First water-to-water flight

{{Infobox historic site | name = First water-to-water flight | image = Glenn L. Martin in pusher-biplane.jpg | caption = Glenn L. Martin in a pusher-biplane 1912 | location= near Newport Bay, California | coordinates = {{coord|33.6008138888889|-117.900108333333|format=dms|region:US-CA_type:landmark|display=inline,title}} | locmapin = California | area = | built = 1912 | architect= Glenn L. Martin | architecture= Early Seaplane | designation1 = California | designation1_number= 775 | designation1_date = September 25, 1962 | designation2 = | designation2_date = | designation2_number = | governing_body = }}  The place of '''First water-to-water flight''' was designated a California Historic Landmark (No.775) on September 25, 1962. On May 10, 1912, 26 year old Glenn L. Martin (January 17, 1886 – December 5, 1955) flew a self-built seaplane from Balboa Bay at Newport Bay, California to Avalon Harbor on Catalina Island, then back across the channel. His amphibian biplane, the ''Avalon Zipper'', broke the earlier English Channel record for over-water flight. Martin's total distance was {{convert|68|mi|km}}, with the Newport-Avalon leg taking 37 minutes. ''Avalon Zipper'' had a 15-horsepower Model V Ford gasoline engine donated by Henry Ford. He picked up a bag of mail on the island on the way, and was presented with $100 (${{inflation|US|100|1912|2011|r=-2}} in 2011) prize for his achievement. The trip made headline news around the world. Soon regular seaplane passenger and freight services started between Catalina and the ports of Balboa, Long Beach, Wilmington and San Diego, like: Catalina Air Lines. Jim Watson, an aviation historian made a television documentary ''Wings Across the Channel, the Golden Age of Seaplanes on Catalina.'', starting with Glenn L. Martin trip.<ref>{{cite news|last=The San Francisco Call|title=Old Ocean Defied by Daring Aviator|url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85066387/1912-05-11/ed-1/seq-9/|accessdate=15 June 2011|date=May 11, 1912|archive-date=2012-10-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022040853/http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85066387/1912-05-11/ed-1/seq-9/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Ludington Daily News|date=26 June 1913|title=Flying Boats have hard time}}</ref><ref>[http://ohp.parks.ca.gov/ListedResources/Detail/775 California Historical #775]</ref><ref>[https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/opinion/tn-dpt-me-reader-report-20170629-story.html La Times Commentary: The Avalon Zipper flew from Balboa to Catalina 105 years ago, By David C. Henley, June 29, 2017] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215023027/https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/opinion/tn-dpt-me-reader-report-20170629-story.html |date=February 15, 2021 }}</ref><ref>[https://thecatalinaislander.com/glenn-martin-and-the-first-flight-to-catalina/ thecatalinaislander.com, Glenn Martin and the first flight to Catalina, By Jim Watson]</ref>

== Markers== Marker at the site reads: *''On May 10, 1912, Glenn L. Martin flew his own plane, built in Santa Ana, from the waters of the Pacific Ocean at Balboa to Catalina Island. This was the first water-to-water flight, and the longest and fastest overwater flight, to that date. On his return to the mainland, Martin carried the day's mail from Catalina-another first.''<ref>[https://www.californiahistoricallandmarks.com/landmarks/chl-775 californiahistoricallandmarks.com CHL No.775] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200610202934/https://www.californiahistoricallandmarks.com/landmarks/chl-775 |date=2020-06-10 }}</ref>

== References== {{reflist}}

Category:1912 in California Category:California Historical Landmarks Category:Aviation records