Trans-Pacific flight

[fatmac98]

We all know about Lucky Lindy in 1927, but who was the first person to fly solo acroos the Pacific?

[Reeder]

Apparently it was Steve Fossett.

In a balloon.

[Ringo]

From Trans-Tasman Airmails:

Two figures dominate early direct flights to and from New Zealand: Charles Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm. They had made the first trans-Pacific flight from the USA to Australia in May/June 1928 in the Southern Cross, a Fokker monoplane.

But then Aircrash has this to say about Clyde Pangborn:

Flew the first Trans-Pacific flight or 4,500 nonstop miles in 41 hours and 13 minutes, and received the Japanese award money.
Also received the Harmon Aviation Trophy for the Trans-Pacific flight.
For this monumental accomplishment, several monuments both at Samishiro Beach and at the airfield in Wenatchee, now called Pangborn Field honor him.

So, I suppose the first pair made the first USA to Australia flight. The Aircrash website doesn’t say much more.

OK, here we go. The Flight says Pangborn made the first non-stop USA to Japan flight in 1931.

[scr4]

Ringo, the OP asked for the first solo flight across the Pacific. Actually, it’s not clear if the OP is asking for the first solo non-stop flight.

Based on my Google search, many consider Amelia Earhart to be the first person to do a solo trans-Pacific flight. But it turns out that a Hawaii-California flight counts as “trans-Pacific.”

[fatmac98]

To clarify: first non-stop, solo, TP flight. Sorry about that.

[Reeder]

Steve Fossett