Dedicated to My Mother And to the Men Whose Confidence and Foresight Made Possible the Flight of the Spirit of St. Louis Mr. Harry H. Knight Major William B. Robertson Major Albert Bond Lambert Mr. J....

When Joan of Arc crowned her King at Rheims she became immortal. When Lafayette risked his all to help the struggling Americans he wrote his memory forever across a mighty continent. Shepherd boy Davi...

I was born in Detroit, Michigan, on February 4, 1902. My father was practicing law in Little Falls, Minnesota, at the time. When I was less than two months old my parents took me to their farm, on the...

Since I had first started flying at Lincoln, the year before, I had held an ambition to own an airplane of my own. So when I took my last flight with Lynch in Montana, and started down the Yellowstone...

I had strayed over a hundred miles off my course and experienced a minor crack-up, but I departed with two hundred and fifty more dollars in my pocket than I had arrived with, besides confidence in my...

When the period of instruction was completed I flew the old Jenny up to my student’s home in Iowa and, after watching him make a few solo flights from his home field, I left on a train for Lincoln. My...

I arrived at Brooks Field on March 15th, 1924, but was not enlisted as a Flying Cadet until March 19th. Ordinarily a cadet enlists at the nearest station to his home and is given free transportation t...

In September, 1924, we were transferred to Kelly. The time we had looked forward to for half a year had arrived. We were through the period of just learning how to fly and were entering a new experien...

I went by rail to St. Louis and took an OX-5 Standard out for a barnstorming trip in Illinois, Missouri and Iowa. The Post Office Department had just advertised a number of contract air mail routes fo...

By the first of April our organization was well under way and about a week before the inauguration day we took two planes over the route to make any final arrangements necessary. On April fifteenth at...

The transatlantic nonstop flight between New York and Paris was first brought into public consideration by Raymond Orteig who, in 1919, issued a challenge to the Aeronautical world by offering a prize...

At New York we checked over the plane, engine and instruments, which required several short flights over the field. When the plane was completely inspected and ready for the transatlantic flight, ther...

When Lindbergh came to tell the story of his welcome at Paris, London, Brussels, Washington, New York and St. Louis he found himself up against a tougher problem than flying the Atlantic. He wanted to...

I have asked Fitzhugh Green to write a brief account of my various receptions not only because I think he has caught the spirit of what I have tried to do for aviation, but because I trust his judgmen...

Charles A. Lindbergh was the “dark horse” of the New York to Paris flight; also he flew alone. These two facts, combined with the tragic disappearance of the French transatlantic fliers, Nungesser and...

Charles A. Lindbergh was the “dark horse” of the New York to Paris flight; also he flew alone. These two facts, combined with the tragic disappearance of the French transatlantic fliers, Nungesser and...

The Belgian reception was one of quiet dignity. King Albert had given orders that at all costs Lindbergh must come off the field untouched. The flier landed at the Evere Flying Field near Brussels at ...

The flight from Brussels was comparatively simple and there was little or no strain on the plane. The pilot steered straight across the Channel, reaching England on the southeast corner. The weather w...

It is probable that when Lindbergh reached America he got the greatest welcome any man in history has ever received; certainly the greatest when judged by numbers; and by far the greatest in its freed...

On Monday morning, June 13, Lindbergh rose at dawn and reached the Mayflower Hotel at 6:45 a.m. for breakfast with the National Aeronautical Association, which conferred a life membership upon him. He...

At 8:17 a.m., Friday June 17th, Lindbergh hopped off in his plane for St. Louis. At Paterson he passed over the plant of the Wright Aeronautical Corporation where had been built the motor that had tak...

In the following account of flying during the postwar period of aviation, before flying laws and the Aeronautical Branch of the Department of Commerce came into existence, it should be borne in mind b...