1919- Seaplanes Cross the Atlantic

On May 8, 1919, three navy planes left New York from Rockaway Air Station. The aircraft stopped at Chatham Naval Air Station in Massachusetts and then on to Halifax Nova Scotia. They then flew to Trepssesy New Foundland. On May 16, the three planes departed on the longest stretch of the flight to the Azores. Along the way, 22 naval ships acted as guides for the aircraft. The aircraft arrived in the town of Horta on Faial Island in the Azores. After taking off from the Azores, the planes encountered bad weather and were forced to land in the open sea. Two of the three aircraft was damaged. The last plane NC-4 took off on May 20 but encountered mechanical problems and were forced to land. It took off again on May 27 and arrived in Lisbon after a flight of nine hours and 43 minutes. It took ten days and 22 hours, but the first transatlantic flight had been completed.