Latest news with #transatlantic
Daily Mail
15 hours ago
- Daily Mail
How the forgotten British pilots who became the first to fly across the Atlantic survived 1,900-mile journey and haphazard landing... in a plane with a broken radio and burst exhaust
Today, if you ask most people, they will tell you that it was American aviator Charles Lindbergh who first flew non-stop across the Atlantic. And it is true that, in 1927, he became the first man to make the trip solo. But eight years before his feat, when technology was a generation behind and the risks were even greater, it was two now-forgotten British men who ended up being the true pioneers. Fuelled by the lure of a £10,000 prize put up by the Daily Mail - the equivalent of around half a million pounds now - First World War veterans John Alcock and Arthur Brown became the first human beings to cross The Pond in a single flight. The pair made the perilous trip from Newfoundland on the tip of Canada to the coastal town of Clifden in Ireland in just under 16 hours, arriving on June 15, 1919. The achievement came a decade after Frenchman Louis Bleriot had become the first pilot to fly from continental Europe to England. The Mail's founder and proprietor, Lord Northcliffe, opted to offer prizes for aviation achievements in the hope of boosting British airmanship at a time when the technology was flourishing. He had been frustrated by the British government 's seeming inability to see the military threat posed by ever-improving flying machines. The pair made the perilous trip from Newfoundland on the tip of Canada to the coastal town of Clifden in Ireland in just under 16 hours, arriving on June 15, 1919. Above: The plane departing Newfoundland And so in 1913, after awarding Bleriot £10,000, he offered the same financial reward to the first team to cross the Atlantic. Although the First World War put a pause on preparations, the race continued after hostilities came to an end in November 1918. Alcock and Brown were far from the only team to pitch up in Newfoundland with flying machines. As well as their Vickers plane, there were rival teams from Martinsyde, Handley Page, and Sopwith. Besides Alcock and Brown's effort, only the Sopwith team among the rivals successfully left Newfoundland. But after departing in May 1919, the plane developed engine trouble and the pilots had to ditch in the Atlantic. They were rescued by a Danish steamer. Newfoundland had been chosen so that the crossing would be as short as possible. But, at that time of year, it was bitterly cold and fierce winds would buffet the open cockpit. As for the landscape that they would be taking off from, it was covered with bogs, dotted with ditches and peppered with rocks and fences. Time and money had to be spent on preparing a stretch of land for take-off. Following a successful test flight of their aircraft, Alcock told journalists: 'I am perfectly satisfied with the machine. 'She behaved splendidly, and I shall be off to England as quickly as I can. I hope to be in London before the week end.' And the pilot also sent a cable to Vickers bosses, telling them: 'Machine absolutely top-hole'. In the cockpit they had flasks of coffee, hot chocolate and Horlick's. And in their pockets were the sandwiches that would give them much-needed energy during the bitterly cold journey. They also had a small flask of brandy each. There was more food and drink in a cupboard in the aircraft's tail, should they end up coming down on water. With them too was a bag of what would become the first transatlantic airmail. Among the letters were several written by the two airmen. Alcock wrote to his mother telling her not to worry. And he said to his sister: 'My Dear Elsie. Just a hurried line before I start. Th is letter will travel with me in the official mail bag, the first mail to be carried over the Atlantic. 'Love to all. Your Loving Brother, Jack.' For good luck, they also had their black cat toy mascots. Alcock named his Lucky Jim; whilst Brown's was called Twinkletoe. Both men, as airman veterans of the First World War, were convinced that black cats were a good omen. The flight is now remembered for the fact that it succeeded where rival attempts failed. But those 16 hours in the air were hellish. The radio failed, meaning Alcock and Brown's plan to update operators on the ground with their position at 20 minutes past each hour was dead. A working radio would also have meant that, should the men have to ditch into the Atlantic, they would be rescued in good time. Instead, they had to contend with the knowledge very soon into the flight that no one knew where they were. Mr Rooney writes: 'Whatever happened now, whatever challenges they faced, nobody would hear them. 'Jack Alcock and Ted Brown were entirely alone.' Next, the pilots were met with a sound that Mr Rooney describes as having sounded 'like machine-gun fire'. The Vickers' exhaust pipe had burst and a large section of it was now hanging loose. It got so hot that it turned white, before being blown away. Alcock and Brown now feared that the fire they saw emerging from the now-open exhaust pipe would engulf their aircraft. Although the plane did not burst into flames, the weather did not look kindly on the pilots. The men were flying at 3,500 feet when the plane was engulfed in thick fog that left them totally blind. 'There was no horizon, no sky, no sea,' Mr Rooney writes. All around them was total blackness. And then disaster. The plane went into a steep dive. By the time the aircraft left the cloud it had been stuck in, the aneroid - the device that gave a measure of their altitude - read 50 feet. The pilots had been just moments away from slamming into the Atlantic. Thankfully though, the aircraft recovered its height and the perilous journey continued. The rest of the trip was, by comparison, uneventful - until the landing. Above Clifden in Ireland, Alcock circled as he searched for a touch-down spot. Having found an open space, he turned off the Vimy's engines and glided down to the ground. But when the wheels touched the ground at around 8.40am on June 15, they dug into the soil. It turned out that Alcock had landed on a bog. The nose of the Vimy tilted forward and the tail lifted into the air as the plane sank into the soft ground. The nose buckled but did not totally break, meaning the cockpit stayed protected. Although Brown bumped his face, he and Alcock escaped otherwise unhurt. Brown then fired two flares into the sky and within minutes soldiers and officers from the nearby wireless station had appeared. Daily Mail reporter James Hodson arrived to interview the pair. Captain Alcock said in the Mail: 'We have had a terrible journey. 'The wonder is we are here at all. We scarcely saw the sun or the moon or the stars. For hours we saw none of them. 'The fog was very dense, and at times we had to descend to within 300 feet of the sea. 'For four hours the machine was covered in sheet ice caused by frozen sleet; at another time the sleet was so dense that my speed indicator did not work, and for a few seconds it was very alarming. 'We looped the loop, I do believe, and did a very steep spiral. We did some very comic "stunts", for I have had no sense of horizon.' He added: 'The only thing that upset me was to see the machine at the end get damaged. 'From above, the bog looked like a lovely field, but the machine sank into it up to the axle and fell over on to her nose.' The Mail's report announcing Alcock's death King George V sent his congratulations. An official message read: 'The King was delighted to receive your welcome announcement that Capt. Alcock and Lieut. Brown have safely landed in Ireland after their Transatlantic flight. 'His Majesty wishes you to communicate at once with these officers and to convey to them the King's warmest congratulations on the success of their splendid achievement.' The victory party was thrown by the Mail at The Savoy. More than 300 guests attended. Winston Churchill, then secretary of state for war and air, gave Alcock and Brown their prize and announced that they would be knighted. But then tragedy struck. On December 18, 1919, Brown was killed in a crash while flying the all-new Vickers Viking amphibian to the Paris Airshow. The Daily Mail announced Alcock's death on December 20. The news report read: 'We deeply regret to announce the death of Sir John Alcock, D.F.C., winner of the Daily Mail £10,000 prize for the first transatlantic flight and the first airman to be knighted. 'His death followed a crash due to a heavy storm while flying a new machine to the Paris Exhibition.' The report added: 'Sir John Alcock breathed his last in an old four-poster bed of a small Normandy farmhouse at Cottevrard at 4pm yesterday. 'His fatal injuries were received when he crashed into a field three hours earlier while flying the new Vickers combination aeroplane and flying-boat to Paris for the Air Show.' Despite the loss, Alcock's exploits with Brown did achieve the recognition they deserved from fellow pilots. Charles Lindbergh reportedly gave the two men apt recognition when he landed in Paris after his solo crossing from New York in 1927. He allegedly said to rapturous onlookers: 'Why all this fuss? Alcock and Brown showed us the way.' Lindbergh's fellow aviator, Amelia Earhart, described Alcock and Brown's flight as 'an amazing feat, and the least appreciated'. She became the first woman to fly the Atlantic solo in 1932, before disappearing over the Pacific in 1937. And Amy Johnson, who flew from England to Australia in 1930, described Alcock and Brown's feat as 'the greatest in the history of aviation'.
Mint
a day ago
- Business
- Mint
EU Targets Boeing, US Cars and Bourbon With €72 Billion List
The European Union has finalized a second list of countermeasures to target US goods worth €72 billion , including Boeing Co. aircraft, automobiles and bourbon if it decides to retaliate as transatlantic trade tensions intensify. The additional duties would also be slapped on machinery products, chemicals and plastics, medical devices, electrical equipment, wines and other agricultural goods, according to a 206-page list prepared by the European Commission and seen by Bloomberg News. The list, initially hitting American goods totaling €95 billion, was cut down after consultations with companies and member states. Countries must give their approval before the list's adoption. The suite of measures represents the EU's response to President Donald Trump's earlier so-called reciprocal tariff of 20% hitting most goods and the additional levies on cars and car parts of 25%. The universal rate was later temporarily lowered to 10% to allow negotiations to take place. European Commission representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment early Tuesday morning. The list, which was reported earlier by Politico, does not include a tariff rate for the goods. Over the weekend, Trump said he would raise EU tariffs to 30% on Aug. 1, which the bloc's trade chief Maros Sefcovic called 'effectively prohibitive' to transatlantic trade. EU trade ministers met in Brussels on Monday to discuss next steps. Sefcovic was planning to speak with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick late Monday to continue negotiations that the EU insists must be mutually beneficial to both sides. Over the weekend, the EU announced it was set to extend a suspension of tariffs on a first list of €21 billion of US products in response to additional steel and aluminum tariffs from Trump. The EU's new list of targeted US products includes more than €65 billion of industrial goods, including mostly aircraft , machinery and cars . More than €6 billion of US goods hit are agrifood products, mostly fruits and vegetables and alcoholic drinks . The broad package also includes precision equipment and instruments , toys and hobby equipment , sports guns or musical instruments . Some of the criteria to choose the goods were the availability of alternative sources of supply and products where the risk of relocation is high, according to the document. Imported military products will not be subject to the duties. With assistance from Suzanne Lynch. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
EU Targets Boeing, US Cars and Bourbon With €72 Billion List
Save The European Union has finalized a second list of countermeasures to target US goods worth €72 billion, or $84 billion, including Boeing Co. aircraft, automobiles and bourbon if it decides to retaliate as transatlantic trade tensions intensify. The additional duties would also be slapped on machinery products, chemicals and plastics, medical devices, electrical equipment, wines and other agricultural goods, according to a 206-page list prepared by the European Commission and seen by Bloomberg News.
See - Sada Elbalad
2 days ago
- Business
- See - Sada Elbalad
EU Ready to Impose €21 Bln in Tariffs on US Goods
Israa Farhan The European Union is prepared to impose tariffs on American imports worth €21 billion ($24.5 billion) if ongoing trade talks with the United States collapse, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani revealed in a newspaper interview published on Monday. Speaking to 'Il Messaggero', Tajani confirmed that Brussels has already compiled a list of US products targeted for potential retaliatory tariffs. The move comes in response to US President Donald Trump's latest threat to impose a 30 percent tariff on goods imported from both the EU and Mexico, starting 1 August, following the failure of recent trade negotiations. Tajani warned that if no agreement is reached, the EU will have no choice but to respond decisively, adding that a second wave of tariffs could be introduced if a deal proves impossible. Despite the tensions, he expressed hope that diplomatic negotiations could still lead to a resolution. In the same interview, Tajani urged the European Central Bank (ECB) to consider launching a new round of quantitative easing and interest rate cuts to support the eurozone economy amid the global uncertainty fueled by potential US tariffs. He highlighted that escalating trade barriers would have global repercussions. Tajani cautioned that a decline in global stock markets could pose a direct threat to American pension funds and household savings. The Italian minister emphasized that the ultimate objective should be a zero-tariff trading environment across the transatlantic and North American regions. He called for greater market openness between the EU, Canada, the United States, and Mexico, positioning this as a vital step toward long-term economic stability. As global trade tensions mount, the EU's contingency measures signal a readiness to defend its economic interests, while leaving the door open for constructive dialogue. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks Arts & Culture Hawass Foundation Launches 1st Course to Teach Ancient Egyptian Language Videos & Features Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream
The Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
What Chris Hughes & JoJo Siwa are REALLY like behind the scenes – my day with them was eye-opening
IN my 20 years as a journalist I've been asked about Chris Hughes and JoJo Siwa more than any other celebrity couple. It feels like everywhere I go people want to know 'Is it fake?' 'Are they legit?' 'What are they like?'... Well, let me tell you. 9 9 9 9 I can say unequivocally that they are 100 per cent the real deal. Two weeks ago I got to see them together in person as we met Chris, 32, for his first ever Fabulous Magazine cover. It's also the first time he's really opened up about his feelings for the 23-year-old Nesbraska born star, who rose to fame as an 11-year-old on Dance Moms and is worth £15million. I've known Chris since 2017 when he came out of Love Island and over the years I've hung out with him at events with various partners including Olivia Atwood, who he met while in the villa as well as Jesy Nelson, when he accompanied her to the National TV Awards in 2020 and I've never seen him this smitten before. Organising photoshoots with celebrities ' busy schedules is always a struggle but with Chris we weren't just trying to fit it in around his work which included attending Royal Ascot in his role as racing commentator and Coral Ambassador but also balancing his transatlantic dating schedule. He's frequently hopping on planes now to the States to see his girlfriend. And when JoJo is in the UK, he understandably wants to spend every minute with her - so when I saw online the day before we were due to shoot she had jetted in without telling Chris I was filled with dread that they would call it off [she very sweetly asked the paps who got her arriving off her flight at Heathrow to hold onto the pictures for a couple of hours so to not ruin the surprise.] Thankfully he was way too professional to cancel so there was much excitement in the office when his team asked 'would it be ok for him to bring JoJo along with him?' It's been the most whirlwind couple of months for the pair, who met on Celebrity Big Brother in April. The last time I saw Chris was at Cheltenham Races in March and we talked candidly about him going into the house and what he should expect. I warned him it was very different to the Love Island villa and that he needed to keep his cool as it's designed to be a pressure cooker. Neither of us would have expected that he would go in there and fall for JoJo - who he calls Joelle and she refers to him as 'My sweet Christopher'. JoJo Siwa says she'll NEVER break up with Chris Hughes saying their relationship is 'earthquake proof' He told me: 'Everything that happened on CBB, and everything that has happened since. . . I know it's such a clichéd thing to say, but I would never have believed it in a million years.' And he's not the only one but when I arrived at the studio in East London I witnessed first hand how in love the pair of them are. They were sitting on the floor facing each other with their legs interlocked, holding hands chatting. Both jumped up when they saw me and Chris proudly introduced me to his girlfriend. The first thing that struck me about JoJo is how pretty she is in real life. She was dressed casually in long baggy denim shorts with a £465 Off White black knitted jumper with her hair half up half down. Her skin is absolutely flawless and she beamed her whiter than white smile at me. She had such a warm friendly energy that I was instantly drawn to her. The interview was scheduled at the start of the day and we went to a nearby coffee shop without JoJo jokingly telling her: 'We can't talk about you if you are there.' 9 'Magical feeling' Chris was incredibly candid during the hour long chat about falling in love and his hopes for their future together. Describing meeting her as 'a magical feeling', he frequently mentioned destiny and the universe bringing them together. He told me: 'I've never been fixated on the universe but there are so many weird signs that the universe has given me in the last two months. "I genuinely believe that everything that has happened was meant to happen. 'We keep using that word serendipity and that's what this is. Life handed me a blessing in my lap without it ever crossing my mind. "Something truly beautiful while I was focusing on something so unrelated. "I can never hate the universe if it decides to give me a few bad breaks in the future, I'll say 'okay fair enough' because once upon a time, it gave me her. That happiness is enough for my lifetime.' I think of myself as quite a tough journalist - I can count on my hand how many times I've cried during an interview and I had tears in my eyes as he told me how he feared he would never find anyone who would love him and he worried that there was something wrong with him. I couldn't help but smile as he gushed about how happy he was now that they were together. He showed me countless videos of them together - some of them both in tears as they said emotional goodbyes at the airport. I've never been fixated on the universe but there are so many weird signs that the universe has given me in the last two months Chris Hughes I had no doubt that this lad was head over heels. And the feelings from the dancer were clearly mutual. Following the interview JoJo joked at how 'wild' British journalists are adding 'They just ask whatever they want. They will just say 'Are you gonna get married?' I laughed: 'Oh I asked Chris that.' She was intrigued though and wanted to know his answer. She also showed me a picture of a sentimental gift she had bought him - I'll not ruin the surprise by sharing what it was. I've had a difficult time over the past few years - again it's not something I really talk about in a professional environment. But I felt so comfortable with JoJo that I shared what my life away from work had been like. As I got emotional, she hugged me. She spoke to me with such compassion, kindness not to mention maturity that I could understand why Chris (and his entire group of family and friends) have fallen in love with her. 9 9 She was honest too about their struggles and the criticism they've received from trolls about their relationship. I shared with her that while in college in the States I had similarly fallen for one of my friends and how there are some weird hurdles to overcome in the change of dynamic as well as what it's like to have to deal with everyone having an opinion on your love life. We talked about how much she liked being in the UK and her plans to spend more time here. She's obsessed with drinking tea and despite being a multi millionaire happily tucked into a lunch of Pret sandwiches and salads as well snacking on sweets including Love Hearts and Drumsticks. She lamented that she wasn't able to stay long enough to get to go to Wimbledon but revealed that Chris was taking her to the British Summer Time Festival at Hyde Park in London to see Olivia Rodrigo to celebrate their one month anniversary. The shoot had a rugged theme with Chris posing topless and JoJo was a total cheerleader going 'Babe, you look so hot!' as she snapped on her phone pictures and videos behind the scenes. She admitted: 'He will definitely want to look back on these later.' In between each outfit change they cuddled and kissed and it was clear they couldn't keep their hands off each other. We can just lie with each other and be in each other's company. That to us when it feels like there is no one else in the world except us is pure happiness Chris Hughes Later she expressed concern that he was going to actually shave his beard off when he posed with a razor for one of the shots. We also had him hanging off some thick chains covered in oil, in order to get his 'pump' on he dropped to the floor and started doing press ups. It was really impressive. JoJo and I both locked eyes with each other and she quipped proudly: 'That's my boyfriend.' While we got the last of the photographs, JoJo made TikToks in the corner of the studio. One she later posted was captioned: 'lil fit check while I was being a professional girlfriend on set for the day.' And a total professional she was. She posed for photos with the team - even doing a birthday message for the photographer's daughter's birthday before it was time to go. While most celebrities are usually rushing off to an event or red carpet Chris shrugged at the suggestion saying they were just going home. He had told me earlier: "A lot of my happiness comes from sitting on my sofa. I don't go out much. I'm not really a partier. I don't drink. I like watching TV with a cup of TV. "And thank god that's so reciprocated from her side. So we can just lie with each other and be in each other's company. "That to us when it feels like there is no one else in the world except us is pure happiness.' And so it was time to leave with a taxi arriving to whip Chris and JoJo back to his home in Windsor and back to their own version of happiness. 9
