First solo trans-Atlantic flight

The Spirit of St. Louis carried Charles Lindbergh from New York to Paris in 33 and a half hours, the first nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean. As Charles Lindbergh piloted the Spirit of St. Louis down the dirt runway of Roosevelt Field in New York on May 20, 1927, many doubted he would successfully cross the Atlantic Ocean. Yet Lindbergh landed safely in Paris less than 34 hours later, becoming the first pilot to solo a nonstop trans-Atlantic flight. He changed public opinion on the value of air travel, and laid the foundation for the future development of aviation.

In 1919, Raymond Orteig, a hotel owner in New York City, offered a prize of $25,000 to the first pilot to fly nonstop from New York to Paris. By 1927, four men had died, three were seriously injured and two others went missing during their attempt, and the prize remained tantalizingly out of reach. Lindbergh persuaded nine St. Louis businessmen to finance his attempt, using their funds to build a special plane that Lindbergh helped design. Named in honor of his sponsors, the plane was called the Spirit of St. Louis.

The plane’s single-engine design caused many to doubt its ability to cross the vast Atlantic. Previous attempts had all included multi-engine planes. Also, co-pilots had been a staple on the 3,500-mile (5,632-kilometer) journey, but Lindbergh intended to fly alone. Lindbergh omitted a parachute and a radio from his gear, opting to include more gasoline. The newspapers called him “the flying fool.”

On May 20, 1927, at 7:52 a.m., the Spirit of St. Louis accelerated down the runway at Long Island, New York, and took off into the sky while a crowd of 500 watched. The plane barely cleared the telephone wires at the end of the strip.

Lindbergh flew over Cape Cod and Nova Scotia, reaching the ocean as the sun set. Fog thickened in the night sky, and sleet formed on his plane when he attempted to pass through the clouds. He struggled with drowsiness, fighting to stay awake as he sometimes flew only 10 feet above the ocean.

After traveling more than 3,600 miles (5,800 kilometers) in 33.5 hours, Lindbergh landed safely in Paris. A crowd of 100,000 swarmed around the plane, hoisting the pilot on their shoulders and cheering his achievement. The papers called him the “Lone Eagle” and “Lucky Lindy.”

Space.com