Lindbergh Foundation Auctioned Rides Into History

The Lindbergh Foundation announced today that eight individuals from around the country enjoyed a rare opportunity to experience what few others have known -- a flight and some stick time in the EAA's Spirit of St. Louis reproduction.  The rides were part of the Lindbergh Foundation's on-line auction and took place May 15-17.

"The Spirit is a great storyteller," said Spirit Pilot Sean Elliott, director of Aircraft Operations at EAA. "If you read all the books written about the Spirit, they still don't prepare you for the experience of what Lindbergh did when he flew that plane for 33 ½ hours."

Larry Williams of Ballistic Recovery Systems in St. Paul, MN, said,  "I was awestruck to learn how unstable the aircraft is and how to keep it flying, you need constant input and diligence."

Linden Blue of Spectrum Aeronautical in San Diego said, "It was a big thrill to fly the Spirit and fly it from the seat that Lindbergh sat in.   It allows me to better project what he went through.  I have even greater respect for his airmanship after having seen how unstable the airplane is.  There is no way it could get certified today.  You have to fly it every second."

The poor visibility in the aircraft is another eye-opener for those who get a ride in the plane.  Not only was Charles an aviation pioneer, but he was also at the forefront of instrument flying.  With no forward vision available, Lindbergh used instrumentation to navigate his way to Paris. The Earth Inductor Compass, invented in 1924, was very sophisticated instrumentation for the time.

"I found the ailerons heavy, relatively unresponsive, and they created considerable adverse yaw," said Jeff Loeffler of Wyoming, Minn.  "It helped to have a well-developed forearm and responsive feet," he joked.  "Flying over the Wisconsin fields, I couldn't help drifting into thoughts of yesteryear and trying to imagine what it was like to occupy that seat over the Atlantic in 1927."

Jesse Easudes of Pittsburgh is a lifelong admirer of Charles Lindbergh and a pilot with a deep affection for the Golden Age of aviation.  Easudes never dreamed he would have a chance to fly in the Spirit of St. Louis.  In fact, he didn't bid on a ride for himself.  He hoped to win a flight for his dear friend, Ev Cassagneres, a worldwide expert on the Spirit of St. Louis, who has written two books about the Spirit of St. Louis, yet never had a chance for a ride in the plane he knows so intimately.  When Cassagneres was unable to accept the ride, and Easudes was unable to go himself, he offered the ride to his friend David Troup.  Troup gratefully accepted and immediately arranged to return the favor and fly his friend to Wisconsin so they could both experience the flight of a lifetime. 

"To hear about its handling characteristics is one thing but to actually experience them as a passenger and finally as pilot is quite another," said Easudes.  "Although I would have thought it difficult to do, this airplane increased the already tremendous respect I have for Lindbergh." 

"The Lindbergh Foundation is extremely grateful to EAA for making the Spirit available to us for our auction," said Foundation Chairman John King, co-chairman of King Schools. "The Spirit is one of the most recognizable airplanes in the world.  We are delighted to have made some dreams come true for a few very lucky people and we thank them for participating in our auction."

FMI: http://www.lindberghfoundation.org/