1888-1950

Scottish-born American aviator who served as navigator on the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean. An expert aerial navigator, Brown flew from Newfoundland to Ireland on June 15-16, 1919, with pilot John Alcock at the controls. Brown acted as navigator, radio operator, and troubleshooter on the 2,000-mile (3,218 km) flight, climbing out of his open cockpit several times to service essential instruments. Brown was knighted for his achievement and received, with Alcock, a £10,000 prize.