Remember. Recognise. Celebrate. Educate. Legacy.
Join us in celebrating a flight that changed the world
98th Anniversary
Commemoration of the
First East-West
Transatlantic Flight
12:00 pm, Sunday 12 April 2026
Fitzmaurice Place, Portlaoise, Co. Laois
Join us as we gather in Portlaoise to remember and honour the historic Bremen flight and the remarkable achievement of Co-Captain Col. James C. Fitzmaurice.
Register Your Interest
Fitz100 & the Centenary
Fitz100 celebrates the centenary of the Bremen flight (1928–2028) through a programme of events nationally and internationally; in particular marking the role of Co-Captain Comdt James C. Fitzmaurice’s role in this historic achievement.
What is Fitz100?
A programme of national and international events across five themes:
Remember – Recognise – Celebrate – Educate – Legacy
What will the centenary include?
The general public, schools, aviation professionals, historians, and international partners.
Who are the events for?
Who is organising the centenary?
The FItz100 Committee is organising and coordinating the centenary programme.
The Fitz100 Committee exists to celebrate one of the greatest achievements in aviation history—the first successful east-to-west transatlantic flight. Through a programme of national and international events, we honour Comdt James C. Fitzmaurice and the Bremen crew, and share Ireland’s enduring contribution to global aviation.
Our Mission.
We believe the story of the Bremen flight is more than a moment in history. Our vision is to inspire future generations by telling the story of how skill, courage and determination transformed the impossible into reality.
Our Vision
Why This Flight Matters
Why was east-to-west flight so difficult?
Prevailing Atlantic headwinds made east-to-west crossings far more dangerous and fuel-intensive. Many experts at the time believed it was impossible.
Why is this considered a turning point in aviation?
The Bremen flight proved that long-distance transatlantic flight against the wind was achievable, accelerating the development of international air travel.
Ireland was the departure point, and Fitzmaurice was a co-captain and key figure in the mission. The flight placed Ireland at the centre of a global aviation milestone.
What role did Ireland play?
Yes. The expedition had the backing of the Irish Government, and Fitzmaurice carried a letter from the Irish President for delivery to the U.S. President.
Was the flight officially supported?
About James C. Fitzmaurice
James C. Fitzmaurice was a pioneering Irish aviator and a founding figure of the Irish Air Corps. Born in Dublin and raised in Portlaoise, he went on to become one of Ireland’s most internationally recognised airmen, rising to the rank of Commandant.
Who was James C. Fitzmaurice?
Why is he sometimes called Ireland’s “forgotten hero”?
Despite international fame in 1928, his achievements faded from public memory over time, even though they rank among Ireland’s greatest aviation accomplishments.
Fitzmaurice was awarded the United States Distinguished Flying Cross, granted the Freedom of the City of Dublin, and celebrated with a massive ticker-tape parades through the US
What honours did he receive?
What did the flight represent beyond aviation?
Just ten years after World War I, the German-Irish crew symbolised reconciliation and peace. Fitzmaurice himself described aviation’s transformation from “a war weapon into a peace force”.
Key Facts
The Bremen flight was the first successful east-to-west transatlantic flight by aircraft, completed in April 1928.
What was the Bremen flight?
The flight was co-captained by Irish Commandant James C. Fitzmaurice, German pilot Hermann Köhl, and expedition organiser von Hünefeld.
Who was involved?
A Junkers W33 monoplane named Bremen, funded largely by merchants from the German city of Bremen.
What aircraft was used?
When did the flight take place?
The aircraft departed on 12 April 1928 and landed 36.5 hours later.
The flight took off from Baldonnel Aerodrome, Dublin and was headed for New York but landed on Greenly Island, Quebec, Canada.
Where did the flight begin and end?
Greenly Island is a remote, rocky island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Quebec, near the Labrador border, roughly 3 km south of Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon.
Where is Greenly Island?
Get in touch with the Fitz100 team
Get in touch with the Fitz100 team. We’d be delighted to hear from you.
The Fitz100 Committee works on a pro-bono basis and collaborates closely with partners in Germany and Canada to deliver a fitting international commemoration of the Bremen flight and Commandant James C. Fitzmaurice.