Charles and Gladys Day
Charles Healy Day was born in Salamanca NY on December 29, 1884. He died in
Pacific Palisades CA on May 26, 1955.
Charles built his first aircraft in 1909 working with Glenn L Martin. Day is credited
with developing the technique of using laminated wood to make propellers, thus increasing
their strength. In 1910 he built and flew the first tractor biplane, again an aircraft of his
own design. He became the vice-president and chief design engineer of the Sloane Airplane
Company which became the Standard Aircraft Corporation. There, he designed and built several
aircraft leading to the famous Standard J-1. The J-1 was used for pilot training in WW-I,
flying the mail, and for barnstorming in the 1920s. Its large forward cockpit held two
passengers to double the pilot's revenue per flight.
In 1926 he teamed up with Ivan Gates, of the Famous Gates Flying Circus, to form the
Gates-Day Aircraft Company in Paterson NJ. It was reorganized in 1928 as the New Standard
Aircraft Corporation. During that time, Day designed his most famous and enduring aircraft,
the GD-24, which evolved into the D-25 and many variants, all of which had a huge front
cockpit capable of carrying up to five passengers.
In 1931 Day resigned his position as president of Standard Aircraft and in the spring
of 1931 built a small open-cockpit trainer he called the Day Model A. With his wife, Gladys
they flew their homebuilt round-the-world crossing both oceans by steamer. Their work shop was
in Paterson, NJ and the plane was tested at Teteboro NJ. The plane was designed for safety
and comfort. Its bi-wing construction had the upper wing forward of the lower giving it a
cruising speed of 85 mph and landing speed of 30 mph. It had a Martin engine and side-by-side
seating. The tested plane was shipped to England by steamer where it was reassembled for
flight. After their return to New Jersey at Newark Airport, they thanked their "Errant" for
showing them the contours of the world and now home from their wanderings, were able to rest.
Itinerary:
Disassembled plane Teteboro, NJ 05/06/31
Teteboro, NJ (by ship - American Shipper) 05/08/31
Heston, Airport, England (reassembled) 05/18/31
Departed Heston, Airport 05/28/31
Abbeville, France
Le Bourget, Paris, France
Cleve, Germany (potato field)
Cologne, Germany
Frankfurt, Germany
Berlin, Germany (Tempelhof Airport)
Prague, Czechoslovakia
Vienna, Austria
Budapest, Hungary
Bucharest, Romania
Istanbul, Turkey
Aleppo, Syria 07/09/31
Damascus, Syria
Jerusalem, Palestine
Rutbah Wells, Iraq
Baghdad, Iraq
Bushire, Iran
Lingeh, Iran
Port Jask, Iran
Chahbar, Iran
Gwadar, (Baluchistan) Pakistan
Karachi, Pakistan 07/26/31
Jodhpur, India
Agra, India 08/03/31
Allahabad, India
Gaya, India 08/04/31
Calcutta, India (delayed 1 month due to sickness) 08/05/31
Akyab, Burma 09/03/31
Bay of Bengal, Burma (Forced landing on beach)
xxxxxxxxxx under construction
Shanghai, China (by ship)
San Francisco, CA
Baltimore, MD 12/20/31
Arrived Newark, NJ 12/20/31
