May 4 1969
From The Space Library
May 4-11: London Daily Mail sponsored eight-day "Great Transatlantic Air Race of 1969" between top of New York's Empire State Building and top of London's General Post Office to commemorate 50th anniversary of first nonstop transatlantic flight by John W. Alcock and Arthur W. Brown in 1919. Nearly 400 entrants devised combinations of land, sea, and air transportation to compete for 21 prizes worth total $150,000 in separate categories. Fastest west-to-east time-5 hrs 11 min 22 secs-was made by L/C P. M. Goddard (RN) in U.S.-built F-4 Phantom jet, motorcycle, and helicopter. Air time was 4 hrs 46 min. Royal Navy later claimed this was new world record for New York-London flight. Previous unofficial record had been set during race by Phantom which made flight in 4 hrs 53 min. Best east-to-west time in race was made by S/L Tom Lecky-Thompson (RAF) in RAF Harrier VTOL jet, which flew from London to New York in 6 hrs 11 min 57 secs. (NYT, 5/6/69, 93; 5/12/69, 93)
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