September 17, 1911 - Calbraith Rodgers began the first successfully completed transcontinental flight across the United States

The plane Rodgers flew on his transcontinental flight

On September 17, 1911, pilot Calbraith Rodgers began the first transcontinental flight across the United States. He only took a 90-minute flying instruction class before he flew this plane.[i] When he flew the plane, he was only 32 years old. Cal Rodgers only started to learn how to fly an airplane in June of 1911 at Wright School at Simms Station, Dayton, Ohio. He was a great motorcycle and an automobile racer all before becoming a pilot. Rodgers became deaf in one ear after a childhood accident. Although he couldn’t hear well, he was still able to fly a plane. Rodgers didn’t live too long after his flight made history. Rodgers was only flying airplanes for eight years. In April of 1912, he took flight in Long Beach, Long Island, New York and he encountered a bird, which caused him to crash into the water. When he crashed into the water he broke his neck causing his death. Rodgers was only 33 years old when he passed away.[ii]

Rodgers took off from New York City to start his first flight across the United States on September 17, 1911. A newspaper editor named William Randolph Hearst offered Rodgers a $50,000 prize by finishing the trip in less than 30 days.[iii] As Rodger flies the plane, he snagged a tree and crashed to the ground. He crashed the plane over 15 times.[iv] Rodgers made multiple visits to various hospitals around the United States because he was injured from crashing the plane. He finally reached his destination in Pasadena, California.[v] When he arrived on the West coast, he had to repair his plane so many times so he was able continue his journey. Rodgers was very determined to finish his journey around the United States.

This event in history was very important because it was the first transcontinental flight. Rodgers hoped to win the $50,000. Because he crashed his plane so many times, he lost out on the prize. Even though he didn’t win the prize, he still persevered to make history. According to people Rodger’s trip from coast to coast is one of the most memorable airplane journeys ever taken in history. [vi]

- Tiffany C. and Kara R. G.




[i] "Sept. 17, 1911: First Transcontinental Flight Takes Weeks." Wired.com. 17 Sept. 2009. Conde Nast Digital. 10 Sept. 2013 <http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2009/09/0917transcontinental-flight/>.

[ii] "Sept. 17, 1911: First Transcontinental Flight Takes Weeks." Wired.com. 17 Sept. 2009. Conde Nast Digital. 10 Sept. 2013 <http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2009/09/0917transcontinental-flight/>.

[iii] "Sept. 17, 1911: First Transcontinental Flight Takes Weeks." Wired.com. 17 Sept. 2009. Conde Nast Digital. 10 Sept. 2013 <http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2009/09/0917transcontinental-flight/>.

[iv] "First Transcontinental Flight." First Transcontinental Flight. 10 Sept. 2013 <http://www.firstflightcentennial.org/first-transcontinental-flight/>.

[v] "Sept. 17, 1911: First Transcontinental Flight Takes Weeks." Wired.com. 17 Sept. 2009. Conde Nast Digital. 10 Sept. 2013 <http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2009/09/0917transcontinental-flight/>.

[vi] "First Transcontinental Flight." First Transcontinental Flight. 10 Sept. 2013 <http://www.firstflightcentennial.org/first-transcontinental-flight/>.