James Fitzmaurice & Transatlantic Flight
22 videos • 102 views • by Laois Heritage In April 1928, the Junkers aircraft the Bremen took off from Baldonnell Aerodrome in Dublin, and set out to cross the Atlantic from East to West - against prevailing winds - for the first time. On board was Portlaoise native Captain James Fitzmaurice, along with Germans Hermann Kohl and Ehrenfried Günther Freiherr von Hünefeld. When they touched down on Greenly Island, off the coast of Canada, more than 36 hours later, they made history. The achievement has been celebrated in Laois over the years, and the documentary "Fitz and the First East West Transatlantic Flight" by Louis Deacy was produced as part of a series of commemorative events to mark the 90th anniversary of the flight, in 2018. This playlist also includes historic news reels of the time, documenting the flight and the reception it received world wide.