hands of old Europe and young America.

At home, the first transatlantic pilot was waiting for the "Medal of Honor" from the US Congress, the rank of colonel and more than a hundred thousand letters with marriage proposals. The book "Charles Lindbergh: The American Dream" was published, and soon his book with the short title "Us". In love with technology, the author felt like a part of a two-pronged being - himself and his plane. Feelings of the boundless power of a person connected to the motor were well known in those years.

The new image of the American "Superman" attracted thousands of imitators. The miracle of the century, aviation beckoned with a combination of sport and spectacle, calculation and business. Both nameless amateurs and the creators of the next generations of aircraft were striving for the sky. One of them, a young Boeing sawmill engineer, tried to change his profession and enter a pilot school, but was refused - the doctors did not like his vestibular apparatus. Staying on the ground, the failed pilot continued to dream of the sky and became an aircraft designer and manager - this is how the Boeing company began.

Two years have passed since the first flight from New York to Paris. On behalf of Pan American, "Pilot No. 1" was laying new commercial air routes. Hero of the Atlantic married Anna Moro, daughter of the US ambassador to Mexico; his wife accompanied him as co-pilot and navigator; They had their first child, also named Charles. Life was entering into a calm course, but after the past triumph, such a life and such work seemed like a routine.

A one-time chosen one of fate, Lindberg painfully noticed the gradual satiety of the public with interest in him - sensations do not last long.

One day, trouble came to Lindberg: his two-year-old son was kidnapped from home and three months later found murdered. After a long search, the kidnapper was found; the trial lasted a year and a half, the conceited kidnapper said that he had specially chosen a victim in a famous family. The tragedy shook America, the killer was sent to the electric chair. Lindbergh, who knew only America's elite, was now faced with the police and the courts, with greedy lawyers and meddlesome journalists, with an ugly reflection of his fame. This turn in life gave him his first disappointment in the society, the favorite of which he considered himself.

Shortly after the Berlin Olympics, Lindbergh, who was very interested in racial theories, moved to Germany. The Ministry of Propaganda does not spare praise for the guest: he is close to the standard of the superman, and his views are Aryan, and his roots are from the Vikings (his grandfather is a native of Sweden). The guest, in turn, loudly admires the successes of the Reich in aviation, art and the education of "aristocrats of body and spirit." Awarded with a Nazi order, he returns home in 1939, on the eve of the World War, and the question arises again: what to do? It is difficult to leave the stage, and there are no new prominent roles, although, in preparation for the seizure of Europe, the Nazis in advance created hundreds of public organizations from their supporters in America for all tastes. All these leagues and unions are inciting hatred for the Roosevelt government, vociferously demanding US non-intervention in the war abroad. A recipient of the American Medal and the Nazi Order, Lindbergh is a welcome speaker at such gatherings.

When the world war broke out, the Berlin puppeteers began to unite all this mixture into a fascist party. There was a search for the leader, and, as they would say today, the "agent of influence" Lindbergh was in sight.

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, some activists went to jail. Lindbergh himself passed this cup, but a few months before Pearl Harbor he was stripped of his colonel's rank "for misbehavior."

The unemployed speaker was taken in by the Ford Motor Company, whose owner Ford had a "special relationship" with Hitler. After three years as a consultant to the company, Lindbergh tried to participate in the war against Germany as a volunteer for the American army. They didn’t take him to the front in Europe, perhaps they remembered the past, and he took the rare position of a “civilian observer” in the US naval aviation in the Pacific.

Excluded from the clan of military pilots, Lindbergh remained for some the idol of their youth. One such admirer, Paul Tibbets, felt a strange resemblance to his idol: it was he who, in the early morning of August 6, 1945, was driving his atomic bomber towards Hiroshima.

A quarter of a century after the famous flight, Lindbergh writes the book The Spirit of St. Louis. Recalling once again the beginning of his career, the author silently asks the reader to erase from memory the image of the pre-war Nazi agitator. The book symbolizes the rise of America, the author receives the literary Pulitzer Prize in the biography nomination.

In his seventies, Lindbergh begins a new round of his public life: he is concerned about the preservation of the world's ecosystem, he is a protector of rare animals, one-humped camels and blue whales.

At the end of his life, he publishes the book "War Diaries of Charles Lindbergh" about his participation in the war with Japan, thereby again crossing out the shameful period of his life.

In one of the halls of the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, a small airplane "The Spirit of St. Louis" hangs from the ceiling, and near the exhibit there is a stand with the date "May 21, 1927." History remembered only this day at the beginning of the young Lindbergh's life, silent about the next forty-seven years of his life.

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