Want to ask a question?
Tell us something? Arrange a showing of one of our airplanes? Ping:
mailto:[email protected]
Meanwhile:
How about a
little music?
We have a selection of tunes
that were popular during the first days of aviation, performed by Sue
Keller, courtesy the Ragtime Press:
| Alexander's
Ragtime Band Irving Berlin 1911 |
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| Aviation
Rag Mark Janza 1905 |
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| Maple
Leaf Rag Scott Joplin 1909 |
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| St.
Louis Rag Tom Turpin 1903 |
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| Waiting
for the Robert E. Lee Gilbert/Muir 1912 |
Thirty years later, Dana got a call from Gino Del Guercio, president of Boston Science Communications. By this time, Dana was an experienced pilot, aircraft mechanic, and FAA certified inspector. Gino was a producer of science documentaries for the NOVA series and others. Gino wanted to film something about pioneer aviation in time for the Centennial of Flight in 2003. Dana suggested that they might re-enact the first transcontinental flight, the amazing journey of Cal Rodgers. The Flight of the Vin Fiz was born.
Dana enlisted the help of a former student and Coast Guard pilot Ken Whiting, and the two of them planned what airplanes, time, and materials are needed to recreate the flight. Cal Rodgers had just one aircraft and parts for two others in the special "hangar car" attached to the train that followed him across America. It had been barely enough. Dana and Ken have decided to build two complete replicas of the Vin Fiz, plus make parts for two more. Instead of taking a train, they will pack these in two large cargo trailers. Each cargo trailer will be pulled by a motor home and one of the motor homes will be equipped with a small machine shop so they can make repairs on the road.
"We'll take our time going across America," says Dana. "If all we wanted to do was fly two old airplanes across the United States, we could complete the trip in a few weeks. But there's much more to this."
The Flight of the Vin Fiz will stop in as many places as is practical during its trip, even making detours from the historic route so as many people as possible can see the Vin Fiz replica and enjoy the story. "The flying is not nearly as important as what we do when we stop," explains Dana. "We want the people who see us to share in the adventure. We're going to put on quite a show."
Dana and Ken expect to take about 60 days to cross the continent, then 12 days to get back — 72 days in all. But the project could take as long as 120 days depending on the available funding from sponsors and the number of towns that want to host The Flight of the Vin Fiz along its route. Unlike Cal Rodgers, the modern-day pilots will keep to a tight schedule. "We can't promise to visit a town on such-and-such a date and then not show because of the weather. If we can't fly in, we'll send one of the Vin Fiz replicas ahead in a trailer to keep our appointment. We'll fly the other one when the weather clears." Dana and Ken are determined to fly across the United States without disappointing anyone who is expecting them.
Like Cal Rodgers, Dana and Ken will take off from Long Island, New York — as close to Sheepshead Bay as they can manage. From there, they will roughly follow Rodger's trail across the United States.
Cal Rodgers, smoking his characteristic cigar, in the cockpit of the Vin Fiz.
The train that accompanied Cal Rodgers on his
transcontinental flight included a special "hangar car." This
housed spare parts for the Vin Fiz as well as the Wright Model B in
which Rodgers had learned to fly.
Dana Smith (right) and Ken Whiting (left) attach the
landing gear to their 1910 Wright Model EX.
Each of the replica aircraft Dana and Ken are building are designed to
come apart and fit into a cargo trailer. This lets them transport their
aircraft over the road easily and inexpensively.
Cal Rodgers meandered across the United States,
rarely arriving at a destination on the same day he said he would be
there. The Flight of the Vin Fiz will follow roughly the same
route, but keep a tighter schedule.
|
States which the Vin Fiz visited in 1911 |
Large communities near its flight path |
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Jersey City |
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Middletown |
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Scranton |
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Binghamton |
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Erie |
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Akron |
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Fort Wayne |
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Chicago |
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St. Louis |
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Topeka |
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Tulsa |
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Fort Worth |
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Deming |
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Tuscon |
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Imperial Junction |
Cal and the Vin Fiz in Binghampton, New York...
...and Huntington, Indiana...
...and Dallas, Texas...
...and Waco, Texas...
Wright Re-Creations/The Flight of the Vin Fiz
RR 1, Box 164
Limerick, ME 04048
mailto:[email protected]
They'll send a booklet about the project and open a dialogue with the officials in your community. In about a year, when The Flight of the Vin Fiz crew makes a survey of the route, they'll visit your community, look over local airports and facilities, and coordinate times and dates for the real event.
Sounds exciting, doesn't it? And what an opportunity for people all across America to recapture the adventure of pioneer aviation!
A Wright airplane has always been a great crowd-pleaser. Here, a Model B draws a curious throng in 1911.
And here is Dana's and Ken's Model EX leading the
parade at the Winston Cup Races in 1999. That's Ken dressed up like
Wilbur.
| Possible
Route of The Flight of the Vin Fiz |
Likely Landing Spots |
| Dayton, Ohio | Dayton International Airport |
| Troy, Ohio | Waco Field |