Twice Around the World: Oklahoma's Wiley Post
Wiley Post Collection
Raised in Maysville, Oklahoma, world-class aviator and inventor Wiley Post is perhaps most remembered today for being the first person to fly solo around the world in 1933. Posthumously inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2004, Post's career and innovations changed not only Oklahoma but the entire world. Post flew around the world twice and pioneered a number of innovations and methods which impacted the field of aviation and space flight! To this end, Twice Around the World: Oklahoma's Wiley Post is a celebration of Post's influence and the anniversary of his solo world flight, which ended on July 22, 1933.
The Oklahoma Hall of Fame Archives contains the Wiley Post Collection, a unique collection of original articles, photographs, and correspondence. These materials are utilized in this exhibit along with contributions from the Oklahoma Historical Society and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, to demonstrate the far-reaching impact of Post's two historic flights and the inventions to which they are linked. As you explore, consider what these impacts are and their impact on our lives today!
Wiley Post and Harold Gatty Make History
From June 23 to July 1, 1931, Wiley Post and navigator Harold Gatty flew in a Lockheed Vega monoplane named the Winnie Mae, circling the world in 8 days, 15 hours, and 51 minutes. They set an exceptional record for fastest 'round-the-world flight!
For their trip, Post and Gatty carefully laid out their equipment in the Winnie Mae. Using the diagram pictured here, try to identify the equipment and consider how each one contributed to the flight's success!
Photo of Wiley and Mae Laine Post, Harold and Elsie Gatty, and F.C. Hall amongst a crowd, 1931. Wiley Post Collection. Oklahoma Hall of Fame Archives.
Diagram of Winnie Mae Interior, 1931. Courtesy of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C.
Post and Gatty Now World-Renowned Aviators
During their flight, Post and Gatty became famous in the United States and throughout the world! Along their many stops around the world they often drew huge, raucous crowds of spectators. Their return to the U.S. by way of New York City, as well as their eventual return to Oklahoma, was met with equal enthusiasm.
Take a look at the accompanying magazine cover and article from 1931. What do they say about the public reaction to Post's and Gatty's flight?
Magazine, Mid-Week Pictorial, vol. 33, no. 21, July 11, 1931. Features Wiley Post and Harold Gatty in New York City. Wiley Post Collection. Oklahoma Hall of Fame Archives.
Newspaper Article clipping, ca. 1931. Concerns Post and Gatty's visit to Oklahoma. Wiley Post Collection. Oklahoma Hall of Fame Archives.
Wiley Post Sets Off Again - Solo!
Post planned another world flight - this time, by himself! For this trip, the U.S. Army permitted Post to test two secret systems: the autopilot and radio direction finder. Together they allowed for longer flights without a human navigator. Thus from July 15th to July 22nd, 1933, the Winnie Mae circled the world again, setting a new speed record of 7 days and 19 hours.
Why do you think Post was trusted with these systems, like the"Mechanical Mike" autopilot device pictured here? How did they make long-distance, solo flying easier?
Photograph of the Mechanical Mike, an autopilot device, 1933. Courtesy of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C.
Oklahoma's Own Wiley Post
Wiley Post's world flights garnered fame not only for himself, but for Oklahoma as well. Throughout the world, people learned about Post's home state, some for the first time! Post's endeavors helped make Oklahoma a key location for future aviation development. Many Oklahomans, both then and today, remember him as the pioneer of Oklahoma flight.
Take a minute to read an Oklahoman's letter to Post. How did the writer describe him? How did he think Post's two world flights were significant for Oklahoma?
Letter from lawyer C. J. Blinn to Wiley Post, ca. 1933. Sent upon the latter's completion of his solo world flight. Wiley Post Collection. Oklahoma Hall of Fame Archives.
Post's High-Altitude Experiments
Post went on to pioneer stratospheric flight, the precursor of future commercial and space flight! In 1934 he designed the first pressurized suit and became the first person to ride the stratosphere. He also discovered the stratosphere's jet stream -an area of thin air and fast wind currents enabling faster, more fuel-efficient flying. This led to the high-speed and high altitude flights most airlines use today.
Why did Post need a special suit to fly in the stratosphere? How is his pressure suit similar to spacesuits?
Photograph, ca. 1930s. The Winnie Mae at rest near a hangar. Wiley Post Collection. Oklahoma Hall of Fame Archives.
Photograph, ca. 1930s. Wiley Post in his pressure suit with fellow Oklahoma Hall of Fame Member Frank Phillips. Courtesy of the Oklahoma Historical Society.