These old biplanes had max speed of about 100 mph with max distance of about 200-300 miles before refueling and maintainance, so about a dozen hops. Twenty hours flying plus another 15 hours on the ground plus a few hours sleep? Would be at least 48 hours? 14,000 feet in a winter storm at 100 mph would be 60 below zero.
shareYUP! I never flew no plane. I'm actually an MD (more on that below). But a Sopwith Widowmaker?? The baby would be DEAD before the serum arrived. The Train would be Faster (and SAFER).
Also they used to use serum when there was no penicillin (there Was Sulfa back then. why not Use it?)
but I did not know they used it with any success for pneumococcus pneumonia
Flying at night, in January, at 13,000 ft. in an open air cockpit bi-plane during a snowstorm was ridiculous. Making it a trip from Salt Lake City Utah to New York (2,175 miles) was even more preposterous, almost laughable.
Sidenote: I found the scene where the plane lost altitude and hit the mountain a bit haunting, considering the fate of Carole Lombard just 3 years later.
I thought these ending scenes were silly and ruined the movie. Was Johnny Jr. the ONLY baby in the entire USA that needed this serum for his illness?? Geesh..... Granny should have been kicked out of the apt. and onto the street for giving Junior pneumonia, right? And yes, the baby would have been in the cemetery by the time the real action would have taken place! Love ya, Miss Lombard. Rest in peace.
shareFlying at night, in January, at 13,000 ft. in an open air cockpit bi-plane during a snowstorm was ridiculous. Making it a trip from Salt Lake City Utah to New York (2,175 miles) was even more preposterous, almost laughable.
Sidenote: I found the scene where the plane lost altitude and hit the mountain a bit haunting, considering the fate of Carole Lombard just 3 years later.
Of course the flight was preposterous and escapist. Like when the Denver control tower contacts Newark by radio. This was a 1939 movie aimed at tired Depression audiences.
shareGood grief! Bitch, bitch, bitch is all I am seeing here!!! Little Johnny was gravely sick and all the other airports were snowbound. If you LISTEN carefully, the hospitals in NY, Baltimore (Johns-Hopkins), Chicago WERE ALL OUT OF THE SERUM!!! The only place that had it was in SLC, and though no other pilot was willing to make that journey, they found a pilot who was courageous enough to make that harrowing "mercy flight" to save that child's life. What if it had been YOUR kid? Wouldn't YOU want to save your child's life by any way necessary? Have a heart, people!!! Remember this was 1939 not 2015, geesh!!!!!
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