Founded in 1919, the Green Bay Packers have a long and storied history. But you might not have known they were the first NFL team to fly on a plane to travel to a game. On Nov. 17, 1940 the Packers played the New York “football” Giants, losing 7-3. It followed a long, five game road trip where just getting there was probably the goal. But for the Pack, even though that year in 1940 they had an uneventful record 6-4-1, they made history but traveling by plane to an from a game.
The flight to New York did not go as planned. According to Oshkosh’s very own EAA and their Inside the EAA publication, “Set to depart Chicago at 12:30 p.m. local time and arrive at the New York Municipal Airport (now LaGuardia) at 4:25 p.m., the Packers were slightly delayed when a group of photographers showed up on the ramp. The team posed for photos, including a pose in which quarterback Cecil Isbell lifted stewardess Roberta Schilbach off the ground and pretended to throw her to star wide receiver Don Hutson.”
Don Hutson today is known as the namesake for the Don Hutson center where the Packers practice.
But the trip got even stranger…
A Cancelled Flight
Next, the Packers had their plane stop in Cleveland to refuel. Because of foggy conditions, their flight to New York was canceled and the team had to “punt”. Coach Curly Lambeau ordered the whole team taxis to the train station where they boarded a New York Central train to take them the rest of the way to New York.
The return flight home happened without incident. After the loss early Monday morning the Packers flew from New York to Chicago, making history in the process.
For a more detailed account, check out Inside the EAA.
The Packers take on the Tennessee Titans tonight at Curly Lambeau field. I bet the Titans flew in.
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