Jay V. Sakas
LITUANICA 2003 The Flight of Completion
Jay V. Sakas was born in Lithuania, immigrated to the US, grew up in the Lithuanian community in Rochester N.Y., and resides in Sequim, Washington. Currently, he is a Captain flying 747s for a major airline. The project described is his life-long dream. He can be reached at 360-683-2343 or through the Travelnet Corporation at 800-223-8082 of which he is the vice-president. E-mail him at lituanica@travelnetco.com. This article was previously published in the Tulpė Times, Vol. 19, No.4.
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| The Lituanica, as it would have looked flying over
Trakai, Lithuania. Photo: www.travelnetco.com |
A small aircraft drones over the vast darkness below. In front of it, towering columns of billowing clouds can be seen in the momentary flashes of lightening. Inside the aircraft, two men huddle in its tiny cabin, fatigued and staring into the darkness. It has been thirty-seven hours since they lifted their heavily laden aircraft off the tarmac at Bennett field on Long Island, New York.
The year was 1933 and their dream of flying from the United States to Lithuania was nearing completion. Darius and Girėnas were only hours away from the teeming masses of people awaiting their arrival in Kaunas. At 12:36 am, Berlin time, the adventure came to a violent end. Severe weather had moved into central Europe. After 37 hours and 11 minutes in the air, Lituanica, flying at low altitude, clipped the tall pine trees around the area of the Soldine forest, on the German/Polish border and crashed. While the reasons for the crash have never fully been determined, speculation is they may have been looking for a place to land -- either because they were short of fuel or due to the severe weather before them or both. Their dream came to a tragic end or has it?
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| The route of the Lituanica. |
It was in the early morning hours of July 15, 1933, when the Lithuanian aviators Darius and Girėnas bounced their laden Bellanca CH 300, christened Lituanica, into the air. Their adventure to fly from New York to Lithuania had begun. The dream to fly to Lithuania had started a couple of years previously with the purchase of the Bellanca Pacemaker by Darius. After Lindberghs successful flight across the Atlantic, many attempted to fly the Atlantic for one reason or another. Interestingly, one of the many waiting for Lindberghs arrival at Le Bourget was Stepas Darius. Darius and Girėnas nationalism and love of aviation were the driving forces for the flight.
The Bellanca was purchased in the spring of 1932, and after major modifications to the wings, landing gear, and engine, they were ready to attempt the flight. Lituanica was loaded with 779 gals. of fuel and 32 gallons of oil for a takeoff gross weight of 8,280 lbs. Without permission from some of the countries they were to fly over, the Lituanica precariously lifted off from Floyd Bennett airport on Long Island. Ahead of them lay an estimated 44.5 hours of flying: a great circle distance of approximately 4,400 statute miles.
Lituanica 2003 Project
This project will attempt to finish the dream of Darius and Girėnas. A sister ship (only four serial numbers apart) to the original Lituanica was located and purchased. The plan is to restore the aircraft in the United States to the original Lituanica specifications. When the restoration is complete, in approximately three years and on the 70th anniversary date, the sister ship will be flown to the site of the crash memorial. The data plate from the wreckage of the Lituanica, which is currently on the display in the Kaunas museum, would be transferred to the sister ship at the crash site, documentation completed, and thus, the Lituanica will be reborn.
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| Darius and Girėnas in front of their Bellanca, the Lituanica. All photos and Illustrations: www.travelnetco.com |
Recently the FAA (Federal Aviation Agency) awarded the current aircraft the original registration number of the Lituanica, N688E. At the appointed time, the Lituanica will in essence rise from the ashes, like the phoenix, and finish the originally intended flight.
With the completion of the flight, plans are for the airplane to be flown back to the U.S. in time for the EAA convention at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, completing the circle of their dream. It would spend approximately a year frequenting air shows in the U.S. and Canada, especially to those cities where there is a large Lithuanian contingent. The aircraft would then be donated to Lithuania and hopefully become an active goodwill ambassador for Lithuanian aviation, commerce, and education.
The funding for this project will come from the Lituanica Foundation, currently in the process of being formed. The foundation will fund the restoration, the flight, and the creation of a special display in Lithuania for the Lituanica, keeping it in flying status and preserving the accomplishments and history of Darius and Girėnas.
As with any project, help in many forms is needed for completion. We will need volunteers for all aspects of this project. Those interested in helping or contributing to this project may get additional information by e-mailing a request in care of the Lituanica Foundation at lituanica@travelnetco.com. Continuing updates can be seen on the web at the following URL: www.travelnetco.com/lituanica.