First Solo Flight Around the World
The First Solo Flight Around the World is a significant milestone in aviation history, achieved by American aviator Wiley Post in 1933. This groundbreaking feat marked him as the first individual to fly solo around the globe, a remarkable challenge at a time when aviation technology was still developing. Born in Texas, Post had a varied life, which included overcoming personal hardships and developing a deep passion for flying following an eye injury.
He had previously flown around the world in 1931 with navigator Harold Gatty, but in 1933, he embarked on a more daunting solo journey. Departing from New York City on July 15, he piloted his Lockheed Vega aircraft, named the Winnie Mae, across multiple stops for fuel and repairs before completing his trip on July 22. This adventure not only tested his piloting and navigation skills but also his physical endurance. Tragically, Post's life was cut short in a plane crash in 1935, which also claimed the life of comedian Will Rogers, marking a poignant end to the story of a pioneering aviator.
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First Solo Flight Around the World
First Solo Flight Around the World
The United States established many milestones in the field of aviation during the 20th century, beginning with the Wright brothers' first heavier-than-air flight on December 17, 1903, and including the first Moon landing on July 20, 1969. Another significant pioneering flight was made by the American Wiley Post, who became the first person to fly solo around the world on July 22, 1933.
Post was born on November 22, 1898, near Grand Saline, Texas. He had an adventurous youth, even serving prison time for stealing an automobile, and worked a variety of jobs. Post had been fascinated with aircraft ever since he was a child, so when he received a cash settlement as compensation for an eye injury he suffered while working in an oil field, he used the money to buy his first plane. He became an experienced aviator and flew around the world in 1931 with another man, his navigator, Harold Charles Gatty.
In 1933 Post decided to attempt to become the first person to fly around the world alone—a dangerous proposition at that time. Not only did he face the challenge of being both pilot and navigator, but he also had to worry about possessing the sheer physical stamina required for such a flight. He departed on July 15, 1933, leaving New York City aboard a Lockheed Vega aircraft named the Winnie Mae and traveled eastward. Post returned on July 22 of that year after having made a number of stops at airports along the way for fuel and various repairs. He died a few years later on August 15, 1935, in a plane crash in Alaska, which also killed his passenger, the comedian Will Rogers.