The date is July 9, 1931. Flying a Pitcairn autogiro, pilot James Ray gives an indication at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C., after which provides publicity worth by flying Senator Hiram Bingham of Connecticut on an 11-minute flight to Burning Tree Golf Membership in Maryland. (Bingham was no stranger to journey; in 1911 he had explored Peru and “rediscovered” the Incan metropolis of Machu Picchu.)
Not fairly an airplane and never fairly a helicopter, the autogiro was the invention of Juan de la Cierva. The Spanish native had made his first, quick, autogiro flight in 1923; in 1929 he partnered with Harold Pitcairn to market the autogiro in the US. Pitcairn had envisioned the autogiro as an inexpensive plane that might be “safe and sensible for recreation and utility.” At first the craft created a sensation, and in 1931 Pitcairn acquired the celebrated Collier Trophy for achievements in aviation. “The power to land on and take off from any moderately sized open floor with safety frees the pilot from the need of in search of a secure touchdown solely on the giant airport,” learn a 1932 commercial. However the Nice Despair put an finish to any visions of an autogiro in each storage and Igor Sikorsky’s introduction of the helicopter in 1939 eclipsed Cierva’s invention as soon as and for all.
It might nonetheless be an effective way to get to the golf course although.
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