Salamanca New York Pilot Rodgers Early Transatlantic Flight Real Photo Postcard
Calbraith Perry Rodgers undertook the inaugural transcontinental flight across the United States in 1911, departing from Sheepshead Bay, New York, on September 17, with the ultimate goal of reaching California. Piloting a custom-built Wright EX biplane, famously known as the "Vin Fiz Flyer," Rodgers aimed to win the $50,000 Hearst prize for completing the journey within 30 days, demonstrating the nascent capabilities of aerial travel.
Despite numerous crashes and repairs that extended his journey beyond the prize's deadline, Rodgers successfully completed the flight, arriving in Pasadena, California, on November 5, 1911, and later reaching the Pacific Ocean at Long Beach on December 10. This image captures Rodgers in Salamanca, New York, one of the many stops along his arduous 49-day odyssey, reflecting the significant public fascination and the immense challenges inherent in early long-distance aviation.
Despite numerous crashes and repairs that extended his journey beyond the prize's deadline, Rodgers successfully completed the flight, arriving in Pasadena, California, on November 5, 1911, and later reaching the Pacific Ocean at Long Beach on December 10. This image captures Rodgers in Salamanca, New York, one of the many stops along his arduous 49-day odyssey, reflecting the significant public fascination and the immense challenges inherent in early long-distance aviation.
