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Wednesday, May 21, 2014

HEROES OF THE AIR

LINDBERGH FLEW ATLANTIC, LANDED IN PARIS 87 YEARS AGO 

Paris, France (JFK+50) Charles A. Lindbergh landed safely 87 years ago, May 21, 1927, at Le Bourget Field here in Paris after a 33 1/2 flight from New York City.

Lindbergh, born in Detroit, Michigan in 1902, became the first aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean and the first to fly non-stop from New York to Paris.

Lucky Lindy was greeted by an excited crowd of 150,000 who carried him around above their heads for about 30 minutes.

Lindbergh's aircraft was christened "The Spirit of St. Louis".

"What kind of man would live where there is no daring? 

 I don't believe in taking foolish chances, but nothing can be accomplished without taking any chance at all."
                                                                                                Charles Augustus Lindbergh


Six men died attempting to do what Lindbergh accomplished.



           Congressional Gold Medal
Presented to Col. Charles A. Lindbergh
         by President Calvin Coolidge
                     August 15, 1930




EARHART COMPLETED TRANS-ATLANTIC FLIGHT 82 YEARS AGO 

Five years after Lindbergh's historic flight, 82 years ago, May 21, 1932, female aviator Amelia Earhart became the first to repeat the solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean.

Earhart flew from Newfoundland across the North Atlantic to Ireland.

In 1928, Miss Earhart had become the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, but she was part of a three person crew on that occasion.

In an attempt to fly around the world, Amelia Earhart's plane disappeared over the South Pacific on July 2, 1937.  She was 39 years old.

"The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.  The fears are paper tigers.  You can do anything you decide to."

                                                                                                                                Amelia Earhart



                 Amelia Earhart
         Queen of the Air (1932)