Film notes 35th anniversary of Wright Brothers' first flight and reviews history of transportation and advances in transportation brought about by railroad and aircraft. An animated map of the United states before the advent of mechanized transport methods. It illustrates the difficult and long overland journey to travel from the East Coast to the West Coast. Travel by horse and wagon over the Santa Fe Trail in 1849 is recreated in a brief film clip. Next, a locomotive is shown pulling a passenger train at high speed along a railroad at the base of a mountain. Animated map charts fairly direct path from Coast to Coast, taking only 4 days by railroad. Next a nearly straight course is traced across the map illustrating the path of an airplane taking only seven and a half hours for the journey. Change of scene shows aerial view of Howard Hughes' Lockheed 14 Super Electra Special, Model 14-N2 ( NX18973), christened "New York World's Fair 1939," in flight over New York harbor with the skyline of Manhattan, New York City in the background. Camera follows the plane as it passes over lower Manhattan. The Empire State building is seen prominently with other skyscrapers below the aircraft. This was filmed, on July 14, 1938, as Hughes and his crew were returning from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Floyd Bennett Field, on Long Island, at the conclusion of their around-the-world flight (circling the Northern Hemisphere) from July 10 - July 14, 1938.
Animated map shows sailing vessel leaving Coast of United States heading to the British Isles. Next, the Cunard-White Star ocean liner, S.S. Aquitania, is shown underway in the Atlantic, with note that the ship crossing only takes four days. Animated map shows America and Europe "moving closer together" as a result. Noting that an airplane flew from New York to Paris in 16 hours and 38 minutes, Howard Hughes' Lockheed 14 Super Electra Special aircraft, heavily loaded with fuel, is seen making a difficult takeoff from the short (3500 foot) runway at Floyd Bennett Field, Long Island, on July 10th, 1938, headed to Paris, France on first leg of its round-the-world flight. Glimpse of the aircraft overhead as it sets course for Newfoundland on a Great Circle route to Paris.
Fliers in the Dole Derby air race take off for Hawaii. The "City of Oakland," a Travel Air 5000 aircraft is seen being readied for flight. Pilot Ernie Smith and navigator Emory Bronte pose at the front of the aircraft, inspecting the engine and propeller. Closeup of the two. Next, a mechanic hand-cranks the engine to start it. Pilot, Smith climbs into the cockpit and closes its door. On July 14th, the aircraft is seen on takeoff roll toward and past the camera, which continues to track it through the takeoff. (The aircraft ran out of fuel and crash landed on the island of Molokai, in Hawaii on July 15th. Smith and Bronte were flown by Army aircraft to Wheeler field, the same day, where they were feted as the first civilians to fly across the Pacific.)
Mechanics perform pre-departure maintenance on a Ford trimotor airplane at a hangar in Detroit, Michigan. Later, pilots Floyd Bennett and Bert Balchen, and others, board and take off. Aerial view from above, of the airplane flying en route to Lac Ste. Agnes (Lake St. Agnes) Quebec, Canada, to bring supplies needed to repair the Junkers aircraft "Bremen" that had crash-landed on Greenly Island after a transatlantic flight.
Canadian Bush pilot, Duke Schiller (in coat and tie) and cameraman Ray "Swede" Fernstrom, relaxing after return from Greenly Island in Quebec, Canada, where they had flown to assist the crew of the Junkers airplane "Bremen" that force-landed after completing a transatlantic flight. They relax with a drink. Fernstrom smokes a cigarette.
Japanese Nakajima airplanes take off from an airfield on Japanese-held island in Pacific. Soldiers and people stand on the airfield. People watch the planes take off. Soldiers wave flags. Japanese officer waves hat on the platform. People in the background. Civilians wave at departing Japanese planes. (World War II period).
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