John H. Mears Lockheed Vega 5B City of New York

Additional Information:

The Lockheed Vega is a five to seven-seat high-wing monoplane airliner built by the Lockheed Corporation. Production began in 1927 and the aircraft became famous for its use by a number of record-breaking pilots who were attracted to its high speed and long range.
The Vega 5B is the seven-seat passenger transport version, built for higher gross weight operations with commercial operators.

John Henry Mears (May 22, 1878 – July 26, 1956) was a Broadway producer and globe traveling extraordinaire pushed the boundaries of travel and flight. In 1930 Mears purchased this Lockheed Vega 5B, N-500V, named the “City of New York” for a round-the-world good will flight. With copilot Henry John Brown, the trip began but the flight itself was never completed. The aircraft crashed on takeoff in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland on August 3, 1930. Both pilots Mears and Brown were injured and the aircraft named ‘City of New York’ was damaged beyond repair.

The Lockheed Vega “City of New York” stopped in Albuquerque on its way from Burbank to New York where the official round the world flight would begin in 1930.

GALLERY: