To eliminate weight, he had the landing gear on the Winnie Mae made jettisonable and reinforced the bottom of the aircraft so that it could be belly-landed on a soft field with the propeller stopped and suffer no damage.

Fortunately for Post, the equipment performed superbly and he succeeded in cutting his record by nearly a day in spite of poor weather and airfield conditions along the route. He ranked first both as regards positive accomplishments and fruitfulness of new ideas. Hollywood studios attempted to ban their actors from flying – even if not currently filming a picture.On August 15, 1935, in a plane crash near Point Barrow Alaska, famed aviator Wiley Post perished alongside his close friend, the renowned humorist and popular culture icon Will Rogers. As Post was not an aeronautical engineer, the combination was potentially hazardous and he made it more so by adding floats from a larger Fokker aircraft. These included the prototype for the first generation production Sperry autopilots and a new Army radio compass. Wiley Post Popularity . Supposition centered on engine problems possibly brought on by carburetor icing and an insufficient amount of elevator surface to counteract the nose heavy loading of the aircraft in a glide.Our scientists are involved in current research focused on the Martian climate and geology. An accident at an oil rig cost him his left eye, but the injury payout allowed him to learn to fly and acquire his own aircraft. He was the most advanced and courageous man aviation has thus brought forth.” Newspaper editorials called on President Roosevelt to declare a national holiday and day of mourning. A presentation film was narrated by Lowell Thomas, and his Hall of Fame portrait was done by Milton Caniff, creator of the "Terry and the Pirates" and "Steve Canyon" comic strips. Sagittarius. Rogers was an ardent aviation enthusiast and frequently sang Post’s praises in his newspaper column. His post wife was actually Mae Quinlan Wiley's most celebrated aircraft was a Lockheed Vega 5, much like Amelia Earhart's 'Little red bus' Before his death in a plane crash in 1935, Post became one of the best-known fliers in the world, mainly because of a flight around the world with navigator Harold Gatty in 1931 and a similar solo flight in 1933. You have successfully signed up for our newsletter.The nation entered a state of mourning that it has rarely done outside of the death of presidents. They were Oklahomans who “made good” from the part of the nation most affected by the Dust Bowl and the economic collapse. Please carefully review any restrictions accompanying the Licensed Material on the Getty Images website, and contact your Getty Images representative if you have a question about them. The award was presented by Will Rogers Jr. and his widow, Winnie Post, of Ralls, Texas, accepted the award. Your Getty Images representative will discuss a renewal with you.Your Easy-access (EZA) account allows those in your organization to download content for the following uses:It overrides the standard online composite license for still images and video on the Getty Images website. With the exception of Charles Lindbergh, no American aviator of the time was as celebrated as Post, while Rogers was widely considered as the nation’s most gifted commentator on American society.