I endure. I conquer.
 -- Inscription on the gravestone of Cal Rodgers.

Amongst the gifts that the invention of flight has given us, perhaps the most inspiring are its heroes. The very first flight on December 17, 1903 was a tale of courage and tenacity, and that has set the tone for much of the history of aviation. The National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio has enshrined dozens of these heroes since its inception, and among the first was Calbraith Perry Rodgers, the first pilot to fly across the United States.

Cal Rodgers was born in 1879 to a prestigious family of naval heroes. A childhood disease resulted in a profound hearing loss. This prevented him from joining the Navy, so he took to the air. Despite his deafness, he was among the first aviators to learn to fly at the Wright Flying School at old Huffman Prairie near Dayton, Ohio. Almost as soon as he had learned to fly, he set out to capture the coveted Hearst Prize. Publisher William Randolph Hearst had offered a $50,000 purse to the first aviator to fly coast to coast in 30 days or less. Rodgers enlisted the Armour Meat-Packing Company as a sponsor, promising to promote their new soft drink, Vin Fiz. He purchased a Wright Model EX biplane, christened it the Vin Fiz, and on September 17, 1911, he took off from Sheepshead Bay on Long Island, New York.

Cal Rodgers did not win the Hearst Prize. Almost from the first take-off, he was beset by problems, many of which should have ended his journey. Less than a day out from Sheepshead, he wrecked his aircraft and had to completely rebuild it � a delay that cost him several days. And this was only the first of five major crashes, two engine explosions, and dozens of minor incidents. In addition to his mechanical problems, he was plagued with navigational errors. The Vin Fiz carried no directional instruments, not even a compass. Cal Rodgers was forced to "follow the line," navigating from town to town by following railroad tracks. Occasionally he picked the wrong track and traced it for miles before he landed and found he wasn't where he expected to be. Finally, he was handicapped by his hearing loss. According to Henry Kisor, a deaf pilot who has himself flown the route of the Vin Fiz, "On quite a few occasions Rodgers made judgmental errors very likely because he could not hear."

Nonetheless, he kept flying. Even when he had spent over 30 days crossing the continent, the hope of winning the Hearst Prize had evaporated, and everyone connected with the endeavor expected him to quit, he kept flying. His refusal to give in endeared him to the American public, and the crowds that met each landing grew larger and more enthusiastic after the prize was lost. When he finally landed at Long Beach, California, on December 10, 1911 � 84 days after he had left Sheepshead � 50,000 cheered him as he wet the wheels of the Vin Fiz in the Pacific surf. Several months later, when he died in a flying accident near the spot where he had complete his transcontinental flight, a whole nation mourned the loss of one of aviation's first heroes.

Cal Rodgers was enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame on December 17, 1964, along with Orville and Wilbur Wright and several other aviation pioneers. The inscription on his posthumous award reads, "To Calbraith Perry Rodgers, for outstanding contributions to aviation by demonstrating the feasibility of transcontinental flight, this award is most solemnly and respectfully dedicated."

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Milton Caniff's portrait of Cal Rodgers hangs the in National Aviation Hall of Fame.

The Vin Fiz takes off from Sheepshead Bay, Long Island, New York on September 17, 1911.

The Vin Fiz wrecked in Huntington, Indiana, one of several major crashes along the route. Although Cal was not hurt in most crashes, they cost precious time.

The "Vin Fiz Special" -- Cal Rodgers navigated across America by following this special train. The white box car behind the engine is a "hangar car" full of spare parts.

This Vin Fiz promotional poster from 1911 depicts Cal's route across the United States. However, it does not show all the detours he took when he got lost.

Cal Rodgers wets the wheels of the Vin Fiz in the surf at Long Beach, California, after flying 4,231 miles in 84 days.