Mike Tate relates just some of the epic story surrounding John Norman’s Spirit of St. Louis reproduction
It was a blustery, rainy night at New York’s Roosevelt Field, Long Island on May 19, 1927. Standing under the wing of his all-silver Ryan NYP (New York Paris) N-X-211, emblazoned with Spirit of St. Louis on the nose, a handsomely tall pilot by the name of Charles Lindbergh looked on moodily. He feared yet another delay in his attempt to become the first to fly the Atlantic and claim the US$25,000 Orteig Prize (around US$368,600 today).
Setting The Scene
Early the next morning the intrepid aviator was handed the latest weather report – it told him a slight break in the weather was expected. There and then he made a decision that would change his life. Hurriedly preparing, Lindbergh climbed into the tight confines of the cockpit and completed his final checks as the Wright J-5C engine roared into life. At 0752hrs he opened the throttle and began lumbering down the dirt runway and into history. After what seemed like an eternity, the heavy machine clawed its way into the air, narrowly missing trees on a nearby hill. After an exhausting flight of more than 3,600 miles (5,800km), a weary Lindbergh touc…
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