After a 108 hour flight and down to its last drops of fuel, the rigid airship R34 - nicknamed “the Record Breaker” - crossed the Atlantic from Britain and landed in Mineola in 1919. The flight broke a world endurance record for a ship of this kind.
A detailed account of the ship and its flight comes from Airshipsonline.com, where it was said that when it landed “there were 140 gallons of fuel left on board, which was sufficient only for another 2 hours flying at reduced power.”
Watch a video of the landing below.
This ship did not come empty-handed.
“Some 112lb of mail and parcels were loaded aboard the ship for delivery to the United States, including letters from the King and Prime Minister, to the President of the United States,” according to the website.
Ground crews in Mineola set up a station and floodlights to scan the sky for the R34 airship. According to a newspaper report at the time, two giant searchlights were a beacon for the “weary crew of the mighty dirigible R-34 (sic) will pick up before tomorrow morning and follow home.” All night wireless station operators sent out signals to the airship.
More photos below:
R-34 Pilot House landing at Mineola, Long Island, after completing east to west Atlantic flight. Photo: Shutterstock.
R-34 Pilot House landing at Mineola, Long Island, July 6, 1919. Photo: Shutterstock.
Photo: Searchlight, Mineola (LOC). Bain News Service,, publisher. [between ca. 1915 and ca. 1920]. No known restrictions on publication.
