Page 83 - Demo

When famed aviator Wiley Post landed at the Purdue Airport at 3:30 on Sunday afternoon, April 14, 1935, he had hoped to reach New York to complete the first non-stop transcontinental flight through the stratosphere. His plane was fitted with landing gear that could be jettisoned after takeoff to minimize air resistance, which he did, so he landed on a belly skid which resulted in minor damage. He said he was forced down due to a faulty turbocharger.Post became famous in July 1931 when he, and navigator Harold Gatty, flew around the world, shattering a record set by the Graf Zeppelin. Two years later, he circumnavigated the globe a second time in less than 8 days%u2014this time solo.An Oklahoman, Post joined the Army Air Service during World War I, but never completed his flight training because the war ended. After some temporary jobs, he spent a year in the Oklahoma State Reformatory for stealing a car. Upon his release, he worked for a traveling air circus as a parachutist. By 1926, he was an oil-rig worker, where he lost his left eye in an accident, and forever after wore an eyepatch. He used part of the $1,800 settlement money to buy his first airplane, but his round-theworld flights were made in a high-wing, single-engine Lockheed Vega%u2014Winnie Mae%u2014which was owned by Oklahoma oilman F.C. Hall, who named it after his daughter. At the time, Post was Hall%u2019s personal pilot, and eventually bought the plane for himself.Commemorating the 4 attempted transcontinental stratospheric air-mail flights by Wiley Post. February 22, 1935 %u2022 March 15, 1935 %u2022 April 14, 1935 %u2022 June 15, 1935. Cancelled Los Angeles August 20, 1935.See facsimile of back on next page.Lafayette Journal and Courier, April 15, 1935.