Also Announces First Recipient

The Lindbergh Foundation -- a storied organization, dedicated to bringing about a higher quality of life, while preserving the environment -- has partnered with enginemaker Lycoming to fund a new grant through the Lindbergh grants program.

Organization vice-chairman -- and grandson of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh -- Erik Lindbergh says the Lindbergh-Lycoming grant will be aimed at funding research balancing aviation, with the environment... a noble goal, considering that Lycoming produces more than half of all engines powering the world's general aviation fleet.

"The Lindbergh Foundation has a very successful, innovative and highly prestigious grants program that has been in place for nearly 30 years," said Lindbergh. "Our rigorous grant selection process will ensure that the project bearing the Lindbergh-Lycoming name is the best example of research balancing aviation and the environment possible. We are grateful for Lycoming's partnership in this mission."

The grants themselves won't be very big, by today's standards -- $10,580, which is what it cost Charles Lindbergh to build the Spirit of St. Louis in 1927 -- but Erik Lindbergh says that is usually just the beginning for worthy programs in need of funding.

The foundation also announced the first recipient of a Lindbergh-Lycoming grant -- Lesley A. Weitz of Texas A&M University.

"The Lindbergh Grants program enjoys an excellent reputation among the scientific community and the public sector for supporting exceptional, high-quality projects and dedicated researchers," said Clare Hallward, Chairman of the Lindbergh Foundation Grant Selection Committee.  "Lindbergh grants often support innovative ideas at an early stage in their development, young researchers, and provide dollars to establish pilot projects, which often subsequently receive extensive funding from other sources, making it a highly sought-after award."

Weitz's project -- entitled "Reducing Fuel Inefficiencies and Noise Pollution from Aircraft by Exploring the Wider use of Continuous Descent Approaches at Busy Airports," will explore the combination of cockpit control systems and Continuous Descent Approaches (CDAs) to safely increase airport capacity... while also reducing engine noise in neighboring residential areas, and decreasing fuel consumption and emissions from aircraft. 

FMI: www.lindberghfoundation.org, www.lycoming.com