In 1924, as a lieutenant in the Army Air Service, Leslie P. Arnold was a crew member in one of the three Army planes that flew 27,000 miles around the world in 175 days. Arnold joined the Army in 1917 where he served for eleven years. During his service, he spent time in France during World War I and was part of General William Mitchell's group that conducted tests to prove that battleships could be sunk by aerial bombardment. After the 1924 trip, Arnold worked for a variety of airlines: Transcontinental Air Transport; Pennsylvania Central Airlines and Eastern Air Lines.
NASM.XXXX.0518
Arranged and described by Patricia Williams in 2002. Encoded by Jessamyn Lloyd in 2019.
Arnold, Leslie P.
1924
Leslie Arnold?, Gift?, unknown, NASM.XXXX.0518.
1.32 Cubic feet (2 legal document boxes and 1 flatbox)
In 1924, as a lieutenant in the Army Air Service, Leslie P. Arnold was a crew member in one of the three Army planes that flew 27,000 miles around the world in 175 days. This collection consists of Leslie Arnold's handwritten diary and annotated navigational charts of the journey as well as a scrapbook with images of the trip including the aircraft, gasoline tanks, pilot crew, and air-to air shots.
No restrictions on access
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Maps
Diaries
This collection is arranged by type of material.
This collection consists of Leslie Arnold's handwritten diary and annotated navigational charts of the journey. The collection also contains the following: an autographed photograph; a Signal Corps message; an advertisement for Mobil oil; a page from 'Illustrated Current News;' and a black scrapbook with images of the trip including the aircraft, gasoline tanks, pilot crew, and air-to air shots. Some of the photographs in the scrapbook are snapshots while others were taken by news agencies.
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Maps
Diaries
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
United States. Army. Air Service
Arnold, Leslie P.
Endurance flights
Aeronautics -- Records
Aeronautics -- Flights
Aeronautics, Military
Aeronautics
Flights around the world
United States Army Around the World Trip (Leslie Arnold) Collection, NASM.XXXX.0518, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
National Air and Space Museum Archives