James H. Knight

James Herbert "Jack" Knight (March 14, 1892 February 24, 1945) was an American pilot who made the first overnight transcontinental air mail delivery. Knight was part of an airmail relay team that flew 2,629 miles across the United States on February 22–23, 1921 in an effort to show that the airmail service was much faster than the railroads. When all the other pilots were weathered-in or broken-down, Knight flew extra relay sections through the night in snow and fog and is credited with saving the airmail service from political decommission. "Jack Knight's Night Flight" made him the most famous pilot in America in the era prior to Charles Lindbergh.

Jack Knight
Born(1892-03-14)March 14, 1892
Lincoln Center, Kansas, US
DiedFebruary 24, 1945(1945-02-24) (aged 52)
Spouses
  • Esther Sullivan
  • Lois Haag
  • Florence Jones
Children1
Aviation career
Famous flights"Jack Knight's Night Flight"
Air force United States Army Air Service
BattlesWorld War I
RankLieutenant
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