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was informed that the weather along his route had improved, where conditions were average, with no major changes expected in the next 24 hours. Encouraged with this news, Vaitkus decided to fly. He carried five ham and egg sandwiches, a quart of coffee and lemonade, fruit, plus two gallons of water. One thousand letters were onboard too to be delivered to
Lithuania, and ribbons from Lithuanian-Americans of Chicago for the graves of
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was headed for Europe. Unfortunately, Vaitkus had to fight the worst possible weather conditions, flying through rain, fog, and icing, so that most of his navigation had to be by his new radio compass. More than once he noticed ice forming on the wings and had to descend to a lower altitude until it
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in New York in May 1935. That year, prior to his arrival, no pilots had been able to fly over the
Atlantic due to poor weather conditions, and so he had to wait until the chief meteorologist gave him a favorable weather report. It was not until four months later, on the evening of September 20, he
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Feliksas
Vaitkus was the only pilot to fly across the North Atlantic in 1935, and even though he landed in Ireland and not in Kaunas, he was entered in aviation’s history books for being the sixth pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic.
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The original flight date was postponed to 1935 because modifications were needed to strengthen the aircraft's structure due to the installation of extra fuel tanks and a more powerful engine. New equipment was added, which
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on Sunday, April 22, 1934. When the pilot originally chosen for the flight unexpectedly resigned in the spring, the
Lithuanian organizers turned to Feliksas Vaitkus, and he accepted the challenge to fly to Lithuania.
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neighborhood where
Vaitkus was born three years later. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1928, and after graduating from advanced pilot’s training school, was commissioned a second lieutenant in the
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discussed the possibility of financing another transatlantic flight. This idea was greeted with much enthusiasm, and enough funds were raised during this difficult period, the
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He was recalled to active duty in the Army Air Corps in 1940, serving as the chief test pilot at the Boeing
Aircraft Co. in Seattle, testing hundreds of
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due to his low fuel supply, and being exhausted after a 23-hour struggle fighting the elements, he felt it was best to come down somewhere in
Ireland.
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was crated for shipment to
Lithuania, where it would be restored. By ship and by train he made his way to Kaunas where he was given a hero’s welcome.
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thawed off. Vaitkus was helped considerably by hourly broadcasts from an Irish radio station. He learned that
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and landed there, with the aircraft suffering extensive damage. He was lucky to be alive and uninjured.
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did not have, such as a variable-pitch propeller to improve engine performance and a radio compass.
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496:"The Second Transatlantic Flight. Felix Waitkus: Forgotten Hero" by Edward W. Baranauskas
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bombers. He was recalled again to serve in the U.S. Air Force during the
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Comparative
Analysis of English and Lithuanian Aviation Terminology
270:. A much faster and more modern aircraft (compared to the original
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Lietuviškos ir Angliškos
Aviacijos Terminijos Lyginamoji Analizė
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in 1904, settling in the old "Lithuanian Downtown" in Chicago's
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was fogged in, as well as all areas heading east as far as the
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The next day, September 21, at 6:45 in the morning,
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306:was test-flown extensively to ensure its success.
220:pilot and the sixth pilot to fly solo across the
442:, Lietuvos žinios No. 116 (11 453), 24 May 2006
384:He died of a heart attack while stationed at
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440:Airijoje - "Lituanicos II" skrydžio pėdsakai
413:The Associated Press (22 September 1935).
350:He spotted an open field in Cloongowla at
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343:. He knew that he could not make it to
262:tragedy, some prominent members of the
282:in his round-the-world flight, and by
201:Lithuanian postage stamp dedicated to
526:Aviation history of the United States
521:American people of Lithuanian descent
473:from the original on 14 November 2023
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546:Military personnel from Wisconsin
466:(Technical report). p. 28.
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415:"Waitkus flying into ocean fog"
452:Saulėnas, Paulius (May 2016).
16:American-born Lithuanian pilot
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541:People from Kohler, Wisconsin
153:United States Army Air Forces
289:The aircraft was christened
264:Chicago Lithuanian community
144:United States Army Air Corps
536:United States Army colonels
212:(1907–1956), also known as
121:Order of Vytautas the Great
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278:, the same model used by
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256:A few months after the
216:, was an American-born
162:United States Air Force
438:Karolis Vaitkevičius.
232:His parents came from
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103:University of Chicago
394:Sheboygan, Wisconsin
531:Lithuanian aviators
316:Floyd Bennett Field
314:Vaitkus arrived at
93:Lithuanian American
300:Darius and Girėnas
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186:Lieutenant colonel
123:, III class (1935)
246:Kohler, Wisconsin
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268:Great Depression
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23:Feliksas Vaitkus
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129:Aviation career
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490:External links
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284:Amelia Earhart
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70:July 25, 1956
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60:United States
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48:June 20, 1907
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475:. Retrieved
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422:. Retrieved
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360:Lituanica II
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332:Lituanica II
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304:Lituanica II
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291:Lituanica II
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252:Lituanica II
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203:Lituanica II
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172:World War II
128:
82:West Germany
72:(1956-07-25)
516:1956 deaths
511:1907 births
477:14 November
424:14 November
356:County Mayo
112:Marta Brotz
89:Nationality
505:Categories
400:References
379:Korean War
352:Ballinrobe
341:Baltic Sea
280:Wiley Post
238:Bridgeport
218:Lithuanian
176:Korean War
44:1907-06-20
386:Wiesbaden
272:Lituanica
259:Lituanica
242:Air Corps
234:Lithuania
228:Biography
135:Air force
99:Education
78:Wiesbaden
468:Archived
222:Atlantic
56:Illinois
390:Germany
168:Battles
52:Chicago
462:]
345:Kaunas
337:Dublin
310:Flight
117:Awards
109:Spouse
471:(PDF)
464:(PDF)
458:[
479:2023
426:2023
375:B-29
373:and
371:B-17
323:and
182:Rank
67:Died
38:Born
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417:.
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