Last fall while reading the July issue of EAA Sport Aviation, I came upon a short article about a famous race plane from the 1930's. It was about the restoration of the Gee Bee Special , the Q.E.D., with a mention of its last owner, Mexican pilot Francisco Sarabia. Up until the time of it's last owner it competed in many races including one from England to Rumania. Due to mechanical troubles it earned the reputation of never completing a single race that it entered. It is a stubby plane that looks like it would fly like a brick.
In June of 1939 Sarabia undertook a good will mission from Mexico City to New York intending to set a speed record. It was a time of setting speed and distance records. In 1928 it took Emilio Carranza 18 1/2 hours, in 1935 it took Emelia Earhart 14 hours, 19 minutes and in 1939 Sarabia would do it in 10 hours, 49 minutes. He landed on empty, it took allot of fuel to feed that powerful engine pulling that stubby race plane through the air. It was May 24 and in New York the 1939 World's Fair was on and there was trouble brewing in Europe.
From New York he went to Washington DC to meet with officials. Preparing for his return flight, chief of Mexico's avation ,Alberto Salinas Carranza sent a message to Sarabia by air mail: "I shiver at hearing that you intend to return from Washington nonstop. . . . Continue flying with your head and do not permit your heart to intervene. Conserve yourself for our pride, the satisfaction of your family and the envy of the birds." Alberto Carranza was Emilio's uncle! This is reminiscent of the not so gentile coaxing of Emilio Carranza by his superior, General Amaro to return to Mexico City or " your manhood will be in question". "Leave immediately without excuse or pretext, or the quality of your manhood will be in doubt".
He took off on June 7th for his return trip to Mexico. Barely 100 feet in the air his engine quit and the plane plunged nose first into the Potomac River. Francisco Sarabia drowned. It was determined that rag had clogged the carburetor. In Mexico there was much protest, the people cried sabotage.
Well the war in Europe was getting started and he was forgotten about here, but in Mexico they restored his plane, putting it on display, and named an airport after him. I don't know if he ever set foot in New Jersey, I don't think Emilio ever meant to drop in on us either but I found the parallels between the two aviators intriguing.
A few links:
http://search.time.com/results.html?N=0&Nty=1&p=0&cmd=tags&srchCat=Full+Archive&Ntt=sarabia&x=0&y=0
http://www.vivevolando.com/Aviadores.html
http://tuesfera.com/aviacion/sarabia/sarabia.php
http://rollybrook.com/sarabia.htm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/5021405047/
I found Google Translate useful
http://translate.google.com/#es|en|
In June of 1939 Sarabia undertook a good will mission from Mexico City to New York intending to set a speed record. It was a time of setting speed and distance records. In 1928 it took Emilio Carranza 18 1/2 hours, in 1935 it took Emelia Earhart 14 hours, 19 minutes and in 1939 Sarabia would do it in 10 hours, 49 minutes. He landed on empty, it took allot of fuel to feed that powerful engine pulling that stubby race plane through the air. It was May 24 and in New York the 1939 World's Fair was on and there was trouble brewing in Europe.
From New York he went to Washington DC to meet with officials. Preparing for his return flight, chief of Mexico's avation ,Alberto Salinas Carranza sent a message to Sarabia by air mail: "I shiver at hearing that you intend to return from Washington nonstop. . . . Continue flying with your head and do not permit your heart to intervene. Conserve yourself for our pride, the satisfaction of your family and the envy of the birds." Alberto Carranza was Emilio's uncle! This is reminiscent of the not so gentile coaxing of Emilio Carranza by his superior, General Amaro to return to Mexico City or " your manhood will be in question". "Leave immediately without excuse or pretext, or the quality of your manhood will be in doubt".
He took off on June 7th for his return trip to Mexico. Barely 100 feet in the air his engine quit and the plane plunged nose first into the Potomac River. Francisco Sarabia drowned. It was determined that rag had clogged the carburetor. In Mexico there was much protest, the people cried sabotage.
Well the war in Europe was getting started and he was forgotten about here, but in Mexico they restored his plane, putting it on display, and named an airport after him. I don't know if he ever set foot in New Jersey, I don't think Emilio ever meant to drop in on us either but I found the parallels between the two aviators intriguing.
A few links:
http://search.time.com/results.html?N=0&Nty=1&p=0&cmd=tags&srchCat=Full+Archive&Ntt=sarabia&x=0&y=0
http://www.vivevolando.com/Aviadores.html
http://tuesfera.com/aviacion/sarabia/sarabia.php
http://rollybrook.com/sarabia.htm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/5021405047/
I found Google Translate useful
http://translate.google.com/#es|en|
