Interview of Elgen M. Long by Brian Shoemaker

• Main Author: Long, Elgen M.
• Other Authors: Shoemaker, Brian
• Format: Audio
• Language: English
• Published: Byrd Polar Research Center Archival Program 2006
• Subjects: Aeronautics > Polar regions; Long; Elgen M. > Interviews; Arctic; Byrd; Pacific; Petty
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1811/6510

Abraham, Ed, mechanic, p. 15 Allen, Doug, movie producer, p. 70 Aulmac, Robert, Commander, USN, p. 55 Burke, Arlie, Admiral, USN, pp. 53-54 Byrd, Admiral Richard, pp. 18, 74 Castro, Fidel, President of Cuba, p. 51 Earhart, Amelia, pp. 29, 64, 74-75 Hamby, Sr., Robert S. “Bob,” Captain, pp. 15, 21 Hoey, Bill, Captain and Chief Pilot of Central Sector, p. 15 Long, John, Chief Pilot of the Flying Tigers airline, p. 11 Long, Robert Earl, brother of Elgen Long, p. 2 Odum, Bill, pilot, pp. 28-29 Patterson, William R. “Bill,” Captain, pp. 15-16 Perry, Paul, Captain, p. 15 Rossi, John R. “Dick,” Captain, p. 15 Swinburne, Captain, USN, pp. 54-56 Tharp, Robert “Bob” V., Captain, pp. 15-16 Van Reese, Eugene, pp. 56, 59 Vasey, Gerald J., Co-pilot, p. 15 Yeager, Chuck, pilot, p. 32 The media can be accessed at the links below. Audio Part 1: http://streaming.osu.edu/knowledgebank/byrd/oral_history/Elgen_Long_1.mp3 Audio Part 2: http://streaming.osu.edu/knowledgebank/byrd/oral_history/Elgen_Long_2.mp3 Elgen Long had a long and distinguished career as a pilot in WW II, including the Flying Tigers, and in civilian aviation, principally in the Arctic region. He is best known for the pioneering and famous flight in late 1971, the “Crossroads Flight,” that was the first solo flight, some 36,000 miles, around the world and from Pole to Pole. Remarkably, in the early months of WW II, he enlisted in the United States Navy on his 15th birthday, and after completing boot camp, he attended both Aviation Radio School and Radar School in San Diego. He was soon promoted to Second Class Petty Officer, and saw combat in the South Pacific before his 16th birthday. Later he served aboard a VP-102, a Coronado four-engine seaplane, and learned the basics of celestial navigation. His assignments included stops at the Marshall and Mariana Islands. At age 17 he was promoted to First Class Petty Officer, and on his second overseas tour he visited Okinawa, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and China. The war ended on September 2, 1945, and having just ...