On May 20, 1927, twenty-five year old American aviator Charles Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field (near New York City) in the Spirit of St. Louis, a plane he helped design. Thirty-three and a half hours later he landed in Paris a hero. Although other pilots had crossed the Atlantic before him, Lindbergh was the first to do it nonstop. His achievement brought him international fame, and $25,000 in prize money.
Created as a companion to the PBS documentary "Lindbergh," this site offers a transcript of the film plus so much more. Best clicks are the six articles found in Special Features, which include The Spirit of St. Louis (the story behind the plane that Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic), The Kidnapping (a look at the abduction of Lindbergh's son, and the trial that followed) and a fascinating piece about Lindbergh's controversial relationship with Germany's Nazis and his unpopular anti-war sentiments. Is a hero still a hero if you do not agree with his political views?
This extensive fan site was created by Pat Ranfranz, a web developer and pilot. It is well-organized, nicely illustrated, and appropriately sprinkled with hyperlinks to related onsite and offsite resources. Noteworthy clicks are the Charles and Anne Lindbergh bios, the timeline, the lesson plans in PDF format, and a May 21, 1927 radio broadcast reporting Lindbergh's arrival in Paris (on the Audio Clips page.)
Based on the PBS television series of the same name, Chasing the Sun showcases the innovators of commercial aviation. The Lindbergh page summarizes his historic transatlantic flight, subsequent rise to fame, and role in the creation of TWA and PamAm. Highlight is the silent newsreel of Lindbergh's triumphant 1927 U.S. welcome, replete with ticker tape parade. Other noteworthy sections are the aviation timeline, and the history of planes from the Wright Flyer to the jumbo Airbus.
This collection of articles from the archives of The New York Times is a terrific resource for report writing or research. Best bets are the photo gallery and the Fresh Air audio interview with Lindbergh biographer A. Scott Berg. "This was really the first moment in which a single human being left the earth. . . . Lindbergh was out there alone . . . for about fifteen hours he was flying into black night . . . in that one moment he was suddenly elevated to godlike status." The NY Times website requires free registration.
World Book honors the accomplishments of two aviation pioneers (Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart) with a special online report that includes their biographies, a look at history of flight, and links to related Web sites. Unique features include entries from the 1927, 1928 and 1937 World Books that were written when Lindbergh and Earhart were front-page news, and a link to live, audio transmission from Chicago O'Hare air traffic control.
Buy Charles Lindbergh Printable for $2.00
or try a FREE trial of the Printables ClubThe following links are either new discoveries or sites that didn't make it into my newspaper column because of space constraints. Enjoy!
TIME 100: Heroes & Icons--Charles Lindbergh | Milestones in Flight--The Spirit of St. Louis.Lindbergh Trial |
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