NO MARGIN FOR ERROR: THE U.S. NAVY'S TRANSPACIFIC FLIGHT OF 1925

Author: Dwight R Messimer

Publisher: Naval Institute Press

Year published: 1981

Pagination: 167pp photos, graphs.

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Slight darkening on d/w. Foxing on top edge. Good. In a effort to promote naval aviation against a campaign let by General William 'Billy' Mitchell in support of Army aviation. Naval chiefs tried to create something spectacular to draw public attention to the necessity of aviation being part of the Fleet. The project was to fly non-stop from the West Coast to Hawaii using PN9s. A series of tests, failures and last minute changes accompanied the development of the planes chosen to undertake the mission. The author describes these attempts including the violent landing in the sea resulting in the crew using the plane as a boat and sailing it for nine days until they reached land.