A Word from The First Trike Pilot Around The World

"David Grabowski, reaching back to the early 20th century history of American aviation, has found a genuine hero to commemorate. Why is it that hardly anyone at all knows the name of the first man to fly an aircraft, coast to coast, across the USA? Have Americans really lost touch with their historic heroes? Calbraith Perry Rodgers comes from genuine American historical stock. One of his ancestors was the 1812 US naval hero of Commodore Oliver Perry, author of the famous American quote 'Don't Give Up the Ship', and Cal's 51 day flight across the US to win a prize of $50,000 - withdrawn halfway through by the newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst - was one of the 'sickeners' Rodgers had to overcome. There were no airfields for his landings each day and he crashed 12 times. But sponsored by the then-famous drink 'Vin Fizz', Cal Rodgers won through, though tragically, he was killed shortly afterwards when his flimsy Wright Flyer struck a seagull flying low along a California beach. He should be famous, but he isn't, and David Grabowski's brave and imaginative flight along Rodgers' route to get him remembered should be something all Americans support."

- Brian Milton, the British pilot who made the first Ultralight flight around the world in 120 days in 1998