In 1910, aviation was a perilous new frontier. Glenn Curtiss attempted a daring 150-mile flight from Albany to New York City in a bamboo-framed biplane to win a $10,000 prize offered by Joseph Pulitzer. The New York Times chartered a special train to follow and document the journey, marking a landmark in journalistic coverage of aviation.

Carr Van Anda, the managing editor, viewed the flight as a critical test for air travel's viability. Despite the era's high fatality rates, the public followed these daredevils with rapt attention. Tragically, just months later, Archibald Hoxsey died in a crash, underscoring the dangers Curtiss faced.

The flight represented not just a sporting feat, but a pivotal moment in establishing transportation by air.