First attempt to cross Atlantic by plane

    They set out on their journey late in the afternoon in poor weather conditions. Upon take off, the pilots began the crossing of the Atlantic from St. John's, Newfoundland. As their plane took off, it dropped the undercarriage to lighten the aircraft. A section of the fuselage could be detached and used as a lifeboat in case of emergency.

They immediately encountered poor weather conditions. Five miles out, their engines were running hot. They still ran all night, and the engines were still running roughshod. In the morning, with red eyes, they looked at the temperature of the engines. They looked at the empty horizon and immediately scanned for a ship.

The lookout was in the crow’s nest aboard the Mary of Copenhagen as it steamed in the Atlantic. They had heard a droning, and as time passed, it became a loud growl, and the crew spotted them flying high above the ship. By then, the captain had been notified and had joined them. The plane circled the boat, and the intrepid pilots waved and shouted at them, hoping to get their attention. The plane then turned and followed the boat’s stern a mile off. The plane made a water landing and lost part of its boat, but it didn’t sink. The two pilots were picked up, and this ended the first attempted crossing of the Atlantic.

The two pilots were: Lt. Commander Kenneth Mackenzie Grieve of the British Royal Navy. Harry Hawker was a young Australian pilot. The two had both served in World War I with great honor. They were attempting the crossing for a ten-thousand-pound prize. The prize was offered by the Daily Mail, and Sopwith Aviation Company. The Sopwith was built special just for one purpose and that to be the first to cross the Atlantic.

Ric