|
|
|
|
|
Lindbergh - The
American Hero In 1919 Raymond Orteig, a Frenchman who owned the Brevoort and Lafayette hotels in New York City, made the fledgling flying world an extraordinary offer. Enthralled by tales of pioneer aviators, Orteig put up a purse of $25,000 to the first aviator to fly nonstop from Paris to New York or New York to Paris. Orteig said his offer would be good for five years. Five years came and went. No one accomplished the feat. No one even tried. So in 1926, Orteig extended the term of his offer a further five years. This time around aviation technology had advanced to a point where some thought it might actually be possible to fly across the vast Atlantic. Charles A. Lindbergh was one of them. The rest, as the say, is history. Piloting the 'Spirit of St Louis' Lindbergh flew more than 3,600 miles in 33� hours. The heroic flight thrilled people around the world. President Calvin Coolidge awarded Lindbergh the Distinguished Flying Cross. Aviation had caught the imagination of the public. They were exciting times. A fellow 1920s aviator described Lindbergh's achievement: "It's hard to describe the impact this had on people. Even the first walk on the moon doesn't come close. The twenties was such an innocent time, and the people were still so religious. I think they felt like this man was sent by God to do this." And it changed aviation forever. All of a sudden Wall Streeters were banging down doors to invest in aviation. Suddenly people wanted to fly, but there weren't enough planes to carry them. The massive publicity surrounding Lindbergh made a sceptical public take air travel seriously. If you are interested in aviation then It's a handwritten letter signed Charles A Lindbergh. On Hotel Witteburg, Den Haag, Holland headed paper. Lindbergh is sending his personal thanks to Mr T.C.L Westbrook. Westbrook was a trusted aviation engineer who overhauled Lindbergh's plane 'Tingmissartoq' in Southampton, England, during a world tour. "We were extremely anxious to have our plane gone over by someone we could rely on, and the workmanship we saw in the Vickers plant gave us complete confidence" Lindbergh signs off "We both enjoyed seeing you and the time we spent at the inn near Woolston", it seems they even had a few beers together. The letter has been professionally mounted, framed and glaze, using conservation glass. It includes the original envelope, addressed in Lindbergh's hand and marked 'Personal' Click here to see the Charles Lindbergh letter Lindbergh had been accompanied by his wife Anne Marlow Morrow. After the 'Spirit of St Louis' flight Lindbergh had been asked by the US Government to fly to various South American countries as a gesture of goodwill. It was in Mexico that he met his future wife, the daughter of the US Ambassador. She was the only woman he had ever asked out on a date. He taught her to fly and they were employed to map air routes for Pan American Airways. The flight in the 'Tingmissartoq' took them from New York to Hopedale, then the first major hop over water to Godthaab in Greenland. It was there that an Eskimo boy named the plane 'Tingmissartoq', meaning 'One who flies like a bird'. They navigated by the stars and watched the world reveal itself beneath their wings... desert and forest, wild rivers and open seas. They flew onto Iceland, then onto the major cities of Europe (stopping off at the Hotel Wittebrug), then onto Moscow, down Africa's West Coast, and across the Atlantic to South America. From there they flew down the Amazon and then North through Trinidad and Barbados before returning to the USA. They had traveled 30,000 miles, visited four continents and twenty one countries. The information they provided Pan-Am proved invaluable in planning future transatlantic air routes. Routes we use today. Charles Lindbergh was undoubtedly the biggest celebrity of the first half of the 20th Century. He was the first person exposed to the full and unrelenting glare of the modern mass media. His name and face were everywhere, on movie screens, on the radio, books, magazines and newspapers. A shy young American had become a National Icon. He was even Time Magazines Man of the Year in 1927, the first holder of the title. If you have an interest in aviation then you'll realize the importance of a handwritten Charles Lindbergh letter. We only have one available. Be quick if you want it. Call on +44 (0) 1481 708 277 Regards He truly was a remarkable man. A pioneer. Lindbergh memorabilia is naturally scarce.
|
|
