Three Across

During the months of May and June in 1927, all eyes were focused on the feverish activities at Roosevelt Field on Long Island, New York. Three airplanes were lined up preparing for an historic flight. All over the world, people were caught up in the suspense and danger. Which plane would be first? Most predicted that Columbia, with the well-known test pilot, Clarence Chamberlin, at the controls, would be first. The plane was owned by Charles A. Levine, a wheeler-dealer millionaire with great ambitions. As chairman of the Columbia Aircraft Corporation he owned the most sought-after airplane of the time. By 1927 the Bellanca-designed Columbia had already flown over 30,000 miles and held the world endurance flying record.

The early years of aviation were marked by a series of "firsts." It seemed as if each record-setting flight was quickly surpassed by an even more daring aviation feat. While uncountable records were made and then broken, one aviation goal captivated everyone's attention – a non-stop flight between Paris and New York.

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