Calbraith Perry Rodgers

In 1911 in the Vin Fiz, Calbraith Perry Rodgers became the first person to cross the United States from coast to coast by airplane—a trip that took 49 days.

Who Was Calbraith Perry Rodgers?

  • A man with a notable Navy heritage who was drawn to the sky instead of the sea.
  • The first airborne advertiser.
  • One of the first long-distance airplane record setters.
  • An instant aviation star whose life was cut short.
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Rodgers' achievement ensured his place in aviation history, but his celebrity was short-lived.

Cal Rodgers rose to fame at the Chicago International Aviation Meet.

Cal Rodgers' flight helped foreshadow a century of flight.

Rodgers and the Vin Fiz make it to the Pacific Ocean.