Panama City Aerial Photography
The Hallelujah Flight
In 1932, two black aviators flew from Los Angeles to New York, becoming the first African American men to fly across the United States. With a home-built, dilapidated airplane and only $25 to their names, James H. Banning & Thomas C. Allen flew through figurative and literal storms with the hope of winning a $1,000 reward. With the help of family, friends, and strangers along the way, Banning and Allen made their way across the country with no plan and no money, begging for food, shelter and airplane parts along the way. To pay homage to the generous people who helped them, the aviators collected signatures from people they met in a book called “The Gold Book.”
Who were James Banning and Thomas Allen?
James Banning had been turned away from flight schools and from a flying career in the military because he was black. But that didn’t stop him from becoming a pilot. He learned to fly from an army pilot in Iowa, and he became the first black person to earn a pilot certificate from the U.S. Department of Commerce. In 1929, Banning became the chief pilot for the Bessie Coleman Aero Club, and he flew a biplane in early air shows. Banning convinced his mechanic and fellow pilot Thomas Allen to ride coast-to-coast with him in an Alexander Eaglerock biplane, said to have been pieced together from scrap parts found in junkyards.
The pair of aviators flew 3,300 miles in approximately 42 hours. Because they were constantly sourcing money and aircraft parts, the two were dubbed “The Flying Hobos.” They arrived in New York and were recognized as heroes in the black community. According to the L.A. Times, Allen said that the two tried to stop in black neighborhoods to eat and sleep, but was surprised at the support that was sometimes offered by whites.
Sadly, just months after their iconic flight, James Banning died in a plane crash. He was reportedly catching a ride with a friend – a pilot in the navy – when they stalled and spun to the ground in front of a group of spectators. Banning was just getting started, and his work may not have been complete, but he certainly began to pave the way to equality for black Americans in the air and on the ground.
The Hallelujah Flight
This mostly forgotten story, as told in book “The Hallelujah Flight” by Jack Lynn and again in the children’s book by Phil Bildner, is one most of us have sadly never heard. We’re on a mission to tell their story.
Honoring our Heritage
Today, as we set out on our journey across America, we combine the past with the present to honor our African-American aviation brothers in our own way. Today’s airplanes and aviation infrastructure and our own personal resources will make this trip across the country a much more comfortable one for us than for those who came before us, but we’ll carry the spirits of Banning and Thomas with us. As we visit airports across America, reliving our history and aviation history, creating awareness, and relishing in the beauty of aviation today, we’ll also collect signatures of the people we meet who inspire us and encourage us.
Follow Us
Today’s technology allows us to broadcast our position in real time. Just click here to see where we are. And please send us your comments, questions and encouragement as we set out on our journey!