Historic's Book of the Month: Wings of Discovery

Air Classics, Jan 2002 by Hulett, George

How Billy Mitchell saved the Air Service

After the millions of casualties incurred during the Great War, another global conflict seemed unthinkable. America's priorities became a return to peace and prosperity. By the early 1920s budget cuts had truly decimated the American military. President Calvin Coolidge reasoned that aviation had little practical value and susgested that the 232 Army airmen - left from a wartime peak of 20,000 - could take turns flying the few obsolete aircraft that remained operational. Calvin was obviously not a man on the cutting edge of technology!

General Billy Mitchell believed that only a successful flight around the world could save the Air Service from destruction by the politicians. Such an aerial adventure would capture the attention of the public around the globe. After years of planning, he began an unauthorized public campaign for support of the flight as national elections rapidly approached. Coolidge and Secretary of War Weeks reluctantly bowed to public pressure and authorized the flight - but, at the same time, exiled Mitchell to the Far East.

Out in southern California, Douglas Aircraft, newly formed in the back of a barber shop with $600 of borrowed capital, was in the process of building lumbering, but strong and efficient, biplanes for the historic flight. Appropriately dubbed World Cruisers, these aircraft were not world-beaters when it came to performance but they had what it took for the mission. Limited funds meant that the craft would be powered by war surplus Liberty engines.

At the time, few countries had much in the way of aircraft and airfields and supply depots were virtually non-existent. The Pacific and North Atlantic had never been fully crossed by heavier-than-air craft. This was an amazing mission and First World Flight - The Odyssey of Billy Mitchell by Spencer Lane (US Press, $27.95) takes the reader along on a journey that was perilous both physically and politically.