The first US President to fly whilst in office was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He flew in January 1943 from America to Casablanca in Morocco to meet the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill.
This made him not only the first US president to fly, but also the first President to visit Africa.
Because he flew in wartime, it was a particularly dangerous time to fly and the whole missionw as kept very secret until after his return. Moreover, the fact that he was practically confined to a wheelchair, following the polio he had contracted in 1921, meant that the 17,000 mile round trip was particularly taxing for him.
He first caught a train from Washington, which initially headed northwards and then double backed on itself (for security purposes) and travelled to Miami in Florida. He then travelled by aeroplane to Trinidad, then onto Brazil and the Gambia in North Africa. From there he caught an army plane which took him to Casablanca. In total, the journey took three days.
This made him not only the first US president to fly, but also the first President to visit Africa.
Because he flew in wartime, it was a particularly dangerous time to fly and the whole missionw as kept very secret until after his return. Moreover, the fact that he was practically confined to a wheelchair, following the polio he had contracted in 1921, meant that the 17,000 mile round trip was particularly taxing for him.
He first caught a train from Washington, which initially headed northwards and then double backed on itself (for security purposes) and travelled to Miami in Florida. He then travelled by aeroplane to Trinidad, then onto Brazil and the Gambia in North Africa. From there he caught an army plane which took him to Casablanca. In total, the journey took three days.
