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Foynes, Ireland and the First Transatlantic Flights
Exploring Ireland
Foynes is a small unassuming hamlet, inhabited by less than seven hundred souls, nestled on the southern bank of the Shannon Estuary in Co. Limerick, Ireland. However, during the turbulent years of World War II, Foynes became the focal point of the aviation world. On 9 July 1939, Pan Am's luxury Flying Boat, the Flying Clipper landed at Foynes, becoming the first commercial, direct transatlantic flight. Charles Lindbergh had first made landfall at Foynes in 1935 on a surveying flight with a view to implementing a transatlantic flying boat operation. The first successful flights were operated on 5 July 1937 when a Pan Am Sikorsky S-42 took off from Botwood, Newfoundland and a BOAC Short Empire took off from Foynes, both successfully completing the transit in under sixteen hours. On 22 June 1942, Captain Charlie Blair, who was later to marry the Irish-born Hollywood starlet Maureen O'Hara, made the first non-stop passenger flight from Foynes to New York in twenty-five hours and forty minutes. During the years of the service, Foynes witnessed the colourful hustle and bustle of many famous politicians, film stars, international businessman, active servicemen and wartime refugees. However, it's time in the sun was too be all to brief, with the completion of Shannon Airport in 1942 sounding Foynes' death knell. In 1945, Charlie Blair flew the last American Export flying boat out of Foynes watched by hundreds of tearful Foynes residents. He returned a few days later in a DC-4 but he landed it at Shannon International Airport, the future was north of the Shannon Estuary, Foynes was to be left alone with it's memories. However, you can re-live these memories by visiting the Foynes Flying Museum and clambering aboard a full scale replica of the Yankee Clipper.
Russell Shortt is a travel consultant with Exploring Ireland, the leading specialists in customised, private escorted tours, escorted coach tours and independent self drive tours of Ireland. Article source Russell Shortt, http://www.exploringireland.net
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Article submitted Tuesday, April 07, 2009 & read 75 times.
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