Round-the-World Flights

World Flight Rivals from Several Countries make Round-the-World Flight Attempts

Page 1y (rev: 1001)

Argentina - Zanni	Italy - Locatelli	Portugal - Pais	France - D'Oisy	England - MacLaren

	The success of the World Flight by the United States was not without world-wide 
competition.  Rival round-the-world flight attempts from several countries were 
made in 1924. They included..........

	ENGLAND:  Squadron Leader Archibald Stuart MacLaren, with pilot, Flying 
Officer William Noble Plenderleith and flight engineer, Sergeant W.H. Andrews 
took off from Calshot, England on March 15, 1924 in their unsuccessful 
round-the-world flight attempt. 

	FRANCE:  Captain Pellitier D'Oisy with his mechanic, Sergeant Besin left Paris, 
France on April 24, 1924, in a Breguet bi-plane. Their original intention was to 
fly to northern Asia, but when D'Oisy made good flying progress, he expanded his 
horizons to circumnavigate round-the-world.  In trying to land on a golf course 
near Shanghai, China on May 20, 1924, he wrecked his plane after having covered 
10,580 miles in 26 days.

	PORTUGAL: Commander Brito Pais with Captain Sarmento de Beires and mechanic, 
Manuel Gouveia left Lisbon, Portugal flying a Breguet XVI bi-plane (named "Patria") 
on April 7, 1924 for a projected trip round-the-world.  On May 7, 1924 an engine 
failure forced them to crash in Boudhana, India.  They resumed their flight on May 
29th using another plane, a DeHaviland Liberty 9A (named Patria II) and continued 
their flight, flying over Macau on June 20, 1924.  Before landing they were caught 
in some severe winds crash landing in Shum Chum, China near Hong Kong.  They 
shuttled back to Macau by boat arriving there on June 24, 1924 and were deemed to 
be the "Portuguese Eagles."   They had flown 11,000 miles and while in Macau 
decided to abandon their round-the-world flight goal. 

	ARGENTINA:  Major Pedro Zanni and his mechanic, Felipe Beltrame left Amsterdam, 
Holland on July 22, 1924 flying a Fokker C-IV biplane on a flight round-the-world.  
On August 19, 1924 Zanni crashed the "City of Buenos Aires" on take-off at Hanoi, 
French Indo-China after having flown 7,727 miles in 85H 25M flying time.  A 
replacement aircraft "Province of Buenos Aires" was transported from Buenos Aires 
to them at Haiphong.  They then flew on to Kasumigara, Japan arriving there on 
September 11, 1924 flying an additional 2,939 miles in 34H 25M flying time. Here 
they prepared for their flight via the Kuriles and the Aleutian Islands to North 
America.  They called off their round-the-world flight attempt after ground-looping 
their hydro-plane on take off while becoming aware of the impending winter weather.

	ITALY:  When the United States World Flight was nearing completion, an Italian 
aviator, Lieutenant Antonio Locatelli with his crew of three decided to continue 
their round-the-world flight attempt by accompanying the American flyers across the 
North Atlantic.  Locatelli had left Pisa, Italy on July 25, 1924 flying a German 
Dornier Wal powered with two Rolls-Royce British engines.  He caught up with the 
American World Flight in Reykjavik, Iceland and joined Nelson and Smith in their 
transatlantic crossing.  Unfortunately he ran out of fuel 120 miles short of 
Greenland and had to make a forced sea landing. Locatelli and his flight crew drifted 
for three days before being picked up on August 24, 1924 by the USS Richmond.

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