Existing comment:
Across The Country:
"After [his] historic flight we learned that Lindbergh was flying over Wisconsin ... And as it happened he flew over our farm! My sister grabbed our old Brownie camera and took a picture -- the result being a tiny white spot in a clear blue sky -- but it was the greatest event ever for us small children..."
-- Mary Conway Groh of Newton, Wisconsin
An overnight sensation, Lindbergh used his new celebrity status to promote advances in aviation. Wanting to see passenger service become a common mode of transportation, he made a tour of all the states, then only 48, in the four months between July and October 1927.
Funded by Daniel Guggenheim, Lindbergh flew 22,350 air miles for 260 air hours visiting 75 cities and making 80 different stops. He arrived on time at every stop except one, when he was delayed by fog. With an exhausting schedule, he attended 69 banquets, paraded 1,285 miles, and spoke to an average audience of 20,000 at open-air meetings in airfields, parks, and stadiums.
An estimated 30 million people saw Lindbergh and the Spirit of St. Louis during the tour. His message was always the same: build or improve airports so that passenger travel can begin. By the end of his tour, government officials in cities across the nation began to think seriously about air transportation. |