Richard James (aviator)

Dick James

Richard James (1911–1989) set the junior transcontinental air speed record in 1928. He completed the flight on December 15, 1928, arriving in New York. He had left from San Francisco. The elapsed flying time was 48 hours, spread over one month.[1] The contest was sponsored by the Society for the Promotion of Aviation. Dick James, as he was known to friends and family, was also awarded the National Clifford B. Harmon Award for 1928, and received a silver loving cup made by Tiffany & Company as well as having a ticker-tape parade in New York City.

His record stood till 1930, when it was broken by Frank Goldsborough.[2][3] He was born in Terre Haute, Indiana and flew an Travel Air 2000.[4]

References

  1. "Richard James". Associated Press in The Christian Science Monitor. December 15, 1928. Curtiss Field, New York (Associated Press) Richard James, 17-year-old pilot, completed on December 15 a transcontinental flight begun October 30 in San Francisco, to win a $1000 prize ...
  2. "Flights & Flyers. American Boy.". Time. May 12, 1930. Retrieved 2007-09-25. A flight from New York to Los Angeles, begun on Monday and completed Sunday, is not in itself remarkable.
  3. "Richard James". Havre Daily News. August 30, 1928. (Associated Press) Richard James of New York, competing in the Curtiss Field $1000 prize for the youngest flyer to make the transcontinental trip from San Francisco to New York ...
  4. "Fliers Risk Lives in Fire at Curtiss Field. Save 5 Planes as Hangar and 3 Ships Burn.". The New York Times. March 31, 1929. Retrieved 2007-11-28. Curtiss Field, Long Island, Sunday, March 31, 1929. Pilots and mechanics aided by members of the Garden City Fire Department, risked their lives this morning to save five airplanes from a burning hangar on the west corner of the field, where another hangar was attacked by fire a few days ago. ... Among the planes that were saved were the Spirit of American Youth Travel Air 2000, in which Richard James, boy pilot of Flushing, made a transcontinental flight a few months ago ...


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