Journey
The first flights across the Atlantic
Long ago, nobody had ever flown an airplane across the big Atlantic Ocean. In 1919, two pilots flew all the way without stopping. In 1927, one pilot flew across all alone.
In 1919, airplanes crossed the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. A US Navy flying boat, NC-4, crossed in stages, and then John Alcock and Arthur Brown flew nonstop from Newfoundland to Ireland in about 16 hours. In 1927, Charles Lindbergh flew alone and nonstop from New York to Paris in 33 and a half hours.
In 1919 the US Navy's NC-4 made the first transatlantic flight, in stages over 24 days; weeks later Alcock and Brown flew nonstop from St. John's to Clifden, 3,040 km in 16 hours 12 minutes, winning the Daily Mail prize. In 1927 Lindbergh's solo nonstop New York to Paris flight, 3,610 miles in 33 hours 30 minutes, won the Orteig Prize.
Photo: Benh LIEU SONG, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Flying over an ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is very wide. Long ago, people crossed it only by ship.
The first airplanes were small. Could one fly all the way across? In 1919, brave fliers found out!
By 1919, pilots wondered whether a plane could cross the Atlantic Ocean, thousands of kilometers of open water with nowhere to land. Newspapers and rich supporters offered big prizes to the first fliers to do it.
Three flights became famous. In May 1919, a US Navy flying boat called NC-4 crossed the Atlantic in several hops. In June 1919, John Alcock and Arthur Brown made the first nonstop crossing. And in May 1927, Charles Lindbergh made the first solo nonstop crossing, from New York to Paris.
Prizes spurred the attempts. The London Daily Mail offered £10,000 for the first nonstop Atlantic crossing, and in 1919 Raymond Orteig offered $25,000 for the first nonstop flight between New York City and Paris.
"First" depends on the rule. The Smithsonian credits the US Navy's NC-4 with the first transatlantic flight, completed in stages in May 1919. Britannica and the Science Museum credit Alcock and Brown with the first nonstop crossing on June 14 to 15, 1919. The National Air and Space Museum calls Lindbergh's May 20 to 21, 1927, flight the first solo, nonstop flight across the Atlantic.
The flights and their stops
Our trip has four stops.
First we fly from St. John's in Canada to Clifden in Ireland. Then we fly from New York City to Paris in France.
Our journey follows two great flights. The first starts at St. John's, on the island of Newfoundland in Canada, and ends near Clifden on the west coast of Ireland. The second starts in New York and ends at Le Bourget Field, near Paris.
Along the way we will meet the US Navy crew who crossed in stages a few weeks before Alcock and Brown.
Alcock and Brown took off from St. John's, Newfoundland, at 4:13 p.m. GMT on June 14, 1919, and landed the next day in a marshy bog near Clifden, County Galway, after 1,890 miles (3,040 km). Lindbergh flew his Spirit of St. Louis from San Diego to New York on May 10 to 12, 1927, waited several days for good weather and left for Paris alone on the morning of May 20, landing at Le Bourget Field after 3,610 miles (about 5,810 km).
The Navy's earlier flight began on May 8, 1919, at Rockaway Beach, New York, with three Curtiss flying boats; its five legs ran via Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, the Azores and Lisbon to Plymouth, England. Only NC-4, commanded by Albert C. Read, flew the whole way.
- NC-4 (US Navy), May 1919
- New York to Plymouth, England, in stages; 24 days
- Alcock and Brown, June 14-15, 1919
- St. John's to Clifden nonstop; 16 hours 12 minutes
- Lindbergh, May 20-21, 1927
- New York to Paris, alone and nonstop; 33 hours 30 minutes
Stops along the way
- St. John's, Newfoundland
- Clifden, Ireland
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New York City
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Paris (Le Bourget Field)
Alcock and Brown
John Alcock and Arthur Brown flew a big airplane with two wings on each side.
They flew all night over the ocean. The next day they landed in a soft, wet field in Ireland. They were the first to fly across without stopping!
John Alcock and Arthur Brown were British airmen. Their plane, a Vickers Vimy, had originally been designed as a heavy bomber. It was built mainly of wood covered with fabric and had two Rolls-Royce engines.
They left St. John's on the afternoon of June 14, 1919, and flew through the night. About 16 hours later they came down in a boggy field near Clifden, Ireland. They won a £10,000 prize from the Daily Mail newspaper and were knighted by King George V.
The Science Museum, which holds the aircraft, describes the Vickers Vimy as designed originally as a heavy bomber, built mainly of wood covered with fabric and powered by two Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII V-12 engines; it had a fuel capacity of 3,932 liters (865 gallons) and cruised at about 144 km/h (90 mph).
Britannica records the flight as 1,890 miles (3,040 km) in 16 hours 12 minutes, from St. John's to a marshy bog near Clifden. Alcock and Brown received the Daily Mail's £10,000 and were made Knight Commanders of the Order of the British Empire. The Vimy is now in the Science Museum Group collection in London.
Lindbergh flies alone
In 1927, a young pilot named Charles Lindbergh flew across the ocean all by himself.
His little plane was called the Spirit of St. Louis. He flew for a day and a half without stopping. He landed near Paris, and a huge crowd cheered.
Charles Lindbergh wanted to win a $25,000 prize for the first nonstop flight between New York and Paris. He was backed by several men from St. Louis. He ordered a special plane from Ryan Airlines in San Diego, and it was called the Spirit of St. Louis.
On the morning of May 20, 1927, he took off from New York alone. After 33 hours and 30 minutes and 3,610 miles, about 5,810 kilometers, he landed at Le Bourget Field near Paris, where a crowd of 100,000 people greeted him.
The National Air and Space Museum, which owns the aircraft, explains that the Ryan NYP was developed from a standard Ryan M-2, with Donald A. Hall as principal designer. The wingspan was increased by 10 feet and the structure strengthened for the fuel load; the cockpit was moved back and the engine forward so the fuel tank could sit at the center of gravity. The pilot could see forward only with a periscope or by turning the aircraft to look out a side window. A Wright Whirlwind J-5C engine powered it.
On the way east Lindbergh set a transcontinental record (21 hours 40 minutes, San Diego to New York, with one stop). His solo crossing, 3,610 miles in 33 hours 30 minutes, made him an instant celebrity and, in NASM's words, catalyzed progress toward commercial aviation.
Why these flights mattered
These flights showed that airplanes could cross oceans.
Today, big planes fly across the Atlantic every day. It all started with these brave fliers.
These flights proved that airplanes could cross an ocean, first in stages, then nonstop, and finally with just one pilot.
People around the world were thrilled. The National Air and Space Museum says the world was not as excited about a flight again until the Apollo 11 Moon landing in 1969. It says Lindbergh's flight helped speed up progress toward commercial flying, the kind of flying that carries passengers and goods.
The flights demonstrated, step by step, the range and reliability needed for ocean crossings. The Navy intended NC-4's flight to prove the airplane's capability as a transoceanic technology; Alcock and Brown showed a nonstop crossing was possible; Lindbergh showed a single pilot in a purpose-built aircraft could fly between two great cities.
President Calvin Coolidge called Lindbergh "our messenger of peace and goodwill" who had "broken down another barrier of time and space." NASM judges that not until the Apollo 11 Moon landing in 1969 was the world again as enthusiastic about an aviation event. The aircraft survive in museum collections: the Vimy in the Science Museum Group collection, the Spirit of St. Louis at the National Air and Space Museum, and NC-4, part of the Smithsonian collection since 1927.
Amazing facts
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Lindbergh could not see straight ahead out of his plane's front!
In the Spirit of St. Louis, Lindbergh could see forward only with a periscope or by turning the plane to look out of a side window.
With the cockpit moved back so the fuel tank could sit at the center of gravity, the pilot of the Ryan NYP could see forward only by periscope or by turning the aircraft to look out a side window.
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Alcock and Brown's plane was made mostly of wood and cloth.
The Vickers Vimy was built mainly of wood covered with fabric.
The Vimy, originally designed as a heavy bomber, was built mainly of wood covered with fabric and powered by two Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII engines.
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A huge crowd met Lindbergh in Paris.
About 100,000 people greeted Lindbergh when he landed near Paris.
A crowd of 100,000 greeted Lindbergh at Le Bourget Field after 33 hours 30 minutes in the air.
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The first plane to cross the Atlantic stopped on the way.
The US Navy's NC-4 crossed the Atlantic eight years before Lindbergh, stopping in the Azores and Portugal on the way.
NC-4's five-leg crossing in 1919, via the Azores and Lisbon to Plymouth, was the first transatlantic flight, eight years before Lindbergh's solo crossing.
Words to know
- transatlantic
- crossing the Atlantic Ocean
- nonstop
- without landing anywhere along the way
- solo
- alone, with nobody else
- biplane
- an airplane with two sets of wings, one above the other
- flying boat
- an airplane with a body shaped like a boat, so it can land on water
- periscope
- a tube with mirrors that lets you see around or over something
Discovery challenge
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Who flew across the Atlantic all alone in 1927?
Who made the first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic in 1927?
Which aviator made the first solo, nonstop transatlantic flight, on May 20 to 21, 1927?
- Charles Lindbergh
- John Alcock
- Albert C. Read
Show the answer
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh flew all alone to Paris.
Charles Lindbergh flew alone from New York to Paris in the Spirit of St. Louis.
Lindbergh, in the Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis, 3,610 miles in 33 hours 30 minutes.
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Where did Alcock and Brown land?
In which country did Alcock and Brown land after the first nonstop Atlantic flight?
Near which town did Alcock and Brown's Vimy land on June 15, 1919?
- Ireland (near Clifden)
- France (near Paris)
- Portugal (Lisbon)
Show the answer
Ireland (near Clifden)
In Ireland! They landed in a soft, wet bog.
They landed in a bog near Clifden, on the west coast of Ireland.
Near Clifden, County Galway, in a marshy bog, after 16 hours 12 minutes.
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Did the Navy plane NC-4 stop on the way?
How did the Navy's NC-4 cross the Atlantic in May 1919?
What distinguished NC-4's 1919 crossing from Alcock and Brown's?
- In stages, with stops
- Nonstop in one day
- On a ship
Show the answer
In stages, with stops
Yes, it stopped several times on the way.
NC-4 crossed in stages, stopping in Newfoundland, the Azores and Portugal before England.
It made the first transatlantic flight in five legs over 24 days; Alcock and Brown's was the first nonstop crossing.
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How long did Lindbergh fly without stopping?
About how long was Lindbergh in the air on his flight to Paris?
What was the duration of Lindbergh's New York to Paris flight?
- About 3 hours
- About 33 and a half hours
- About 3 weeks
Show the answer
About 33 and a half hours
More than a day and a half!
33 hours and 30 minutes, all alone.
33 hours 30 minutes, covering 3,610 miles.
Explore next
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City
New York City
New York City sits where the Hudson River meets a great harbor on the Atlantic coast. It has been the largest city in the United States since 1790. About 8.8 million people lived in its five boroughs in 2020, among skyscrapers, bridges and parks.
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City
Paris
Paris is the capital of France. It grew from an island in the Seine River into a city of about 2.1 million people (2023), with the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, the Louvre and a subway that has run since 1900.
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Country
Ireland
Ireland is a country on an island in the Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain. It covers most of the island, while Northern Ireland, in the northeast, is part of the United Kingdom. Rain keeps its fields green, its capital is Dublin, and more than 5.5 million people live there.
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Country
Canada
Canada is the second-largest country in the world, stretching across the north of North America from the Atlantic to the Pacific and up into the Arctic. It has the Rocky Mountains, thousands of islands and about 42 million people, who speak English, French and many other languages.
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Journey
The spice routes by sea
For centuries, ships crossed the Indian Ocean between East Africa, Arabia, India, Sri Lanka and the islands of Southeast Asia, carrying spices such as pepper, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Sailors used the monsoon winds, which blow one way for half the year and the other way for the rest, to make their voyages.
For parents & teachers
What children will learn
- Explain why crossing the Atlantic by air was such a challenge for early aircraft.
- Tell apart the three 'firsts': NC-4 in stages, Alcock and Brown nonstop, Lindbergh solo nonstop.
- Locate St. John's, Clifden, New York and Paris on a map.
- Describe how the Vickers Vimy and Spirit of St. Louis were adapted for long flights.
Recommended ages: 8 to 15 · About 15 minutes
Talk about it
- Why do you think the word 'first' needs careful explaining for these flights?
- What would you need to pack and plan for a 33-hour flight alone?
- How did prizes encourage people to attempt these flights?
Try at home or in class
- Use string on a globe to measure the gap from Newfoundland to Ireland and from New York to Paris; which is shorter, and why did Alcock and Brown start in Newfoundland?
- Fold paper airplanes with different wing shapes and test which flies farthest across a room.
Key vocabulary: transatlantic, nonstop, solo, biplane, flying boat, periscope
Where these facts come from
- Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis , Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
- The First Flight Across the Atlantic (Pioneers of Flight) , Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
- Sir John William Alcock , Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Alcock and Brown's Vickers Vimy Biplane , Science Museum Group Collection
- Wikidata , Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)
Checked, not yet human-reviewed. Last updated October 27, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Picture credits
- Photo: Benh LIEU SONG, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons · source · license
- Photo: © Superbass / CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons · source · license
- Photo: Aiden Mahoney from Stephenville, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons · source · license
- Photo: King of Hearts / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons · source · license