"Peter Stickney" wrote in message
...

And that was also, in fact, the Big Deal behind teh Orteig Prize.
Transatlantic flights had been done for nearly a decade before
Lindberg (Or Byrd, or Nungesser & Coli, ir Wooster) entered into the
picture.


The Orteig prize was not for the first transatlantic flight, it was for the
first non-stop flight between New York City and Paris.



While not reoutine, there had been a number of crossings,
but of either so limited value (Alcock & Browm - a great flight, mind,
but so razor-edged that it wasn't in any wise anything but a valiant
first attempt)


Alcock & Brown won the Daily Mail prize with that flight, the first between
North America and the UK.