James Herman Banning, flying an Alexander Eaglerock airplane becomes the first Black pilot to fly coast to coast in the United States. They left Los Angeles, CA on September 18, 1932 and arrived in New York’s Long Island on October 9, 1932. Accompanied by his mechanic, Thomas Allen, the 3,300-mile journey took 21 days as they had to stop and raise money for each leg of the trip.
References:
- Bill, Moore. N.d. Banning. Banning, James Herman (1900–1933). The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture.
- Gubert, Betty., Sawyer, Miriam., Fannin, Caroline. 2002. Distinguished African Americans in Aviation and Space Science. Greenwood Publishing Group.
Photo:
- James Herman Banning. Fair use via Wikimedia Commons.