Flying Around the World

Na década de 1920 vários países, oficial e oficiosamente, empenharam-se nas travessias aéreas intercontinentais. Portugal foi um deles e uma das aventuras, feita sem o apoio oficial do Estado, teve como destino Macau.

Em 1924 - faz no próximo ano um século - dois aviadores militares, José Manuel Sarmento de Beires e António Jacinto da Silva Brito Paes, acompanhados pelo mecânico Manuel Gouveia, fizeram a primeira ligação aérea entre Portugal e Macau.

Num feito notável para a aviação mundial, partiram a 7 de Abril do Campo dos Coitos (Vila Nova de Mil Fontes) e chegaram ao destino a 20 de Junho. Numa viagem muito atribulada e com recurso a duas aeronaves (com o nome Pátria) percorreram 16,760 Km - o dobro da distância da travessia do atlântico sul realizada em 1922 por Gago Coutinho e Sacadura Cabral - num total de 117 horas e 41 minutos de voo.

O excerto de texto abaixo é retirado da edição de Setembro de 1924 da revista Us Air Services.

"(...) The idea of flying around the world is not new it has been the dream of aviators from the beginning and only waited development of a suitable airplane. The United States Army Air Service seriously considered the project in 1921. Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith, the first to fly from England to Australia, also had planned to make the flight in 1921. Major Blake succeeded in reaching Akyab India in his attempt in 1922 when his plane was wrecked and his crew all but lost their lives. With the approach of 1924 came realization of the high hopes of some and the disappointment of others. The stage was set for circumnavigation of the world by air. The plans of three expeditions representing three great nations were completed and the world waited and watched with interest ready to acclaim the first to accomplish this difficult task. The first to start was the English Flight under the leadership of Capt Stuart MacLaren which left Calshot England on March 15. The British Government was not officially back of this attempt which was financed privately by the company which built the plane.

The Portuguese were next to start leaving Lisbon on April 2. This expedition, like the British, was not an official flight of the Portuguese Government being financed by the donation of Major Brito Pais and by popular subscriptions from the Portuguese people. The pilots were Major Brito Pais and Major Sarmento Beires.

The American Flight left Seattle Washington on April 6 1924 and is the only flight that represents the official effort of any of the nations represented in the race around the world. On July 26 came unexpected announcement that Major Pedro Zanni of the Argentine Army had taken off from Amsterdam, Holland to fly around the world making the fourth entry this year.

Stuart MacLaren, the gallant English man, was forced out of the competition when after a series of misfortunes he was trapped in a dense fog while attempting to fly from Petre pavlosk Kamchatka to Nikolski in the Kom andorski Islands of the North Pacific and upon landing near the shores of Behring Island August 2 his plane was hopelessly damaged MacLaren sent the following message to the Air Ministry in London. For the sake of the Royal Air Force I am sorry I failed but conditions here now are im possible for flying

The Portuguese Flight ended after a game fight against continuing misfortune at Shamiehun China near Macao, the Portuguese settlement. These airmen had suc in southeastern China ceeded in attaining their first goal after having traversed 11,000 miles in 118 hours flying time.  The crash of their plane brought to an end the hope that they could circumnavigate the globe this year.

As this is written Major Zanni commanding the Argentine Flight has reached Hanoi the capital of Indo China In attempting to take off he wrecked the plane and was trying to obtain another plane from Japan after which he hoped to follow the same route proposed by the ill fated MacLaren It is hoped he will have better weather conditions than were experienced by his predecessors.

With the landing of the Am erican World Flyers in Labrador their next stop they will again be on the American continent and although they must reach Seattle before their mission is completed they shall have covered 20,091 miles a greater distance than has ever before been flown by a single aerial expedition Though still 5,000 miles away from their goal they have placed behind them the great obstacles presented by the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and we may therefore look forward to a successful completion of their great undertaking.(...)

in US Air Services, Setembro 1924

Monumento construído em 1992 em Vila Nova de Mil Fontes.