Charles Lindbergh (1902 - 1974) was interested in aviation from early years... When he was studying in Wisconsin, in his sophomore year he realized that he wanted to do flying business much more. He decided to leave his studies and study to be a pilot. After graduating from the courses, Lindbergh entered the service, and then began working in airmail.

Many daredevils had already tried to make transatlantic flights before Linberg, but until then no one had succeeded, largely due to the imperfection of flight technology. After all, it was required to overcome more than 7 thousand km without landing, and, therefore, without being able to refuel. The problem was that it was impossible to take too much fuel on board, light aircraft of that time simply could not take off with such a load. Nevertheless, the interest in overcoming the Atlantic Ocean was huge, one big businessman even appointed a prize of $ 25 thousand to anyone who can do it. There were many attempts, but none were successful.

Lindbergh simply could not help but accept the challenge and get involved in this exciting, albeit dangerous adventure. He placed an order with Ryan Aeronautical for the manufacture of a motor-plane, independently developed by him, which, in the pilot's opinion, was capable of this flight. The resulting car was named the Spirit of St. Louis.

The pilot had to sacrifice brakes, a parachute, a radio and even a flashlight for an overview, all in order to take on board as much fuel as possible.

Training

To test the plane, Lindbergh flew from San Diego to New York in May 1927, but landed once in St. Louis. Nevertheless, the flight time was 21 hours 45 minutes, and this was already a transcontinental record.

In New York, it turned out that the weather could force the pilot to postpone the flight for several days. Nevertheless, relying on the forecast, which promised a little clarification, Charles courageously decides to fly out on May 20.

He arrived at the airfield before dawn. At 7:40 am the engine was fired, and at 7:52 am the Spirit of St. Louis took off from Roosevelt airfield. The event was widely covered by all the media in America, the whole country was worried about the hero. A lot of people went out to see him off.

Due to the fact that on May 20, due to the rains, the ground on the takeoff field was slightly soft, the plane picked up speed very slowly. He even nearly hit the power line when. But in the air, the situation leveled off, and Lindsberg slowed down to save fuel.

Flight

The difficulty was created by the fact that the additional tank changed the center of gravity of the monoplane, because of it the aircraft could easily leave. Lindsburg was accompanied by a plane to Long Island, on which a photographer was present. But soon he left the pilot, turning back.

Lindbergh was already flying over Nova Scotia in the evening. Soon he met bad weather. Thunderclouds, upon hitting which the plane froze and threatened to fall into the water, forced Charles to maneuver, sometimes he flew a few meters from the water.

The daredevil was expected to receive numerous awards not only from his own country, but many European states also honored him with orders and honors.

Soon Lindbergh saw the coast of Ireland in the distance. The weather improved markedly, and by the evening of the second day the pilot was already overcoming France. By about 22 o'clock, the pilot noticed Paris, and soon he had already passed the Eiffel Tower. At 22:22 Charles Lindbergh landed at Le Bourget airfield. He crossed the Atlantic Ocean, covering 5809 km in 33 hours and 30 minutes.

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Tip 2: Who was the first person to fly across the Atlantic

In the spring of 1913, the British newspaper Daily Mail published an advertisement announcing the appointment of an award of 10 thousand pounds to the one who was the first to cross the Atlantic in 72 hours.

The text of the announcement read: “We will pay £ 10,000 to anyone who crosses the Atlantic Ocean from anywhere in the United States to anywhere in the UK or Ireland. This implies that over the Atlantic can be flown in any direction. Any pilot will be awarded the fee. The plane on which he will fly may be of British production or any other country in the world. "

First attempts to cross the Atlantic

Several well-known at that time were involved in the preparation for the flight. aviation companies- Marеinsyde, Vickers, Sopwith and Handley Page. Each of the firms decided to design their own aircraft designed for these purposes. Due to the predominance of the east wind over the Atlantic Ocean, the flight was decided from the American continent, since a flight against the wind could significantly increase fuel consumption, the supply of which was problematic to place on board the aircraft.

On May 18, 1913, two pioneer crews took off from the Canadian island of Newfoundland. The first to fly was the Spwith crew with pilot Harry Hawker and navigator Kenneth Mackenzie-Mane. Their attempt cannot be considered successful, since, before reaching 850 miles to the coast, due to malfunctions, their plane crashed into the water. Fortunately, the Danish steamer Mary was picked up by the passing by. The next starter crew of Marеinsyde, represented by pilot Fred R. Reichem and navigator S.U.F. Morgana was even less fortunate. Their plane crashed on takeoff, and the pilots were immediately taken to hospital. A similar fate befell the crew of the Handley Page aircraft, which took off 2 months after the tragedy.

The first conquerors of the Atlantic

Almost a month after the first two attempts to cross the ocean, luck smiled on the crew of the Vickers aircraft, consisting of pilot John Alcock and navigator Arthur Whitten Brown. Their heroic team also faced a number of difficulties, which they, however, were able to overcome. The first was the problem of choosing a suitable take-off site, which they had been looking for for several days. Only on June 14, the aviators were able to take off. Their plane could not dial for a long time required speed in order to get off the ground. Further, the pilots drove the car blindly for almost seven hours due to heavy cloud cover. After that, they got into a strong thunderstorm, but, having successfully passed it, the plane approached the shores of Ireland by the 15th. During the landing, another unforeseen situation happened to the car - the wheels got stuck in the mud of the landing strip, and the nose of the aircraft buried itself in the swamps. The pilots escaped with slight fright.

So, having flown 3040 kilometers in 16 hours 28 minutes, the crew of John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown became the first to cross the Atlantic Ocean by air. The Atlantic was finally and undeniably conquered!

Ask any person: "Who flew the Atlantic first?", And 90 people out of a hundred will answer: "Charles Lindbergh." Lindbergh is an incredibly popular character in the 30s, the hero of numerous newspaper publications, films, historical studies and fiction novels. However, he was not the first to fly across the Atlantic.

In 1913, the British newspaper "Daily Mail" (Daily Mail) established a special prize of 10 thousand pounds for the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean. The prize aroused great interest, and several aviators and engineers began to make their own plans to win it. But in 1914 the First World War broke out and put an end to all plans. In 1918, the war ended and the prize competition resumed with renewed vigor. The acuteness of the competition was given by the fact that during the First World War, aviation made a qualitative leap, turning from an exotic toy into a real combat force. The design and production of airplanes has ceased to be the lot of eccentric enthusiasts, and has become a powerful industry with serious engineering teams, large production facilities and considerable cash turnover. In addition to money, the first transatlantic flight promised developers good advertising, so aircraft manufacturers did not stand aside.

In May 1919, pilot H.G. Hawker and navigator Mackenzie Grieve took off in the Sopwith Atlantic airplane. The attempt was unsuccessful - the plane fell into the Ocean, fortunately, both pilots were rescued. Around the same time, several US Navy flying boats flew from Newfoundland to Portugal via the Azores. The purpose of the flight (initiated not by anyone, but by Richard Bird) was to practice flights over sea spaces. There was no record, since the flight lasted 19 days, and the planes had a large number of landings.

On May 26, 1919, a container with a Vickers Wimy aircraft was delivered to Newfowland. The airplane was unpacked and assembled in a couple of days without any troubles or delays. Waiting for suitable weather began. In the meantime, it rained interspersed with sleet. The crew consisted of two people - pilot Captain John Alcock and navigator Lieutenant Arthur Brown. Both officers were assigned to the Royal Firing Corps (the prototype of the Royal Air Force). The goal is a direct flight across the Atlantic Ocean.
The fates of these people were in many ways similar - both fought in the World War, both knew the severity of captivity: Alcock in Turkey, and Brown in Germany, both returned to their jobs after the war, both were fired up with the idea of ​​a direct flight across the ocean. Captain John Alcock was born in 1892 in Seymour, Old Trafford, England. Interest in flying He began to take an interest in flying at the age of seventeen, during the War he became an experienced pilot. Lieutenant Arthur Whitten Brown was born in Glasgow in 1886. He worked as an engineer in the development of aeronautical instruments. Hearing about the upcoming flight across the Atlantic, he expressed his desire to take part in it and was chosen as a partner to John Alcock.

By that time, Vickers had already taken one of the leading positions not only in Britain, but also in Europe. By the early twentieth century, this firm was well known as a shipbuilding company. In 1908, His Majesty's Navy approached its longtime partner with an unusual order - the Admiralty needed an airship. Thus, the Vickers company moved from the sea to the air. In the next few years, the company's factories produced French airplanes under license, and in 1913 their own development was received - the F.B.I. At the same time, Brookland was opened summer school Vickers. By 1918, the number of Vickers military airplanes had reached 4,500.

Vickers Vimi 4

At the end of the war, the development of a twin-engine bomber began in Great Britain, designed to bomb German fortifications at the front and factories in the rear. The aircraft (heavy by the standards of those years), developed by engineer R.K. Pierson and built by Vickers, was named Vickers Vimy IV. A crew of two was required to fly the aircraft. The aircraft is 13 meters (43 feet) long and has a 21 meters (69 feet) wingspan. The power plant is two Rolls Royce Eagle 12-cylinder engines with 350 horsepower each. Like all airplanes of those years, Vickers Vimi was made of wood, and there were also three-meter propellers. Maximum speed - 160 km / h, cruising speed - 145 km / h. The maximum flight altitude is 2100 m. At Vickers, it was decided that this aircraft was the best suited for flight.
The aircraft was built at the Weybridge plant in Surrey (Weybridge, Surrey). The cost of a serial copy was 3 thousand pounds. He did not have time to take part in the First World War, and was never used for its intended purpose. For transatlantic flight the plane was slightly modified. Firstly, all military equipment was removed from it, and secondly, additional fuel tanks were installed. In order to make both pilots feel a little more comfortable during a long flight, the cockpit was slightly expanded. The pilots sat side by side on a narrow wooden bench on which a thin mat was laid.

Finally, on June 14, the long-awaited improvement came, and at 16.12 GMT, Vickers Vimy 4 started from a pasture near St. John's on about. Newfoundland. The fuel capacity was 4000 liters (1050 gallons), which gave a theoretical flight capacity of 2500 miles (4000 km). Fully equipped, the aircraft weighed 6,000 kilograms (13,300 pounds).

Takeoff from Newfoundland

There were enough problems in flight, danger forced landing(which in their situation meant almost one hundred percent death) did not leave the pilots during the entire flight. Radio communication failed immediately after takeoff, engines periodically malfunctioned. The fog that enveloped the plane prevented the pilots from seeing anything for most of the flight. At some point, the plane stopped obeying the controls and, spinning randomly, began to fall. Falling out of the fog, the pilots saw that the ocean surface was already very close. Fortunately, at that moment, Alcock managed to regain control of the controls, and the plane began to slowly gain altitude. Orientation in the fog was almost impossible, and throughout the entire journey, Brown had a very rough idea of ​​their location. An undoubted success was a brief clarification, during which Brown was able to determine the stars.

Landing in Ireland

The next morning - June 15, 1919 at 8.25 am - Alcock and Brown crossed the coast of Ireland. The fog stretched to the very ground, but the pilots managed to find a suitable clearing and land. The landing was quite hard, the plane was damaged, but the pilots remained safe and sound. Behind it was 15 hours 57 minutes of flight and a path of 3000 kilometers. The landing site turned out to be near the Clifden Wireless Station, from where Alcock sent word of the successful completion of the first transatlantic flight.

Brown and Alcock were honored as national heroes. The Daily Mail hosted an incredible gala celebration at the Savoy Restaurant, with Oeufs Poches Alcock and Poulet de Printemps a la Vickers Vimy specially designed for the occasion. The pilots and the Vickers company received a special prize of 10 thousand pounds. The aircraft was taken to the London Science Museum, where it is on display to this day.

In addition to a prize from Daly Mail, participants received 2,000 guineas from Ardath Tobacco and 1,000 pounds from Lawrence R. Phillips. Both Alcock and Brown were knighted. Much later, in 1954, a monument was erected at Heathrow airport in honor of their flight. A commemorative sign was also erected at the landing site.

John Alcock and Arthur Brown

John Alcock died on December 18, 1919, when he was flying on Vickers Viking to the Paris Air Show - in Normandy, his plane got into fog and crashed into a forest. Brown continued with the firm and lived until October 4, 1948, but never flew again.

In 30-40 years. Vickers has been a leading company in the British aviation industry. Suffice it to say that bombers such as Wellington and Lancaster and fighters such as Spitfire were developed by this firm. And the production of military aircraft Vickers in World War II was already in the tens of thousands of units.

The historic flight of the British fell into the shadows after Charles Lindbergh made his solo flight in 1927 on the Spirit of St. Louis Lindbergh was the first to fly from mainland to mainland, which caused immeasurably more excitement among the public. Well, it should be noted that with PR he was much better.
The flight of Alcock and Brown ushered in the golden age of propeller driven aircraft, when the romantics' desire for adventure and the general public's interest in their achievements was successfully combined with the desire of the air force to create and demonstrate aircraft with ever greater speeds, carrying capacity and range.

Sources used.

NON-LANDING FLIGHT THROUGH THE ATLANTIC

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 print publication announced a reward of £ 10,000 for a flight across the Atlantic Ocean. The Daily Mail prophesied glory to the aircrew or 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 airplanes were just beginning to master the sky, and their structural elements were often destroyed even when they tried to get off the ground.

Attempts to conquer the Atlantic sky

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

Likewise, on takeoff, another plane broke the nose ("Handley Page").

The attempt by the crew of the Sopwith Atlantic was almost successful - they lacked the strength to cover the last 850 miles to the coast.

The first pilots who made a non-stop flight across the Atlantic (they did not fly alone at that time) were the British crew of the Vickers Vimi winged aircraft. The pilot, John Alcock, and the navigator, Arthur Whitten Brown, received the well-deserved cash prize in 1919.
Much more famous is another pilot, namely the one who was the first to make a non-stop flight across the Atlantic alone. But this flight took place already in 1927.

Charles Lindbergh's flight

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

Charles Lindbergh was 25 years old and served as a pilot for an air mail company. Lindbergh decided that the 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), named after St. Lewis, was fully loaded, with all 1,700 liters of fuel, and barely took off on May 19, 1927. They say that during the climb the telegraph wires were cut, so low above the ground this flight began.


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

However, luck was with the brave pilot, and after 28 hours, Charles Lindbergh's plane was near Valentine Island, which is located near Ireland. It's 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 of his compatriots awaited his return to New York. We can compare this event with the meeting of the first cosmonauts by our fellow countrymen.

There was no end to the rave reviews of contemporaries: someone admired the courage and courage of the first lone pilot who made a non-stop flight across the Atlantic; someone has carefully analyzed the modernization of an aircraft made for Lindbergh.

Lindbergh's innovation was that he preferred a single-engine aircraft, although multi-engine aircraft were considered safer. He also demanded an increase in wingspan and 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, the massive leather seat was replaced by a wicker one, special light boots were made to order, and even the map lost its "unnecessary" part.

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

FIRST ATLANTIC FLIGHT PERFORMED BY A PLANE CREW

The first flight across the Atlantic Ocean was made by a brave British crew. The first non-stop flight across the Atlantic on 14 June 1919 was made by the crew of the Vickers Vimi 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 started talking about the American pilot Charles Lindbergh, the very one who first made a non-stop flight across the Atlantic alone. People loved Lindbergh's youth and courage. In 1927, the public was already able to appreciate such a flight. Nevertheless, 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, I had to look for a suitable place for take-off for a long time. The choice of the site was approached carefully - after the accident of other Britons (the crew of the Martinsayd Raymore), it was clear what the risk was when lifting a bomber overloaded with fuel into the sky.

When an airfield 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 feared that others might outrun them.

Once, on the first fine day, a military plane flew right over them towards the ocean. John and Arthur only later learned that it was a test flight. And at first it seemed to them that they were having 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 because of the squall wind. Added excitement and came from England a telegram with accusations of indecision.

Finally, on June 13, a favorable weather situation was established. At the command of Captain Alcock, refueling began. First, the fuel was filtered through a sieve, and then it was pumped using a hand pump into aircraft tanks. It was a tedious and time-consuming process. Towards noon, a shock absorber break was discovered on one of the chassis. It could not withstand such a heavy load, and the plane began to roll on its side.

To eliminate the defect, it was necessary to raise the plane, and for this it was necessary to drain all the previously filled fuel. People worked the rest of the day until midnight, then poured fuel into the tanks again, working without interruption with the headlights on and lighting the site with paraffin lamps.

The weather report, received on the morning of June 14, promised a strong westerly wind, which will 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 priority to someone else who would fly across the Atlantic Ocean earlier than 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 release the wings of the plane. The bomber was slowly rolling down the runway, not picking up sufficient speed and not taking off the ground. The long-awaited start came at the end of the runway, when the plane with great difficulty climbed over the fence and trees, and then disappeared from view over the hills.

All observers decided that an accident had occurred and ran in the direction of the alleged plane crash. People were worried, and most of all the doctor shouted, 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 went through excruciatingly tense moments, it seemed that the car would crash down, so hard it was gaining altitude. But now St. John's was left behind. The ships honked off the departing plane, which with a roar overcame the 400-meter mark and went away from the coastline. The navigator headed for Ireland.

Incredibly challenging flight

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


At about seven o'clock, the pilot was driving the bomber blindly. Of course, they had to fly in dense clouds before, but not for such a long time, moreover, problems began with the right engine. At first, frequent claps were heard, the sounds of which resembled machine-gun bursts, and then the unit "spat out" some part of its structure. The exhaust pipe quickly became hot: at first it turned red, then turned white and was ripped off by a stream of air. The exhaust flame of a running engine reached the wire rope, which was heated, 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 orient themselves by the starry sky, so Brown wrote a note to Captain Alcock about the need to see the stars. The pilot took 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 "Vickers Vimi" retired from the shores of Newfoundland for almost one and a half thousand kilometers. The first half of the journey was completed. It turned out that their ground speed was slightly higher than the calculated one. It was decided to descend and go further 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 tossing their car, a thunderstorm front appeared in the plane's path. In conditions of poor visibility, orientation was lost, the speed of the aircraft dropped sharply. The bomber went into a tailspin. Flashes of lightning made it difficult for the pilot to determine the position of the car in the stormy space and to align the plane. Alcock tried to put the rudders in a neutral position - nothing worked. The only thing he could see was the readings of the altimeter, which showed an ever-shorter 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 ocean raging beneath them, and at the same moment the low sky around the plane cleared. They flew upwards on wheels, incredibly close to the surface of the ocean, huge shafts rolled over their heads. There were only a split second left to make decisions.

In this critical situation, the pilot talent of Captain John Alcock passed the most stringent test. An experienced pilot instantly regained spatial orientation and last seconds leveled the plane, 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.

Heavy rain continued to fall, and as we climbed it began to snow. The weight of the aircraft grew rapidly - dangerous icing began, which caused interruptions in the operation of the starboard engine. Its carburetor was clogged with snow, and the aircraft began to lose altitude due to a lack of power when one engine was running. The situation was becoming critical.

Alcock looked back at his navigator, but he was not there. It turned out that Brown went along the wing to the failed engine. He clung to the racks with all his might and cleaned the ice with a knife. In their position, this was the only saving decision. 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.

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

However, the pilots felt that they were being greeted, 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 insignificant, and they themselves did not suffer (except for Brown's scratched nose).

Their legendary flight lasted 16 hours and 28 minutes. Captain John Alcock and Lieutenant Arthur Whitten Brown were the first to conquer the Atlantic skies, covering 3,040 kilometers. The average speed of the Vickers Vimi was about 190 km / h. Interestingly, after landing, the supply of fuel in the tanks remained quite impressive, they could have reached the English coast.

In the center of Rio de Janeiro, on the waterfront near the ultra-modern Museum of Tomorrow, a model of the world's first 14-bis airplane or "Oiseau de proie" (in French "bird of prey") is installed.
Today Brazil is one of the world's leading aircraft manufacturers. Brazilian Embraer (E-Jet) leads the world in the medium-haul (regional) aircraft market.
Thanks to the dominance of the American media in the world, the belief was formed about the priority of the Wright brothers, who made the first flight in an airplane. In Brazil and France, indisputable primacy is given to the native of Brazil, the Knight of the Legion of Honor, aeronaut, pilot and inventor Albert Santos-Dumont(1873 - 1932), who lived in France for some time. 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, which, unlike the Wright brothers, did not use catapults. strong wind, launch rails and other external fixtures. The inventor was against the use of 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 average speed 190 km per hour. The effect of a jet air current in the Northern Hemisphere from west to east was used. V reverse direction it would take more time, and there were no planes with the corresponding resource then. First nonstop 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, a flight across the Atlantic to South America is an everyday matter and requires only patience (up to a 14-hour flight from Paris to Santiago). I first saw the monument to the first plane (seaplane) and the crew that flew from Europe to South America many years ago in Lisbon.

On the British-made Fairey 17 seaplane, Portuguese pilots Gago Coutinho and Sakadura Cabral made the first dramatic flight from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro, dedicated to the centenary of Brazil's independence. Aircraft of this type were produced from 1918 to 1941, and took an active part in the Second World War.

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 late in the evening reached Canary Islands(Las Palmas) for refueling. On April 5, another rush was made to the Cape Verde Islands (São Vicente), where an engine repair was required. On April 17, the pilots continued their way to the rocky uninhabited island Sao Paulo (Saint Peter and Paul). Here, during a splashdown in a stormy sea, the airplane lost one of the floats and sank. The aviators were rescued by the Portuguese cruiser República, which supported the flight. The cruiser delivered the pilots to the port of the Brazilian island of Fernando de Noronha.

But the epic did not end there. The enthusiastic Brazilians and Portuguese, watching the flight, forced the government in Lisbon to send another seaplane to the pilots.

The new plane was delivered to the island and on May 11 the pilots took off ... in the opposite direction 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 successfully sank again, and the pilots were picked up by a British cargo steamer and brought back to Fernanda 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 greeted the aviators as heroes; aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont made a welcoming speech at a rally on the embankment of many thousands. The journey lasted 79 days, of which the actual flight time was 62 hours and 26 minutes. The aviators covered a distance of 8383 kilometers (5209 miles) by air.

Flight map

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

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

On May 27, 1973, regular flights began to Peru and Chile on the route Moscow - Rabat - Havana - Lima (Peru) - Santiago (Chile). At that time, it was the longest passenger airline in the world (18,000 km), travel time - 23 hours. Today they fly from Moscow to South America 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. Airbus airliner A330-203 Air France operated flight AF447 en route Rio de Janeiro - Paris, but after 3 hours and 45 minutes after takeoff, it crashed into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and completely collapsed. All 228 people on board were killed (12 crew members and 216 passengers). It is the largest disaster in Air France history and the largest disaster passenger aircraft from 2001 until the Boeing 777 disaster in the Donetsk region (July 17, 2014, 298 dead).

The reasons for the disaster are the freezing of the Pitot tubes, the subsequent shutdown of the autopilot and the uncoordinated actions of the crew, which led to the stall of the aircraft, from which the crew could not. Inconsistency of actions, poor preparation and panic of the crew (co-pilot and trainee who were in the cockpit during the commander's rest). The summoned 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 design flaws 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 preparedness for emergency situations.

Finally went to the hotel. To be honest, last time the flight seemed much easier to me. Apparently because we were traveling in a group and drank all the whiskey on board that was.

I was going all weekend, but still forgot the usb cable for charging the phone. I left Yekaterinburg, who accompanied me in rainy and chilly weather - to the money;)

I wrote yesterday at the Yekaterinburg airport, but the Internet in my landing zone turned out to be so slow that I managed to send it only from Moscow. As an intelligent person, he passed the business registration and flew. 2 hour flight.

The seats next to me were free, so I could not communicate with anyone. I tried the kosher menu, which I found out about on a tip from one of my colleagues on Facebook. Unlike a standard ham sandwich, it includes several types of fish, chicken, humis, jam, fruit drink, chocolate and also a tomato piece like leche (I don’t remember what it’s called). According to the stewardess, this is the most expensive menu on board and enviably differs from the classic one. Moreover, you can get it absolutely free by specifying the kosher menu when booking a ticket.

There was customs control in Moscow, where a man in uniform with an iron face stamped my passport. About an hour of waiting and iron faces of girls in uniform, checking documents. For some reason, it is in the order of things to communicate with people as with scum.

I posted a post over the slow internet and also contacted Jay, a new acquaintance of mine from San Francisco, whom I met through couchsurfing. He asks if I need to be kicked from the airport and asks to call. My old htc does not want to work in any way and does not even catch the connection, so it's problematic to call - I am writing a letter that I have already booked a hotel. By the way, I am just fascinated by booking.com. I didn’t use it tightly before, but just saw it from the side. So there are so many interesting things like allergies and notifications that are really convenient and I am sure that they really bring them a lot of traffic. Take their secrets straight and implement!

We flew across the Atlantic. I love these intercontinental planes because they are big (we had an airbus-330), they have small monitors in the back of the seats, with which you can watch movies and follow the route. They serve free alcohol in the form of red and white wine, and you can also buy spirits like whiskey, which are very cheap. Good flight attendants and again a kosher menu. The composition is the same, so it starts to feel nauseous from it.

This time, the owner of a small packaging production plant turned out to be in the neighbors, who is flying to Boston on vacation. We had a good conversation. He is 52 years old and he is for an active lifestyle. At the end of the flight, he noticed that he was reading a large A4 notebook, in which were written English words which he seems to be teaching. I advised Lingualeo - promised to have a look;). By the way, I have great respect for people who, regardless of their age, teach new language, open new companies, move - live life to the fullest!

The flight across the Atlantic Ocean from Moscow to New York took 9:30 hours, taking into account taxiing all 10. If possible, take a seat at the exit to walk around the cabin from time to time. For dinner I refused the kosher menu and took the usual one - there really is less, but more familiar.

Tough border in New York, a lot of people. Here they are, active black American employees who, even directing the crowd into a separate lane, do it with their whole body, waving their arms. I cannot imagine such emotionality from a Russian person - we have other advantages.

I met Dmitry, who is also flying to San Francisco. He lives in Kharkov and with his team is working on a very large and famous project... It seems only the two of us flew further to San Francisco, although I could have missed someone.

Very long distances for the Delta landing on which we will fly to San Francisco. We have gate 37 and while we got to it, it seemed to me that we passed 10 Koltsovo. JFK what can you say. By the way, pay attention to the window in the transfer between New York and the Delta, because there are a lot of people and there is a possibility of not being in time. We had a window at 3 o'clock, but the plane landed later and while we were going through all the registrations, there was literally half an hour of free time. To board the Delta, you need to walk down the street and take the internal train from terminal 1 to 4. There is no free internet at all, but wifi from Skype works.

In the Delta, as on other planes, I asked them to hang my suit in their wardrobe. All flight attendants easily come to your aid - do not drag bulky things with you in any case. My wife, in general, I don't know how she guessed before, is going to take the child on a scooter;) You can't drag him with you to the salon :)

To my left is a decent-sized girl, to my right is a young man. Both macbook air - took out my pro, so as not to seem like a sucker. One watches movies, the other checks email and reads Facebook. By the way, the girl put on some kind of film on the monitor. In this case, the image either becomes three-dimensional, or something else - you need to study.

On Delta planes, food is served only for a fee and additionally. You can also buy alcohol. My neighbor drank, it seems, a bottle of whiskey, and my neighbor mastered a whole large bottle of wine. By this time, I was already so tired that I simply didn’t have the strength to talk and get to know anyone. It seemed to me that this would be the most difficult flight, since it lasts as much as 6 hours, but in fact it turned out to be the easiest, because I slept through the entire flight. Didn't even use wi-fi on the plane.

Caught a taxi for $ 50. I don’t know how to get cheaper from the airport to downtown without a phone with the Internet — share if you know how. I arrived at the hotel at about one in the morning. By the way, I specially rented a hotel for $ 100 next to the Apple Store, because without a phone you can't call or drive a car without a navigator, and renting a navigator for $ 10 a day is a toad crush. The Korean taxi driver remembered Russian vodka, which he associates most with Russians.

At 7 in the morning, Jay wants to pick me up, who promised to give me a car and give me shelter in San Francisco, while I sort out all the nuances with the house and the phone. Ivan Tsybaev tomorrow invites to see housing in his cool complex in San Jose, tomorrow I will try to go there.

Here is such a busy and difficult day. I took a shower at the hotel with pleasure and experienced pleasure. Ideally, you probably need to stop in each transplant city for 1-2 days, so as not to get so tired. See the same New York, although the weather there is now disgusting - this is not California, in which there are 340 sunny days a year;)

It is now 3 am here and 3 pm in Moscow. I slept enough, so I’ll probably work now;) While another colleague who works and lives here was flying, he sent an offer to talk - great! Another person asked me for a code for Lingualeo, which I am free for diligent students - the codes are starting to run out, I need to come up with something.

In total, taking into account all the expectations, the pellet took me 26 hours.

See you in the next episode :)

P.S. Smart VK thought that I was logging in from a strange place and requires SMS confirmation from a phone that remained in Russia. So I'll publish a post there tomorrow