Glimpses of airplanes and crews that made the Pan American Goodwill flight that covered 22,000 miles to 21 Central and South American nations, in 1926. Aerial view of hangars and runway at kelly Air Base, Texas, as one of the five Loening OA-1 Amphibious aircraft takes off from the runway on Dec. 21, 1926.The five aircraft seen in flight over a city, are: The New York, with crew: Maj. Herbert Dargue and Lt. Ennis Whitehead; The San Antonio with crew: Capt. Arthur McDaniel and Lt. Charles Robinson; The San Francisco with crew: Capt. Ira Eaker and Lt. Muir Fairchild; The Detroit, with crew: Capt. Clinton Woolsey and Lt. John Benton; and The St. Louis, with crew: Lt. Bernard Thompson and Lt. Leonard Weddington. President Coolidge presenting the pilots with with citations for the Distinguished Flying Cross at Bolling Field, Washington, D.C., on May 2, 1927, at the opening of the Pan American Air Commission Conference.
Subject is the 1926 Ford "National Air Tour for the Edsel B. Ford Reliability Trophy," which started at Ford Field, Dearborn, Michigan, on August 7, 1926. Film opens showing a parked biplane with tandem open cockpits. It has an unusual exhaust gathering container atop its engine and an exhaust pipe extending straight down below the fuselage. Camera shows the same aircraft from the rear, with hangar and terminal building in background. Another parked biplane displays the number "19." It is equipped with small interconnected wing flaps on its upper and lower wings. Next is seen a Woodson Model 2-A Biplane with number 14 on its fuselage and another biplane marked Number 11. Closeup of Henry Ford leaning out of a car, talking with a cinematographer, holding a camera, and reporters. A large group of persons involved in the events pose for a photograph. The camera pans across them as they pose in front of a hangar. Scene shifts to spectators crowding around a Ford-Stout 2-AT aircraft as it begins its takeoff roll. Camera follows the airplane as it continues and becomes airborne.
Aerial view of tribal representatives encamped in Algeria. Men of the tribes assemble around a large open space and listen to an Algerian leader speak. The French Resident Minister of Algeria, Robert Lacoste, together with French officials and officers, listens to the speaker. The tribesmen applaud. The microphone is brought to Robert Lacoste, who makes some remarks and receives applause. An elder tribal leader approaches Mr.Lacoste, who greets him and presents him with a double-barreled shotgun. Robert Lacoste walks around the assembly, greeting and shaking hands with many of the tribal leaders. Algerian colonial cavalry (Spahis) seen on horseback, in background. Robert Lacoste greets Algerian children.
Robert Lacoste, French Resident minister of Algeria, and French officers and officials are escorted on a tour of an Algerian glass bottle factory. Lacoste and escorts walk towards, and enter a factory building. They watch as the Algerian workers operate the machinery and equipment and process glass bottles. Mr. Lacoste speaks with some of the workers. He and his group of visitors look at a bottle produced in the plant.
Crowds of French colonials line sidewalks in Algeria, to cheer Jacques Soustelle, the Governor General as he moves along the streets in a motorcade with motorcycle escorts. Police try to control students who are shouting and milling about on sidewalk near a wall. View of a palace courtyard.
Brief scenes from the U.S. Army Air Service Pan American good will flight that covered 22,000 miles on a goodwill mission to 21 Central and South American nations, during 1926-1927. A view of the hangar area and flight line of Kelly Air Field in Texas, as one of the five Loening OA-1 Amphibious aircraft, on the mission, takes off from the runway on Dec. 21, 1926. Five of the aircraft in formation over a large city. U.S.President Calvin Coolidge presents the aircrews with citations for the Distinguished Flying Cross, at Bolling Field, Washington, D.C., on May 2, 1927.