Charles Lindbergh may be the best known pilot in history and is famous for his flight across the Atlantic Ocean. He had a very long career and was a very successful pilot for throughout his life.
1. Famous Solo Flight
Very few people had heard of Lindbergh before he made his transatlantic flight. He became the most famous pilot of his era for his solo flight from New York to Paris in his airplane the Spirit of St. Louis.
2. Developer of the Artificial Heart
There are many things that people don’t know about Charles Lindbergh. For example, it is said that he was one of the first people to suggest and develop an artificial heart.
3. Supportive Father
His father was a lawyer and U.S. Congressman and was very supportive of Charles in all of his efforts and undertakings.
4. Knack For Mechanics
Charles was a very intelligent boy and had a particular skill and knack for mechanics. He began attending the University of Wisconsin at the age of 18 to study engineering. As a boy, had a very keen mind and showed strength and talent with engineering . His father also showed support and encouragement of his skills when Charles showed that he was skilled with mechanics. Although he began college studying engineering, he only stayed at the University of Wisconsin for two years and then began attending the Lincoln Flight School in Nevada.
5. Flying
Charles got his start at the flight school in Nebraska and started flying daredevil stunts in planes at county fairs and carnivals. He did the stunt pilot gig for a few years and then moved on to something more commercial. His beginnings as a pilot were modest and he even flew a mail plane from St. Louis to Chicago in 1926. When Lindbergh enlisted in the U.S. Army, he took the advice of his father and was trained as an army air service reserve pilot.
6. Famous Flight
The transatlantic solo flight across the Atlantic began as a gamble among several different pilots. There was a $25,000 reward, offered by a New York City hotel owner, to any pilot who could cross the Atlantic non-stop and there were several other pilots who tried and were unsuccessful. Lindbergh’s famous flight took place in 1927 in the Spirit of St. Louis. The plane that he flew was a Wright Whirlwind Plane and it had no brakes. He made the famous trip in 33 hours: he left from Newark Field in New York and arrived in Paris the following day.
7. Nicknames
Charles Lindbergh received several nicknames after making his transatlantic flight. The press gave him most of his names referring to him as Lucky Lindy and even the Lone Eagle, among others. Deemed a hero worldwide, Lindbergh was stunned when several French women kissed him after he landed.
8. Monetary Awards
Lindbergh was offered money by several different organizations for the tremendous feat that he had accomplished, among them the Paris Aero Club offered to give him 150,000 francs which was the equivalent of $6,000 for his flight. He refused the award and asked that the money be given to the families of pilots who had died while they were flying.
9. Ambassador of Sorts
Charles Lindbergh became an ambassador of sorts for the United States and visited countries all over the world. He flew to several Latin American countries and helped chart flight paths that are still used today by commercial airlines. The U.S. government even suggested that he fly to Nazi Germany to meet with officials there. He was successful and met with Nazi leader Herman Goring who gave him a medal for his accomplishments.
10. Private Life
Lindbergh was married to Anne Spencer Marrow and they had a child who was kidnapped and murdered. They left the country and spent some time in Europe where they waited until what became the Lindbergh law was passed and kidnapping became a federal crime.
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