Shadow is cast on the ground by camera airplane as it flies slowly, above U.S. Army Air Service biplanes demonstrating high speed low altitude tactical bombing. Bombs can be seen exploding behind the attacking airplanes. (These are possibly Curtis A-3 Falcon airplanes of the 3rd Attack Group which pioneered such tactics in the Air Service.)
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.
Animated map shows the course taken by Douglas World Cruiser aircraft of the U.S. Army Air Service in their round-the-world flight in 1924. It also highlights mishaps, such as the location of Major Fredrick F Martin's crash in mountains off Alaska and where Lt. Wade was forced down and wrecked near Iceland. Animation shows route from England to Newfoundland to Greenland to Labrador to east coat of United states and aerial route across states. The expedition was completed by 2 of the 5 original Douglas World Cruiser aircraft, namely: the "Chicago," crewed by Lt. Lowell Smith and Lt. Leslie Arnold; and the "New Orleans," crewed by Lt. Erik Nelson and Lt. Jack Harding. They are seen being congratulated by their Expedition Commander, Major Frederick F. Martin at the completion of the mission, on September 28, 1924, in Seattle, Washington.
U.S. Army pilot Lieutenant Cyrus Bettis gets out of his Curtiss R3C-1 racer airplane after winning the Pulitzer Trophy Race and setting a new world speed record of 249.3 miles per hour in the International Air Races at Mitchel Field, New York. He is congratulated by U.S. Army Air Service Major T. G. Lanphier.
A close up of U.S. Army Air Service Lieutenant James Doolittle, winner of the Schneider Cup float plane race in Bay Shore Park, Baltimore, Maryland, clocking an average speed of 232 miles per hour. He is seen standing on one float of his winning Curtiss R3C-2 racer , next to a small boat containing several persons.
U.S. Lieutenant James Doolittle creates a world record in Cleveland, Ohio. Spectators seated in the stands. Lt. James Doolittle in flight and sets a new record of 293 mph in the trials of the Thompson contest at the National Air Races. Lt. Doolittle in front of his plane. A parachutist jumps from the plane. The chute opens and in flight. The parachutist lands safely. A delayed parachute jump. Johnnie Miller of Poughkeepsie performs loops in an autogiro (blend of airplane and early helicopter).
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