Richard E. Byrd on March 5, 1927. The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Rear Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd Jr. (NSN: 0–7918), United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession as Commanding Officer of the Byrd Antarctic Expedition I, in that on November 28, 1929 he took off in his "Floyd Bennett" from the Expedition's base at Little America, Antarctica and, after a flight made under the most difficult conditions he reached the South Pole on November 29, 1929. After flying some distance beyond this point he returned to his
Richard James (aviator) record stood till 1930, when it was broken by Frank Goldsborough. He was born in Terre Haute, Indiana and flew an Travel Air 2000. Richard James (aviator) Richard James (1911–1989) set the junior transcontinental air speed record in 1928. He completed the flight on December 15, 1928, arriving in New York. He had left from San Francisco. The elapsed flying time was 48 hours, spread over one month. The contest was sponsored by the Society for the Promotion of Aviation. Dick James, as he was known to friends and family, was also awarded the National Clifford B. Harmon Award for