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NetLetter subscriber, Laszlo Bastyovanszky, drew our attention to this article after asking himself this question - One keeps learning something new, even at our age. If asked “who flew the Atlantic first”, I would have always answered “Lindbergh.” Well it seems I have been living under this illusion for many years. Here’s what Laszlo found - The Story Of The Cuatro Vientos: Spain's Forgotten Aviation Feat. During the 15th and 16th centuries, Christopher Columbus made five trips to America. Four hundred years later, the Italian mariner's voyages were replicated by air. In 1933, Captain Mariano Barberán and Lieutenant Joaquín Collar managed to do it onboard a plane, without stops, a milestone in world aviation history. The idea to replicate the historic feat accomplished by Columbus was cooked up in 1926 when the Spanish seaplane, 'Plus Ultra', managed for the first time to unite the old and the new continent by air. The aircraft took off from Palos de la Frontera on January 22, 1926, and arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on February 10, 1926. The Plus Ultra became a symbol of aviation, and King Alfonso XIII donated it to the Argentinian Navy, serving as a mail plane until it was withdrawn from service. Editor's Note by Ken Pickford: Alcock and Brown flew the Atlantic nonstop from Newfoundland to Ireland in 1919, 8 years before Lindbergh and 7 years before the Spaniards. Lindbergh was the first to do it solo. More details available at: www.history.com/news/first-transatlantic-flight-nonstop-alcock-brown |
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The Spirit of St. Louis overshadowed the Spanish achievement. While a fantastic feat of aviation, its notoriety was short-lived when the following year, American aviator Charles Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic from New York to Paris in just 33 hours. The flight of the Spirit of St. Louis overshadowed what had been achieved by the Spanish Navy and had them desperate to set a new record. Source: SimpleFlying.com |
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Latest from the Larry Milberry blog - If you are interested in Larry Milberry's considerable catalogue of work, CANAV Books has just released a list of titles available for Spring/Summer 2022.
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Additionally, you can view Larry's catalogue at: canavbooks.com/collections/books-by-larry-milberry For more info, contact Larry directly at Visit canavbooks.wordpress.com/join to sign up for the CANAV newsletter and and more deals on aviation books. Below are a few sample titles included in the list. |
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