Exactly 96 years ago today, on January 22, 1926, three Spanish aviators set off to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a German twin-engine Dornier Do J flying boat. The aircraft named "Ultra Plus" started its journey upstream from the town of Palos de la Frontera in the Spanish province of Huelva en route to the Canary Islands. From there, it would fly to the Cape Verde Islands off the coast of West Africa. The plan was to fly to the Cape Verde Islands, cross the Atlantic Ocean to Brazil, and then head south to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Together with linking the Spanish-speaking counties by air, the flight was intended to boost the image of Spanish aviators abroad. In command of the flight was Major Ra­mon Franco Bahamonde, assisted by co-pilot Captain Julio Ruiz de Alda Miqueleiz and navigator Lieutenant Juan Manuel Duran Gonzalez. The youngest of three brothers, Ramon Franco's brother Francisco would later become a dictator ruling Spain from 1939 until he died in 1975.

The flight between the Cape Verde Islands and Brazil was the longest leg

The first leg of the epic journey involved an 806-mile flight down to Las Palmas in the Canary Isles. From Las Palmas, the aviators then flew to Porto Praia in the Portuguese Cape Verde Islands. After several days in Porto Praia, they were preparing the plane for the longest leg of its journey to Brazil. After delays due to bad weather, the plane eventually took off on the morning of January 30, 1926, for the 1,429-mile flight to Brazil.

Flying at an altitude of around 1,000 feet, the Ultra Plus was out of wireless contact for four hours before they communicated with Recife in Brazil. Just as it was beginning to get dark, they spotted the Fernando de Noronha Islands, which are located in the Atlantic 220 miles from mainland Brazil.

The flight across the Atlantic was the second-longest-ever flight

After several frustrating attempts to land in rough seas, Franco safely landed the plane, leaving himself and his crew to spend an uncomfortable night bobbing up and down on the waves. At the time, Franco and his team had completed the second-longest flight in history.

The world's longest flight record belonged to British aviators Alcock and Brown. On June 14 and 15, 1919, they flew a Vickers Vimy from Newfoundland to Ireland to become the first airman to fly across the Atlantic.

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The Ultra Plus is now on display in a museum

From the Fernando de Noronha islands, the Ultra Plus flew to Recife on the Brazilian mainland and then to Rio de Janeiro before heading South To Montevideo, Uruguay, and then finally to Buenos Aries, where the crew received a hero's welcome. Following the historic flight, Spain donated the plane to the Argentinian Navy, which used it to deliver mail.

In 1986, it was taken apart and shipped back to Spain, where it was to be made airworthy and replicate Ramon Franco's flight. This proved impossible to do, and the plane was shipped back to Argentina, where it is now on display in a museum close to Buenos Aries.