6. In 1924 the US Army attempted to fly around the world
In part to gain public support – and thus tax dollars – for the expansion of the Army Air Service, in 1924, four pilots and four mechanics took off in four airplanes from Seattle, Washington. They flew along the Aleutians, crossing the Pacific to the Soviet Union, and down over Japan to Southeast Asia. From there they proceeded across India, Iraq, and into Europe. When they came to the Atlantic the Navy cooperated with a string of ships patrolling the area over which they would fly, standing by for rescue if needed. They landed at both Iceland and Greenland in less than desirable conditions. From Greenland to Labrador, and then Nova Scotia, the flight continued, though breakdowns and other issues led to only one of the aircraft actually completing the entire circumnavigation, which ended in Seattle on September 28, 1924. As they crossed the United States, several stops brought out enthusiastic crowds.
The 175-day journey succeeded in gaining public acclaim for the Army Air Service, though that acclaim did not lead to a significant increase in Congressional support. Dollars for development and expansion remained difficult to come by. The circumnavigation by air became one of several aviation achievements of the 1920s which led to the widespread belief in American technological superiority. Yet funding for military aviation in both the Navy and the Army continued to meet resistance in the penurious Congress during the 1920s. Shoestring budgets and competition between the services meant the aviation branches grew slowly, though they did grow. For the Navy aviation was seen as primarily a scouting service. The Army was beginning to develop the possibilities as an offensive strike weapon.