The more I think about this the more amazing it seems to me that I'm able to share stories I heard as a child, only to go online decades later and learn more about the stuff that fascinated me in childhood.

Whenever my dad's navy buddies paid him a visit I could always get interesting stories out of them. One story I loved was the day the Dornier Do-X paid a visit to New York City in 1930.

Germany's avaition industry stunned the world with the introduction of the Dornier Do-X in 1929. At the time the Do-X was the largest flying boat ever produced, the goal was to offer luxury ocean liner passengers an ariel alternative that was faster.

To introduce this new "airliner" to the oceanliner public, the Transport Ministry of Germany sponsored an around the world tour. It all added up to quite a public event at each port-o-call for the Do-X.  Must have been very exciting to follow the progress of the German flying boat in the local newspapers as it put on a show where ever it landed!