Existing comment:
Who Was Lindbergh?
Charles Lindbergh gained instant celebrity when he became the first person to fly alone nonstop from New York to Paris in 1927 in his Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis (on display in the Milestones of Flight gallery). He was the hero of the day-every child in the country knew his name.
The "Lindbergh boom" in aviation followed: aircraft industry stocks rose in value, and interest in flying skyrocketed. Lindbergh's subsequent U.S. publicity tour demonstrated the airplane's potential as a safe, reliable form of transportation.
Lindbergh used his fame to promote the expansion of commercial aviation. Transcontinental Air Transport hired him to help select T.A.T.'s aircraft, routes, systems, and equipment. He also advised Pan American Airways and was instrumental in its expansion. |