Spirit of St. Louis 75th Anniversary - Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh

The New Spirit of St. Louis Flights

The world's attention focused on Erik Lindbergh this month when he announced that he is recreating his grandfather's historic Spirit of St. Louis flights. Beginning April 14, Erik will depart San Diego's Lindbergh Field and follow Charles Lindbergh's 1927 flight plan from San Diego to St. Louis, and then on April 20th, from St. Louis to New York. During the first week of May, Erik will depart from Republic Airport (Farmingdale, NY), flying non-stop across the Atlantic to Le Bourget, just outside Paris. "I am making these flights for three reasons," said Lindbergh: "to honor the legacy of innovation made famous by my grandfather, to support the development and access to new treatments for rheumatoid arthritis; and to promote the X PRIZE competition and the future of space travel." Erik will be piloting a single engine aircraft, just like his grandfather had done 75 years ago. Erik has been in flight training for the past year and in March, will undergo survival training. "I have dreamed for years about retracing my roots and flying across the Atlantic, but unsure that this dream would become a reality because of my fight with Rheumatoid Arthritis" said Erik. A new biotech drug called Enbrel is responsible for Erik's successful recovery from RA. Erik's flights will be chronicled in a two-hour documentary, which will air May 20th on the History Channel, celebrating the 75th Anniversary date of Charles Lindbergh's original transatlantic flight. More information on Erik's flights can be found on the X PRIZE website: www.xprize.org.