RIGHT FLIGHT

This year marks the 100th anniversary of transatlantic flight. Can you imagine? Only 15 years after the Wright Brothers fly for the very first time, Jack Alcock and Teddy Brown strap themselves into a glorified kite and hurtle themselves from the shores of Newfoundland. 16 hours later they landed in Clifden, Ireland and so immortalized their names in aviation history.

Who does that?

Seriously, who does that?

 

“… Jack and Teddy…”

 

In an era when we expend so much judgement on the actions of our forefathers, how do you even begin to contemplate the mindset required to complete this mission.

Its no point trying to chalk it up to lunacy. This wasn’t a solo attempt by some madman. Jack actually talked Teddy Brown into joining him, and from what we can gather, it didn’t take all that much convincing.

Furthermore, they weren’t the only team trying to complete this mission. There were at least four other planes lined up on the shores of Newfoundland in June of 1919, rushing their preparations in a bid to get ahead of the “competition”. One plane actually got off earlier in the month, but they crashed somewhere in the mid Atlantic.

Apparently this had little affect on any of those still waiting their turn.

 

“… had no apparent effect…”

 

Perhaps they were men who’d missed out on the glories of the WW1 flying ace and were wanton for any type of bravado. But these were all seasoned pilots who had nothing to prove on that front.

Is it possible they were so bloody British that they simply had to yield their fate for the sake of “getting things done!”

Perhaps, though the teams were comprised of many different nationalities.

Of course, we’ve long been aware of the 10,000lb reward the Anglo Newfoundland Development Company posted in 1913; promised to anyone spanning the ocean divide in a nonstop, unassisted flight. But that seems such a paltry sum, hardly worth risking your life over, is it?

 

 

“… who does that?”

 

Thankfully, this anniversary year caused many to more thoroughly investigate the scenario. Something we were fortunate to share when we attended a reading from Tony Curtis new book ‘This Flight Tonight’. Tony is a fascinating orator whose writing brilliance offers many poetic insights on a variety of subjects – including his rendition of a conversation between Jack Alcock and Teddy Brown’s Mother after she’d first heard of their planned escapade.

“Mrs. Brown,,, for the last five years, Teddy and I have been flying bombing raids throughout all of Europe for only 6p a day. Tomorrow we just have to fly 900 miles further and they’ll give us a million dollars! And Mrs. Brown,,,, this time there’ll be no one shooting at us!”

“Nothing to it!” takes on a whole new meaning when you’re dealing with exemplary men in extraordinary times.

Something to keep in mind when we discuss any historical event – passing judgement on their behaviour using our current moral platitudes is simply absurd.