by R. Ray Ortensie, Deputy DirectorFirst released: 15 April 2020
On 6 April 1924, eight Airmen departed in their Douglas World Cruisers, specially built by the Douglas Company in California and tested at McCook Field, Dayton, Ohio, from Lake Washington in Seattle, Washington heading westward for Asia via Alaska for one of the most sensational aviation events of the 1920s.
This around-the-world flight was the first globe-circling flight in aviation history and required logistical support pre-positions at locations along the route. Of the original eight Airmen, two would not finish the first leg and two of the original aircraft would not finish the trip.
These photographs for Around the World Flight are laid out in roughly in chronological order to walk readers through the Airmen’s history-setting globe-circling flight. Awarded the 1924 Mackay Trophy for the flight, the Airmen were decorated with the Distinguished Service Medal in 1925.
See file below for the photographic essay.