Facts
Aviation-Milestones
First Nonstop Transatlantic Flight
16
hours
John Alcock and Arthur Brown completed the first nonstop transatlantic flight on June 15, 1919, flying from Newfoundland to Ireland in 16 hours.
Explanation
Flying a modified Vickers Vimy bomber, Alcock and Brown crossed 3,040 km of open Atlantic in dangerous conditions including fog, snow, and engine icing. They landed in a bog near Clifden, Ireland. Charles Lindbergh's more famous solo crossing came eight years later in 1927. Alcock and Brown won a 10,000 pound prize offered by the Daily Mail newspaper.
Source: Royal Air Force Museum