Feliksas Vaitkus Feliksas Vaitkus ( Felix Waitkus ) ( 1907 – 1956 ) was an American born Lithuanan pilot and the sixth pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic . Biography . His parents came from Lithuania in 1904 , settling in the old " Lithuanian Downtown " in Chicago ' s Bridgeport neighborhood where Vaitkus was born three years later . He enlisted in the army in 1928 , and after graduating from advanced pilot ’ s training school , was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Air Corps . In 1931 , he was placed in the reserves with the rank of first lieutenant and returned to civilian life to work with his father - in - law who operated a flying school in Kohler , Wisconsin . Lituanica II . A few months after the " Lituanica " tragedy , some prominent members of the Chicago Lithuanian community discussed the possibility of financing another transatlantic flight . This idea was greeted with much enthusiasm , and enough funds were raised during this difficult period , which was called the Great Depression . A much faster and more modern aircraft ( compared to the original " Lituanica " ) was purchased from the Lockheed Aircraft Corp . , called the Lockheed Vega , the same model used by Wiley Post in his round - the - world flight , and by Amelia Earhart , the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic . The aircraft was christened " Lituanica II " on Sunday , April 22 , 1934 . When the pilot originally chosen for the flight unexpectedly resigned in the spring , the Lithuanian organizers turned to Feliksas Vaitkus , and he accepted the challenge to fly to Lithuania . The original flight date had to be changed to 1935 because modifications were needed to strengthen the aircraft ' s structure due to the installation of extra fuel tanks and a more powerful engine . New equipment was added , which Darius and Girėnas did not have , such as a variable pitch propeller to improve engine performance and a radio compass . " Lituanica II " was flown extensively to insure its success . The Flight . Vaitkus arrived at Floyd Bennett Field in New York in May 1935 . Up until then , no pilots were able to fly over the Atlantic due to poor weather conditions , and so he had to wait until the chief meteorologist gave him a favorable weather report . It was not until four months later , on the evening of September 20 , he was informed that the weather along his route had improved where conditions were average with no major changes expected in the next 24 hours . Encouraged with this news , Vaitkus decided to fly . The next day , September 21 , at 6 : 45 in the morning , " Lituanica II " was headed for Europe . Unfortunately , Vaitkus had to fight the worst possible weather conditions , flying through rain , fog , and icing conditions , so that most of his navigation had to be by his new radio compass . More than once he noticed ice forming on the wings and had to descend to a lower altitude until it all thawed off . Vaitkus was helped considerably by hourly broadcasts from an Irish radio station . He learned that Dublin was fogged in , as well as all areas heading east as far as the Baltic Sea . He knew that he could not make it to Kaunas due to his low fuel supply , and being exhausted after a 23 - hour struggle fighting the elements , he felt it was best to come down somewhere in Ireland . He spotted an open field in Cloongowla at Ballinrobe , County Mayo and came down , with the aircraft suffering extensive damage . He was lucky to be alive without suffering any injuries . " Lituanica II " was crated for shipment to Lithuania , where it would be restored . By ship and by train he made his way to Kaunas where he was given a hero ’ s welcome . Feliksas Vaitkus was the only pilot to fly across the North Atlantic in 1935 , and even though he came down in Ireland and not in Kaunas , he was entered in aviation ’ s history books for being the sixth pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic . He was recalled to active duty in the Army Air Corps in 1940 , serving as the chief test pilot at the Boeing Aircraft Co . in Seattle , testing hundreds of B - 17 and B - 29 bombers . He was recalled again to serve in the U . S . Air Force during the Korean War . He died of a heart attack while stationed at Wiesbaden , Germany on July 25 , 1956 at the age of 49 . His body was shipped home and interred in his wife ’ s family plot in the Kohler Cemetery at Sheboygan , Wisconsin . At the time of his passing he held the rank of lieutenant Colonel .