Flying Solo with Charles Lindbergh

By Joyce Worley

On Friday, May 21, 1926, at 10:22 p.m., Charles Lindbergh landed the Spirit of St. Louis at Le Bourget Airport in Paris, France. The world abruptly shrank, and nothing was ever the same again.

Before Lindbergh, the New World was like an island, separated from Europe by great distance, bounded by oceans. Thousands of miles lay between America and the political upheaval in Europe. But after Lindbergh's great flight, the world was pulled together in an unprecedented way.

Charles Augustus Lindbergh was born on February 4, 1902, in Detroit. He spent most of his youth on the family farm near Little Falls, Minnesota. After high school, Charles attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison. During his second year of school, he caught the flying bug. Young Lindbergh abandoned his more formal studies and went to Lincoln, Nebraska to enroll in flying school.

Untethered, with his wings, he barnstormed around the Midwest, often performing as a daredevil wing walker and parachutist. He joined an Army flying school in 1924 and graduated in 1925.

Army pilot's license tucked into his belt, he took a job as the first Air Mail pilot flying between Chicago and St. Louis. Facing the Midwest's unpredictable weather, he began to establish a reputation as a pilot who kept his head about him, even under difficult circumstances.

Lindbergh heard of the Orteig Prize—the princely sum of $25,000 promised to the first person who could fly nonstop from New York to Paris. He decided to go for it. Certainly, the money was enough to make anyone pause, yet it seems doubtful that cash was Lindbergh's motivation.

The whole world was waiting for the miracle of trans-oceanic flight. World War I was over and done; the nations were anxious to be drawn closer together. Everyone—including Lindbergh—realized the significance of airplane traffic; everyone knew that the Atlantic must be crossed to move the world closer to unification.

The Ryan Aeronautical Company in San Diego built the Spirit of St. Louis, and Lindbergh lifted off from Roosevelt Field, Long Island, New York, at 7:51 a.m. on May 20, 1927. And when he landed at the French airport 33 1/2 hours later, he had flown 3,600 miles, and his name was a household word.

"Lucky Lindy," as he was called, became an instant hero. Parades and speeches, as well as awards and medals, honored Lindbergh. There were crystal bowls, silver cups, jewels, coins, and more—many of which are prized today by collectors. Lindbergh's plane, the Spirit of St. Louis, is proudly suspended from the ceiling of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

That was not the end of the Lindbergh story though—far from it. There was tragedy ahead with the kidnapping and loss of his infant son. There was controversy before World War II, when he warned that the German Air Force was formidable. During the war, there was accomplishment, when he flew 50 missions against the Japanese military. He lent his fame to encourage space exploration. And the final years of his life were spent working for ecology and conservation.

Since the whole world had participated in the Lindbergh-mania following his flight, Lindbergh memorabilia is plentiful. Collectibles range from thousands of dollars, to a few dollars. Available items range from documents detailing his flights and landings at airports around the world, to commemorative medals bearing his name.

Lindbergh's courage inspires us all, 72 years later, on the anniversary of his joyous landing in France. Vive Lindbergh! Vive the Spirit of St. Louis!

Joyce Worley is Editor of the Collecting Channel. These are the opinions of the author, not the opinions of eBay, and therefore eBay does not validate the accuracy of or endorse these opinions.

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The preceding material was written by Lee Bernstein. These are the opinions of the author, not the opinions of eBay, and therefore eBay does not validate the accuracy of or endorse these opinions.