Thomas C. Allen was an airplane mechanic who with James Herman Banning were the first African Americans to make a transcontinental flight in 1932. Their historic flight led to other long-distance flights by black aviators. Advertisement titled "First Transcontinental Flight" with portrait photographs of African American pilots J. Herman Banning, and Thomas C. Allen and a photograph of Banning and Allen standing in front of an airplane. James Herman Banning was an American aviation pioneer. In 1932, with mechanic Thomas C. Allen, he became America's first black aviator to fly coast-to-coast. The "Flying Hoboes," as they were affectionately known, made the 3,300 mile trip from Los Angeles to Long Island, NY in 41 hours and 27 minutes aloft. However, the trip actually required 21 days to complete because the pilots had to raise money for the next leg of the trip each time they stopped. Banning later died in 1933 in a plane crash. Caption: J. Herman Banning pilot / Thomas V. Allen Mec. / First Transcontinental Flight / Los Angeles to New York / October 9, 1932. Flying time of 41 hours and 27 minutes
Type
image
Identifier
uclalsc_1889_b19_f29_008.tif ark:/21198/z1j6912n
Subject
African American air pilots Allen, Thomas C. (Thomas Cox), 1907-1989 Banning, James Herman, 1899-1933
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