The Flight Across the Atlantic

The two made good time, aided by a tailwind that helped push them along. Nevertheless, they had many difficulties. The airplane flew in dense fog for most of the flight, making it impossible for Brown to use his navigational instru­ments to track their position or chart a course. Unable to see, Alcock had no idea where he was in relation to the water below. Once, they broke through the clouds to find themselves danger­ously close to the surface of the ocean, and Alcock had to climb quickly.

Storms posed a problem as well. Alcock and Brown flew through sleet that chilled them in their open cockpit.

The icy rain also froze the instrument that told the plane’s speed. Not knowing how fast they were going hampered Brown’s efforts to plot their position. Ice coated the sides of the plane for many hours. Some accounts of the flight say that Brown climbed out on the wings to clear off the ice, but he never claimed to have done so.

Communication became impossible during the flight. The radio they carried gave out soon after taking off. Later, the two phones they used to speak to each other over the roar of the engines also
stopped working. After that, they relied on hand signals and written notes.

About 15 hours after leaving the coast of Newfoundland behind them, Alcock and Brown believed they were nearing their destination in Ireland, but they could not be sure. Soon after, they spotted land. Seeing what appeared to be an open field, Alcock guided the air­plane down. The landing was gentle, but what they thought was a grassy field was really a bog (an area of wet, spongy ground). The front of the plane sank in and tipped forward, causing damage. Alcock and Brown were unhurt, however.

Alcock and Brown had landed near Clifden, Ireland. Remarkably, they were only about 60 miles (96 kilometers) from their intended landing spot. They had flown about 1,900 miles (3,060 kilometers) in approximately 17 hours. The historic first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by plane was complete.