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Wiley Post set a number of records in the Winnie Mae, a Lockheed Vega. He and his navigator flew around the world in eight days. Then, he took the same trip by himself and took seven days. Post also worked with BFGoodrich to develop the world's first pressure suit in order to fly above 50,000 feet and set more records.
Wiley Post: Setting Long-Distance Records in the Winnie Mae | 1:39
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | 85.1K subscribers | 5,584 views | March 22, 2017

Transcript
0:00 · - [Bob] Wiley Post was a very well-known aviator in the 1930s.
0:03 · Post started his career in aviation as the personal pilot for Mr. F. C. Hall,
0:07 · of the Phillips Petroleum Company.
0:08 · Hall had his own private Lockheed Vega,
0:11 · which he named after his daughter, Winnie Mae.
0:13 · Post set so many speed records with the aircraft
0:15 · that Hall gave the aircraft to Post.
0:18 · With the Winnie Mae, Post started a whole career
0:21 · of long distance flights and experimental flights.
0:24 · Starting in 1931, he along with his navigator Harold Gatty,
0:28 · flew around the world in just a little over eight days, setting a new record.
0:32 · Two years after that, in July 1933,
0:34 · Post set out this time by himself,
0:36 · flew around the world in seven days.
0:38 · One of the very first times an autopilot was used in an airplane,
0:42 · which allowed him to be a lot quicker
0:44 · and a lot more accurate in the flight.
0:46 · In March 1935, Wiley Post took the Winnie Mae
0:49 · to a record altitude of 50 thousand feet,
0:52 · in an attempt to fly across the country in a record setting time.
0:55 · Post was always interested in pushing the envelope
0:57 · of the performance of aircraft.
0:59 · He understood that aircraft fly faster and farther at higher altitude.
1:03 · So he actually had his engine supercharged and it was designed to fly at 50,000 feet.
1:09 · He was flying so high,
1:10 · that the aircraft actually benefitted from the jet stream,
1:13 · which was a phenomenon people did not know at the time.
1:15 · The problem is at 50,000 feet, the aircraft was unpressurized.
1:19 · To solve that problem, he worked with the B.F. Goodrich Company
1:22 · to develop the world's first practical pressure suit.
1:24 · With that pressure suit, he was able to set a speed record
1:27 · of 340 miles an hour, which was twice the top speed
1:29 · of a Vega normally.

Transcript
0:00	·	- [Bob] Wiley Post was a very well-known aviator in the 1930s.
0:03	·	Post started his career in aviation as the personal pilot for Mr. F. C. Hall,
0:07	·	of the Phillips Petroleum Company.
0:08	·	Hall had his own private Lockheed Vega,
0:11	·	which he named after his daughter, Winnie Mae.
0:13	·	Post set so many speed records with the aircraft
0:15	·	that Hall gave the aircraft to Post.
0:18	·	With the Winnie Mae, Post started a whole career
0:21	·	of long distance flights and experimental flights.
0:24	·	Starting in 1931, he along with his navigator Harold Gatty,
0:28	·	flew around the world in just a little over eight days, setting a new record.
0:32	·	Two years after that, in July 1933,
0:34	·	Post set out this time by himself,
0:36	·	flew around the world in seven days.
0:38	·	One of the very first times an autopilot was used in an airplane,
0:42	·	which allowed him to be a lot quicker
0:44	·	and a lot more accurate in the flight.
0:46	·	In March 1935, Wiley Post took the Winnie Mae
0:49	·	to a record altitude of 50 thousand feet,
0:52	·	in an attempt to fly across the country in a record setting time.
0:55	·	Post was always interested in pushing the envelope
0:57	·	of the performance of aircraft.
0:59	·	He understood that aircraft fly faster and farther at higher altitude.
1:03	·	So he actually had his engine supercharged and it was designed to fly at 50,000 feet.
1:09	·	He was flying so high,
1:10	·	that the aircraft actually benefitted from the jet stream,
1:13	·	which was a phenomenon people did not know at the time.
1:15	·	The problem is at 50,000 feet, the aircraft was unpressurized.
1:19	·	To solve that problem, he worked with the B.F. Goodrich Company
1:22	·	to develop the world's first practical pressure suit.
1:24	·	With that pressure suit, he was able to set a speed record
1:27	·	of 340 miles an hour, which was twice the top speed
1:29	·	of a Vega normally.