Description
- 1977 13 Lindbergh Flight
- U.S. #1710
- Issue Date: May 20, 1977
Description
U.S. #1710 commemorates the 50th anniversary of Charles Lindberghs historic solo transatlantic flight from New York to Paris. Charles A. Lindbergh (1902-74) Since 1919, a New York City hotel owner, Raymond Orteig, had offered a $25,000 reward to the first pilot to fly non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean. Several pilots attempted to earn this prize, but all failed some were injured or even killed. In 1927, this unclaimed prize came to the attention of a talented young pilot, Charles A. Lindbergh. Lindbergh was an Army-trained pilot who flew the mail route between St. Louis and Chicago. He believed that the trip was possible with the right plane. Lindbergh convinced a group of St. Louis businessmen to give him the financial support he needed to build a special airplane of his own design. He named the plane the Spirit of St. Louis. On May 20, 1927, at 7:52 A.M., Lindbergh took off in the Spirit of St. Louis from Roosevelt Field, located near New York City. Thirty-three-and-a-half hours later, he landed near Paris at Bourget Field. A huge crowd of people had gathered to greet Lindbergh and celebrate his historic accomplishment. Lindberghs daring flight made him an international celebrity and a respected authority on aviation.