Jim Morehead:
Flight Lieutenants Jack Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown were the first aircrew to fly the Atlantic non-stop in 1919. (An American had flown the Atlantic in a seaplane, but with countless refuelling stops at US ships a little earlier).
Alcock and Brown took some 19 hours from Newfoundland to Ireland and Brown had to climb out on to the wings several times to chip ice from the air intakes. The one mistake they made was to land in a field that subsequently turned out to be a bog and their aircraft was damaged somewhat.
One story that sums up their humour was that the press had great difficulty in remembering who was who. They would conclude their press conference by standing up and saying, in turn:
"Remember: It's Alcock in front"
"...and a Brown behind!"
There are statues to them at London Heathrow and Manchester Airports.
Sadly,Sir Jack Alcock(as he became) was killed in an air crash not long afterwards but Sir Arthur Whitten Brown lived until 1948.
I understand that an American chap managed a non-stop some eight years later.
