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Wiley Post became the first person to fly solo around the world, proving that long-distance air travel was advancing faster than many believed and helping shape the future of global aviation.
By Brad Socha | July 22, 2026 | 5:17 AM EST
On July 22, 1933, American aviator Wiley Post landed at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, New York, completing the first solo flight around the world. His journey covered more than 15,500 miles (about 24,900 kilometers) in just 7 days, 18 hours, and 49 minutes, a remarkable achievement during aviation’s formative years. The flight demonstrated not only extraordinary skill and endurance but also the rapid evolution of aircraft navigation and long-distance aviation.
Today, Post’s accomplishment is remembered as one of the defining milestones in aviation history. His solo circumnavigation helped prove that aircraft were becoming practical tools for global travel, laying important groundwork for the international air networks that would emerge in the decades that followed.
A Pilot Ahead of His Time
Wiley Hardeman Post was born on November 22, 1898, near Grand Saline, Texas, and grew up in Oklahoma. Like many early aviators, he entered aviation during an era when flying remained dangerous, unpredictable, and technologically limited.
Despite losing the sight in his left eye following an oilfield accident in the 1920s, Post pursued his passion for aviation. He wore a glass eye for the rest of his life, yet his determination and exceptional flying ability earned him recognition as one of America’s leading pilots.
His aircraft, a Lockheed Vega named Winnie Mae, had already become famous. Financed by Oklahoma oilman Florence C. Hall, the aircraft was modified with improved navigation equipment, additional fuel capacity, and one of the most advanced autopilot systems available at the time.
Building on an Earlier Record
Two years before his solo journey, Post and navigator Harold Gatty had completed a record-setting flight around the world in 1931. That expedition took 8 days, 15 hours, and 51 minutes, breaking previous speed records and demonstrating the value of modern navigation techniques.
Rather than viewing the accomplishment as the pinnacle of his career, Post believed even greater improvements were possible.
His goal for 1933 was considerably more ambitious: completing the journey entirely alone.
Without a navigator, Post would be responsible for every aspect of the flight, including navigation, communications, weather decisions, aircraft maintenance, and fatigue management.
The Historic Journey
Post departed Floyd Bennett Field on July 15, 1933, flying eastward across the Atlantic.
His route included stops in Berlin, Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia), Moscow, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, Rukhlovo, Khabarovsk, Nome, Fairbanks, Edmonton, and Cleveland before returning to New York.
Flying over remote stretches of Siberia, Alaska, and northern Canada presented some of the greatest challenges. Weather forecasts were limited, radio communications were inconsistent, and emergency landing options were scarce.
Mechanical reliability remained another constant concern. Unlike modern aircraft equipped with sophisticated monitoring systems, early pilots depended heavily on personal judgment and hands-on inspections throughout their journeys.
Technology Makes the Difference
Although Wiley Post’s skill was central to the mission’s success, technological innovation also played an important role.
The Winnie Mae carried a Sperry autopilot and an advanced radio direction finder, allowing Post to reduce pilot fatigue and improve navigational accuracy over long distances.
These technologies represented significant advances for the early 1930s and demonstrated how rapidly aviation was progressing between the First and Second World Wars.
The successful integration of automated flight assistance foreshadowed many of the navigation systems that would later become standard equipment aboard commercial aircraft.
A New Era for Aviation
When Post landed back in New York on July 22, thousands gathered to celebrate his achievement.
His solo circumnavigation attracted worldwide attention and reinforced growing public confidence in aviation.
At a time when international travel still relied heavily on ships and railways, Post’s journey showed that aircraft could connect continents in dramatically shorter periods.
Although commercial airlines remained in their infancy, aviation leaders recognized that continued improvements in aircraft range, navigation, and reliability could fundamentally reshape transportation.
Many of those predictions would prove accurate over the following decades as international passenger airlines expanded across the globe.
Beyond the Around-the-World Flight
Post continued to push aviation boundaries after his historic journey.
He later conducted pioneering research into high-altitude flight and worked with engineers to develop one of the earliest practical pressure suits. These experimental suits allowed pilots to operate safely at altitudes previously considered impossible and influenced the eventual development of modern space suits used by astronauts.
His willingness to combine aviation with technological innovation made him one of the era’s most influential experimental pilots.
A Lasting Legacy
Wiley Post’s career ended tragically on August 15, 1935, when he and famed humorist Will Rogers were killed in an aircraft accident near Point Barrow, Alaska.
Despite his untimely death, his achievements remain central to aviation history.
His solo flight around the world demonstrated that remarkable progress could be achieved through determination, engineering innovation, and careful preparation. It also accelerated public confidence in long-distance aviation during a period when global flight was still viewed as an extraordinary undertaking.
Nearly a century later, aircraft routinely circle the globe with sophisticated navigation systems that early aviators could scarcely imagine. Yet many of the technologies and operational concepts that make modern air travel possible can trace part of their heritage to pioneers like Wiley Post.
His record-breaking flight remains a powerful reminder that some of aviation’s greatest advances began with individuals willing to test the limits of what was possible.
Sources:
National Air and Space Museum — Wiley Post — https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/lockheed-vega-5b-winnie-mae/nasm_A19610048000
Encyclopaedia Britannica — Wiley Post — https://www.britannica.com/biography/Wiley-Post
Oklahoma Historical Society — Wiley Post — https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=PO014
Federal Aviation Administration — The First Solo Flight Around the World — https://www.faa.gov/about/history/pioneers/wiley_post
History.com — Wiley Post Completes Solo Flight Around the World — https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/wiley-post-completes-solo-flight-around-the-world
About the Author
Brad Socha is the founder of The Universal Record, focused on sourced, factual global reporting. Coverage includes international news, geopolitics, technology, and major developments.