For eight years after the first non-stop heavier-than-air Atlantic crossing by a British
Vickers Vimy in 1919, there were no further such flights. Then, in 1927, three crossings were made by American flyers, the
America's being the third after
Lindbergh's first solo crossing in the
Spirit of St. Louis flight and
Clarence Chamberlin's
Columbia flight from New York to
Berlin. All three were aspiring to win the
Orteig Prize. It was also the first aircraft to carry official
airmail across the Atlantic. The
America was destroyed after it was ditched near the French village of
Ver-sur-Mer, having flown to Paris but being unable to land due to fog. Distance covered was about 3,800 miles not counting the time and distance spent at Paris waiting in vain for the fog to clear. After it was towed ashore, it was torn apart by souvenir hunters. Portions of the aircraft reside in several museums in Europe and in the United States. The
America is a subject of the
America/Goldbeach Museum, located in Ver-sur-Mer. ==See also==