Hearst Transcontinental Prize

The Hearst prize was a $50,000 (approximately $1,272,000 today) aviation prize offered by publisher William Randolph Hearst in 1910 to the first aviator to fly coast to coast across the United States, in either direction, in fewer than 30 days from start to finish. The prize expired in November 1911 without a winner.^[1]

Attempts

• James J. Ward left Governors Island in Manhattan, New York City but crashed on September 22, 1911 in Addison, New York on his way to San Francisco, California.^[2][2][3]
• Calbraith Perry Rodgers tried to win it, having started too late, but did complete the flight in 49 days, including several crash landings and maintenance delays.^[1]
• Robert G. Fowler left San Francisco, California on September 11, 1911 and arrived in Jacksonville, Florida on February 8, 1912, after the prize deadline expired.^[4]

References

1. "Prize Competitions and NASA's Centennial Challenges Program" (PDF). NASA. 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-07-03. Retrieved 2007-09-23.
2. "Flier, Seeking to Reach San Francisco, Lands at Calicoon Late in the Afternoon". New York Times. September 15, 1911. Retrieved 2010-11-25. James J. Ward, who left New York for San Francisco Wednesday, flying for the W.R. Hearst $50,000 prize for a transcontinental flight, reached Callicoon, N.Y., a few miles from here, at 4:35 o'clock this afternoon. He covered 59 1-10 miles in 57 minutes, having left Middletown, N.Y., at 3:38 o'clock.
3. "Ward Quits Coast Flight. Comes to Grief at Addison". New York Times. September 23, 1911. Retrieved 2010-11-26.
4. "Robert G. Fowler, Aviator, 81, Dead; Pilot Flew Biplane From West to East Coast in 1911". New York Times. Associated Press. June 16, 1966. Retrieved 2007-06-21. Robert G. Fowler, an aviator who flew a biplane from California to Florida in 1911, collapsed and died, apparently of a heart attack, at his home today. He was 81 years old.