When Wiley Post attempts his round trip dawn - dusk flight between New York and Los Angeles within the next few weeks , the famous round the world aviator will be seated at the controls wearing a specially constructed rubber stratosphere flying suit . Constructed to operate in the stratosphere ' s rarified atmosphere , through which Post plans to speed at a rate of 350 miles an hour or more , the suit entirely encloses the pilot . It will feed oxygen to his body through an extra supercharger which has been installed in his plane . Above , left to right , at work on the suit in Los Angeles , are John A Diehl and W R Hucks , who constructed the suit . 26 May 1934