Flood Francis, Wilson James C. (w3400)
- Details
- Hits: 734
- Description: In 1927, while sailing along the African coast, Wilson talked Flood into crossing the continent by motorcycle - despite Flood having never ridden one before. They purchased two 5 hp single-cylinder Triumph motorcycles with sidecars and departed from Lagos, Nigeria, heading north toward the southern edge of the Sahara and then east through French West Africa, French Equatorial Africa, the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan and Eritrea, reaching the Red Sea after five months. The route covered approximately 8,000 km (5,000 miles) with no maps, no roads and no manufacturer support. This is considered the first - or among the first - motor vehicle crossings of Africa by motorcycle. Along the way they suffered mechanical failures repaired with improvised materials including Wilson's false front teeth melted down to insulate a magneto, fractured bones, appendicitis and the constant threat of dehydration. Their photographs were later published in National Geographic and used in an MIT anthropology course in the 21st century. The journey was encouraged by Lowell Thomas and published in 1936 as Three-Wheeling Through Africa
- Alias-Pseudonimo-Pseudonyme: -
- Nationality-Nazionalità-Nationalité: USA
- Birth/death-Nascita/morte-Naissance/mort: -
- Means of transport-Mezzo di trasporto-Moyen de transport: Motorbike, Motocicletta, Moto
- Geographical description-Riferimento geografico-Référence géographique: Africa
- Internet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-Wheeling_Through_Africa
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55614904
- Inscriptions-Iscrizioni-Inscriptions: Flood-Wilson Trans-African Motorcycle Expedition
