Free Republic

On July 22, 1933, Wiley Post completed a solo flight around the world in the Lockheed 5C Vega Winnie Mae. This record-breaking flight demonstrated several significant aviation technologies. It used two relatively new aeronautical devices—an autopilot and a radio direction finder. The autopilot corrected for errors in aeronautical bearing, keeping the aircraft on course. The radio direction finder helped Post navigate the aircraft toward specific radio transmitters along the route.Although the flight was interrupted because Post had to repair the gyroscope and a bent propeller, he set a record of seven days, 18 hours, and 49 minutes, bettering his previous...

David Mars, The 1929 Curtiss Robin, and A Girl Named "Pearl" Or Touching Flying History, With David Mars I was at Tom Rose's Fly-In to raise money for the "Domestic Violence Shelter" and the turn out was small. Approaching from the west was a slow, high-wing aircraft that I first thought was an old Cessna, but as it got closer I realized it was traveling too slow to be a Cessna. As it entered downwind to the south and then turned final to what is more of a driveway than a runway, it looked like something I'd never seen before...