Lindbergh's arrival in France,historical artwork. Charles Lindbergh (1902-1974) achieved the first solo transatlantic flight. He took off in his monoplane Spirit of St Louis at 07:52 on 20th May 1927 from Long Island,New York,USA. He flew for 33.5 hours non-stop and when he finally landed in Paris,France,night had fallen. It was 22:22 on 21st May when he touched ground,but a large crowd was still there to greet him at this late hour. After briefly flying to London a few days later,Lindbergh and his airplane were taken by the US Navy back to America,where the people were so in awe of his feat that they held a parade in New York in his honour. Image taken from Le Petit Journal,France,May 1927 |