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| View Original: | Photograph_of_airmail_planes_at_Omaha,_Nebraska.jpg (5723x3940) | |||
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| Keywords: smithsonian institution smithsonianinstitution omaha omaha, nebraska omahanebraska mail air mail airmail aviation aircraft airplane biplane de havilland dehavilland de havilland d.h.4 dehavillanddh4 d.h.4 dh4 bi-wing biwing hanger 1920's 1920s flag white black and white photo blackandwhitephoto plane old pkane oldpkane old plane oldplane national postal museum nationalpostalmuseum outdoor black and white Date: 1920 Object number: A.2009-30 Medium: paper; photo-emulsion Description: The first airmail field used by the Post Office Department in Omaha, Nebraska was known as Ak-sar-Ben Field (or Nebraska, spelled backwards). The field was part of the transcontinental flyway between New York City, New York to San Francisco, California. The airfield was the site of one of the most dramatic events in the early years of the airmail service; pilot Jack Knight's historic flight during a demonstration of night flying. Due to the limited instrumentation of the time and lack of beacon lighting, flying time was limited by the length of the day. Knight was originally scheduled to fly just one leg of the first day and night-time transcontinental airmail trip on February 22, 1921. He left North Platte, Nebraska, flying the mail eastward to Omaha, where he arrived well after dark and in the middle of a snowstorm. Knight was able to land safely at the Omaha field because it was lit by a line of burning gasoline drums placed along the runway. The relief pilot refused to continue west to Chicago , Illinois through the storm. Knight volunteered to take the flight. He took off for Chicago at 2 am with only a road map to guide him over terrain he had not even crossed in daylight hours. Amazingly, Knight successfully completed the flight into Chicago, winning national applause for his daring feat. National Postal Museum, Curatorial Photographic Collection Photographer: Unknown Place: United States of America      Nebraska See more items in: National Postal Museum Collection Credit line: National Postal Museum, Curatorial Photographic Collection Photographer: Unknown Persistent URL:http://www.arago.si.edu/index.asp?con=2&cmd=1&id=207528 Repository:National Postal Museum View more collections from the Smithsonian Institution. Date: 1920 Object number: A.2009-30 Medium: paper; photo-emulsion Description: The first airmail field used by the Post Office Department in Omaha, Nebraska was known as Ak-sar-Ben Field (or Nebraska, spelled backwards). The field was part of the transcontinental flyway between New York City, New York to San Francisco, California. The airfield was the site of one of the most dramatic events in the early years of the airmail service; pilot Jack Knight's historic flight during a demonstration of night flying. Due to the limited instrumentation of the time and lack of beacon lighting, flying time was limited by the length of the day. Knight was originally scheduled to fly just one leg of the first day and night-time transcontinental airmail trip on February 22, 1921. He left North Platte, Nebraska, flying the mail eastward to Omaha, where he arrived well after dark and in the middle of a snowstorm. Knight was able to land safely at the Omaha field because it was lit by a line of burning gasoline drums placed along the runway. The relief pilot refused to continue west to Chicago , Illinois through the storm. Knight volunteered to take the flight. He took off for Chicago at 2 am with only a road map to guide him over terrain he had not even crossed in daylight hours. Amazingly, Knight successfully completed the flight into Chicago, winning national applause for his daring feat. National Postal Museum, Curatorial Photographic Collection Photographer: Unknown Place: United States of America Nebraska See more items in: National Postal Museum Collection Credit line: National Postal Museum, Curatorial Photographic Collection Photographer: Unknown Persistent URL:http://www.arago.si.edu/index.asp?con=2&cmd=1&id=207528 Repository:National Postal Museum View more collections from the Smithsonian Institution. | ||||
