Louis Blériot's epic first flight across the Channel in 1909 was the inspiring inception to a new era of travel. Man's imagination was stirred by the fact that a tiny aeroplane had crossed the sea barrier, thus showing to the least thoughtful that no longer were oceans an obstacle to international communication.

With the subsequent rapid development of aviation the Channel crossing became a matter of course, but it was nine years before a long ocean crossing was made, when, in 1918, Alcock and Brown flew a Vickers Vimy from Newfoundland to Ireland, and it was thirteen years before Lindbergh again captured the world's imagination by his lone flight across the Atlantic.

There is no doubt of the value of pioneer flights such as these in stimulating aircraft development towards greater performance, reliability and suitability.