First Around-the-World Flight
Two US Army Air Service planes completed the first aerial circumnavigation of the globe
September 28, 1924
Flying Around the Entire Planet
In 1924, eight U.S. Army Air Service pilots in four planes attempted to fly around the world for the first time. The journey began on April 6 in Seattle, Washington. The planes — named Seattle, Chicago, Boston, and New Orleans — faced extreme weather, mechanical failures, and forced landings in remote locations. Two planes were lost along the route, but the Chicago and New Orleans completed the journey on September 28, 1924, covering 27,553 miles in 175 days of flying time.
The Challenges They Faced
The pilots flew over Alaska, Japan, China, India, the Middle East, Europe, Greenland, and Canada before returning to Seattle. They made 74 stops along the way. Engines had to be replaced multiple times. The Seattle crashed in Alaska during the first leg. The Boston was forced down in the North Atlantic. The remaining two crews pressed on, supported by a network of U.S. Navy ships positioned along the route to provide fuel and spare parts.
A Landmark in Aviation History
The 1924 circumnavigation proved that global air travel was possible and sparked imagination about what aviation could achieve. It inspired a generation of pilots, including Charles Lindbergh, who made his solo transatlantic crossing three years later. The flight also had strategic value — the U.S. military demonstrated it could project power across the globe. Today, commercial flights circle the world in about 40 hours non-stop. The gap between 1924 and now is a testament to how quickly aviation advanced. Check our date calculator to mark the journey's anniversary.