Lindbergh's+Solo+Flight+Across+the+Atlantic

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= Charles Lindbergh's Solo Flight Across the Atlantic =

= = = = = The Man = Charles Lindbergh was born on February 4, 1902 into a dysfunctional family. His parents separated when he was five, setting into motion a life of constant movement as he divided his time between his mother and father. He attended eleven separate schools, and as a teenager became a loner; slow to make friends and always uncomfortable in group activities. His peers from those years remembered his self-reliance, his restless nature, and his bent for a solitary life.

Lindbergh learned his survival skills and cool under pressure instincts form his father. One occasion while on a fishing trip with his father, Lindbergh found himself in deep water and in danger of drowning. His father refused to come to his aid, insisting that his son find his own way to safety. The father's independent manner, pride, and stoicism no doubt played a role in shaping the son's future character.

Lindbergh entered the University of Wisconsin in 1920 where he would flunk out his sophomore year. Despite the shortcomings of a formal education, he demonstrated impressive mechanical skills and an insatiable urge to travel. Following his brief stint at Wisconsin, in March 1922 Lindbergh headed for the Nebraska Aircraft Corporation in Lincoln for flying lessons, as flying had always intrigued him as a boy. This decision opened up doors for him that at the time were probably not in even his wildest dreams. Between the years of 1922 and 1926 he flew in the area of "barnstorming", until he moved on to the demanding life of an airmail pilot.

Lindbergh began his quest for the Orteig prize in the fall of 1926. He found a financial backer in Harry Knight, who cut a check for him in February of 1927, and the rest is history.

= = = The Prize = Raymond Orteig was a French-born millionaire who had gained his wealth from expertise in the hotel industry. The Frenchman would purchase hotels, renovate them, and turn them into beautiful havens with carefully selected menus and wine lists. It was during World War I that he became enthralled by the adventuresome "Knights of the Air", which would then spark him to create one of the most popular races in aviation history. Orteig believed that that the future of aviation lay in the peaceful pursuit of transoceanic flying. As a result, in 1919, through the Aero Club of America, Orteig decided to offer a prize of $25,000 "to the first aviator who shall cross the Atlantic in land or water aircraft (heavier-than-air) from Paris or the shores of France to New York, or form New York to Paris or the shores of France, without stop," within the next five years. No transatlantic flights were made that conformed to the New York-Paris/Paris-New york requirement laid down by Orteig, however it is estimated that in that the time frame 117 people traveled by air across the Atlantic, most of them being passengers. In the five years since Orteig had offered the prize, nobody had been able to do what was required to win, primarily because the technological limitations of aircraft would not allow it, so Orteig renewed the contest for an additional five years. A significant technological breakthrough would soon follow, as in the early 1920s a reliable, lightweight, air-cooled power plant was invented, all but insuring the eventual conquest of the Atlantic Ocean.

By 1927, Lindbergh had some strong competitors, including Commander Richard Byrd, U.S.N.; Noel Davis and Stanton Wooster, naval aviators with much experience; Clarence Chamberlin and Charles Levine, a seasoned pilot and the aircraft owner; and French aces Charles Nungesser and Francois Coli.

Lindbergh was quickly reaching conclusions that would soon be great factors to his success. In his mind, the only possibility of success lay in a solo flight, "I'll fly alone. That will cut out the need for any selection of crew, or quarreling. if there's upholstery in the cabin, I'll tear it out for the flight. I'll take only the food I need to eat, and a few concentrated rations. I'll carry a rubber boat for emergency, and a little extra water" (Pisano/Van Der Linden 29). Lindbergh concluded that the Atlantic Ocean could be conquered with a much smaller, modern, single-engine aircraft, with a minimum of equipment and only one pilot. .

= = =The Preparations = =** A favorable weather report was the final thing standing in the way of Lindbergh's long-awaited departure. He had already taken test runs in his aircraft "Spirit of St. Louis", with a leg from San Diego to St. Louis, and then one from St. Louis to New York. He arrived in New York on May 12, after nonchalantly setting a transcontinental speed record of twenty-one hours and twenty minutes. Just to add a little frosting on top of that feat, the leg from San Diego to St. Louis was the longest anyone had every flown by themselves. Clearly, Charles Lindbergh meant business. **=

During the San Diego-St. Louis leg, Lindbergh was able to diagnose a key problem that required fixing in preparation for his transatlantic trek. It was while flying over the Rocky Mountains in New Mexico when he learned that he had to install a carburetor heater box regardless of the weight, because the air over the North Atlantic would be colder and moister than the Rockies and much more prone to forming ice. Thank goodness for those record-setting test runs!

In New York, the Spirit was filled with Standard Oil's finest California gasoline, which required Lindbergh to make arrangements to get the oil shipped there. For a reason that was unknown at the time, California petroleum had a higher energy content than gasoline from other areas, which explains why it was Lindbergh's fuel of choice. We now know today that this is because the fuel had a higher octane rating.

Everything was set in place in the place with the exception of the weather, until finally, while Lindbergh was on his way to see a how in Manhattan, he was informed by meteorologist James H. Kimball that clear skies over the Atlantic were being forecasted. Although Charles had been awake all day and the previous night, he canceled his night out and went to Curtiss Field to prepare for his departure.

Lindbergh packed himself sandwiches for the flight, and while his crew was hard at work he returned to his hotel briefly to attempt to sleep. This was useless, as the excitement and interruptions prevented any sleep at all. He left his hotel before three in morning, still deprived of sleep, and set off to make the final preparations for the flight.

The plane was carefully loaded with 450 gallons of Standard Oil California gasoline, and a quick new addition, a small sealed barograph to document the flight officially. Lindbergh was ready to go. The plane was heavier than ever--5,250 pounds--and the take-off field was still soaked and muddy from rain, but Lindbergh pressed on. At 7:54 AM on May 20, 1927, the Spirit lifted off of the ground, and the show was finally on the road.

=**The Flight ** = Over the course of the 33 and a half hour flight Lindbergh established a routine. Every hour he would switch to another fuel take and mark that fact in pencil on the upper right side of his instrument panel. Also every hour he would adjust his magnetic and earth inductor compasses to compensate for changes in earth's magnetic field.

The struggle to stay awake would dominate Lindbergh's efforts until he crossed the Irish coast. On occasion he would drift off, reawakening when his aircraft would become unstable when out of his control. He consumed very little of his sandwiches and one-quart canteen of water, as he believed that hunger pangs would help him stay awake. He made every attempt imaginable to try to stay awake; he left side windows open to keep a cold flow of air on his face, and he studied his Mercator chart to refocus his mind on navigation duties. He tried to remain in as uncomfortable of positions as possible, hoping that this would force him to remain awake.

As night fell, he found himself navigating solely on instruments as he was often in clouds. His life was in the hands of his turn-and-bank indicator, which kept him straight and level when he could not see. As he had anticipated, after fourteen hours in air while he was cruising at 10,500 feet, the //Spirit// began to ice up. In fear that his flight instruments might freeze, Lindbergh veered off of his course a little bit to look for warmer air. After ten minutes, he found his way out of the thunderhead and into clean air.

Fifteen hours into the flight Lindbergh hit another major setback. Both of his compasses failed him for a short period of time, forcing Lindbergh to confront the aviation phenomenon of "magnetic storms". Fortunately, his trusty magnetic compass reset after a while; unfortunately, he wasn't sure if he was still on course. Through study of moon position and his charts he found himself back as close as possible to his planned route.

Fighting his drowsiness with all his might, Lindbergh realized that he was winning his battle when in the twenty-seventh hour he spotted a seagull and knew that land was near. Shortly after, he crossed the Irish coast only three miles from his estimated point, a remarkable feat of aviation considering his lack of sleep, the hours of flying based solely on instruments, his swing compasses, and the unpredictable crosswinds. Lindbergh was two-and-a-half hours ahead of schedule and wide awake at last. He flew on to England, into the night, and finally to Paris, where history awaited him.

The Fame Lindbergh was carried off of his aircraft by a fan frenzy that surrounded his landing in France. Lindbergh had had intentions to spend a few quiet days in France before moving on, but he had wildly underestimated the effect of his flight on the public imagination. He was a hero to millions around the world and a celebrity of unmatched proportions.

Despite entering the Orteig contest 36 days before his flight (60 days was required), he was still awarded with the prize. A delighted Raymond Orteig set aside the sixty-day entry rule and happily announced that Lindbergh had won the cherished award, and a whopping check of $25,000.

A fearless risk-taker, Charles Lindbergh made history in the the field of aviation, history that will forever be remembered in the history of our country.

Hardesty, Von. // Lindbergh: Flight's Enigmatic Hero //. New York: Harcourt, 2002. Print.

 Meachum, Virginia. // Charles Lindbergh: American Hero of Flight //. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow, 2002. Print.

Pisano, Dominick. // Charles Lindbergh and the Spirit of St. Louis //. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, in Association with Harry N. Abrams, 2002. Print.

Pictures: Charles Lindbergh: http://www.nndb.com/people/687/000026609/lindbergh-face.jpg

Entry Form: Scanned from--  Meachum, Virginia. // Charles Lindbergh: American Hero of Flight //. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow, 2002. Print.

Standard Oil: http://www.solcomhouse.com/images/StandardOil.jpg

Spirit of St. Louis: http://www.census.gov/history/img/StLouis1920s.jpg