Alcock and Brown

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A bit of trivia for you :- 100 years ago , must have been around this time today , John Alcock & Arthur Brown took off to make the first transatlantic flight , landing in Ireland 16 hours later , at approx 08:25 on 15th June 1919 .
 
Flying an RAF surplus Vickers Vimy.

Apropos the title, I recall an ancient and very non-PC joke punning on the names Alcock and Brown; the punchline was the name of a coloured American entertainer, a member of the Rat Pack. God, I feel so old sometimes...
 
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And just 14 years later two young Lithuanian pilots took off from New York in a small plane to fly directly to Lithuania. Their aim was to put their small country on the map after its release from the Russian Empire. Sadly, although they made it across the Atlantic to mainland Europe they crashed in what is now Poland just three hours short of their destination in Kaunas. They covered an astonishing 6400 kms in a small single engine highwing monoplane, a Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker which they bought for $3000. Darius and Girenas are regarded as national heroes in LT with streets named after them in all major cities.

Brave people these early aviators.
 
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Remind me, where is Lithuania?
 

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