Famous Aviator Douglas (wrong way) Corrigan, Hawthorne California 1988

Fifty years after his historic flight to Ireland, Douglas Corrigan is shown running the engine of his Curtiss Robin and talking about his flight in 1938. Douglas Corrigan was one fine Gentleman. My thanks to another fine Gentleman, Ed Clark for this excellent video.

[@countrichardvoncoudenhovek8855]

I met Douglas Corrigan in Baldonnell Casement Aerodrome in 1988 and have his autograph and a photo standing beside him, what a Gent, he wore the same Leather jacket that he wore when flying his epic 28 hour journey. May he rest in Peace and continue to fly amongst the tumbling clouds and dance across the sky in silver Wings.

[@conhallows]

Oh wow. You actually met this man

[@FHTMCRT]

I have an autographed copy of Douglas Corrigan's book, THAT'S MY STORY. Found it in my grandparents' bookcase when I was a kid...read it many times over the years. This video is the first time I've ever seen him "in person."

[@halnwheels]

This video and all the comments have me smiling. It's my understanding that around the time that Corrigan was contemplating a transatlantic trip, aviation regulations began to infiltrate the field and make it increasingly difficult for him to get approval. No sooner than he would overcome one obstacle, another would be placed before him. It's easy to see how he may have gotten so frustrated that he just said the heck with it! I love the "get lost" part of his story.

[@craigwall9536]

It was none of their business anyway: the Feds aren't supposed to keep pilots safe, they're supposed to keep _innocent_ people safe. Corrigan flew alone over open water. No one was at risk but himself. He never should have asked "permission" in the first place- the Nanny State can stick it up their ass.

[@jeffwalther3935]

Douglas Corrigan is one of the greatest persons Ive ever heard of, for all good intents and purposes, all things considered. He should be beatified too - as the Germans say, Corrigan was a "mensch", an exemplary person in every way, come what may, all the way, . . . Such phenomena happen and this guy blessed everything and everyone he touched, in his own, quite (Tex-Irish) way, so entirely personally responsible, single-handedly, demonstrated the most important lesson of the Lindbergh transAtlantic solo flight - the superiority of the air-cooled radial engine over water-cooled. His homecoming was more celebrated than Lindy's, imho because he did it to show REAL and formidible Celtic/Irish/American identity and pride, the source and national sanctuary of the values that produce such feats and such men regularly, as a matter of course, nonetheless secular miracle-grade wonders never done before but wished for for thousands of years. We deliver, in deed.
Douglas "Wrong-Way" Corrigan is surely one of the most wonderous, capable, magnificent, free and brave pioneer aviator, Airframe/Powerplant engineer of all time. But about a dozen? years before he did all that just to make his all-important points, (in his own (wrong) way) he was an employee of the Ryan Aircraft company in California. Wrong-Way Corrigan ALSO single-handedly, designed and built the entire wing of The Spirit of St. Louis.
Call the Pope.

[@timothy4557]

Good ole Wrong-way.

[@11matt11]

Great story. Thanks for posting this.

[@raywhittington1368]

Seems like he never did change much by then. Hard to believe THAT plane crossed the Atlantic!

[@williamescolantejr5871]

great story,and I think a lot of discoveries of all kinds were an still are made by shall we say the 'wrong way' method lol

[@michael323217]

he is my great cousin i found out by my
family

[@mycroft1905]

Fabulous man.

[@glenn_r_frank_author]

Love it.

[@KPMACHINE1]

Stays awake for 28 hours! Was a tough ole guy. So how did he get back?

[@baingo8475]

Still waiting on the next upload m8 I’ll wait 12 more years if I have too

[@evansnyder430]

Ahh shit, just missed it!

[@craigwall9536]

LOL....no socks....my kinda guy.

[@johnbryant8603]

♥️♥️♥️♦️🙏🏽

[@mawas6801]

How did he make all the way to Dublin with engine leaking fuel ⛽️

[@OttoByOgraffey]

Multiple tanks. In other words, he had more than one fuel tank.

[@ufoengines]

Cool Post, Thanks ! The History Guy has a post on this which made me find the movie about Wrong Way on You Tube th-cam.com/video/k3HcYNZccpY/w-d-xo.html As a three year old kid in 1957 I remember the scene where Corrigan got the gas out of cockpit that was leaking from one of the tanks by poking a hole in the floor with a screw driver . Mom and I watched this flick on the old Magnavox on "Afternoon Movies" Channel 5 . Good Times . Per Wikipedia that Curtiss Robin was the plane to use if you wanted to break endurance records at that time . Some were kept aloft for weeks . Maybe some kid right now is planning a solo trip to the Moon and back . I really dig to see that and the movie they make about it .

[@youtubeuser5141]

what part of Ireland do you have family in for I am from Ireland and there is not that many corrigans

[@Ryan-9000]

9th century name from Ulster.

[@michael323217]

how are you related to him

[@michael323217]

turner

[@joelikespotatoes8321]

That hunk of junk plane still worked!?!?!

[@almarodriguez5651]

WTF