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 Avoiding thunderstorms and icy wings, Erik Lindbergh, flying in the footsteps of his grandfather Charles Lindbergh, completed his trip to Paris, landing at 11:23 an Le Bourget in Paris, France. Moments after landing, Erik kissed the ground and embraced his mom, Barbara Robbins. He then was greeted by Peter H. Diamandis, Chairman and President of The X PRIZE Foundation, who had seen Erik depart in Long Island, NY the previous day and flown via commercial airline to meet him in Paris. Along the way, Erik encountered turbulence, thunderstorms and dangerous weather conditions forcing him to fly at altitudes between 7,000 and 17,000 feet. Erik was thankful to several airliners in the area and his St. Louis Mission Control team, who offered encouragement and boosted his morale as he fought fatigue and sleep deprivation. Erik noted that his Lancair Columbia 300 performed "perfectly" in, at times, "dangerous and difficult" flying conditions. When asked by the press, "What will you do next?", Erik responded that he looks forward to flying into space with the X PRIZE. He also wanted to "thank the corporate and private sponsors" who helped make his flight a reality. The X PRIZE is a ten million dollar prize to be awarded to the first team that builds and flies a three-person vehicle to an altitude of 100 km (62 miles) twice within a two-week period. Currently twenty-one teams from the private sector in five countries are pursuing the purse. Additional information and photos of the spacecraft can be found at www.xprize.org . "I have dreamed for years about retracing my roots and flying across the Atlantic, but until recently, I was unsure I would be able to make this dream a reality. This year, I will be flying the New Spirit of St. Louis because now I can. I am making my flight to support the development and access to new treatments for rheumatoid arthritis as well as to focus attention on the next generation of transportation: space travel. By crossing the Atlantic in a race to win the Orteig Prize, Charles Lindbergh opened the world of commercial aviation that today is a $250 billion business. Young Erik Lindbergh is doing this flight to honor his grandfather's innovation on the 75th anniversary, and to promote space tourism. The New Spirit of St. Louis flights will benefit the X PRIZE Foundation, the Arthritis Foundation, and the Lindbergh Foundation. "I am making these flights to honor my grandfather's legacy and to promote the X PRIZE competition, which I believe to be the catalyst for the future of space travel," said Erik Lindbergh. The Lindbergh Legacy and the X PRIZE. Erik Lindbergh serves as a Trustee and Vice President of the X PRIZE Foundation (www.xprize.org), an organization offering a $10 million prize for the first private team to fly to space in a privately-built spacecraft, return to Earth and fly again within two weeks. The X PRIZE is modeled after the "Orteig Prize," the $25,000 prize that Charles Lindbergh won for his 1927 transatlantic flight. "My grandfather was motivated to make his flight by a prize that unquestionably helped to open the future of aviation," said Erik Lindbergh. "I am promoting the X PRIZE because I believe it will help open the door to space travel for the rest of us." "The 1927 flights of the Spirit of St. Louis marked the beginning of the modern age of air travel. Seventy-five years later, a solo transatlantic flight in a small plane is still considered the Mount Everest climb of flying," said Gregg Maryniak, Mission Control Director for the 2002 New Spirit of St. Louis flight, and Executive Director of the X PRIZE Foundation. "Erik is an experienced commercial pilot and flight instructor, and has spent months undergoing rigorous training and testing to prepare himself for these highly demanding solo flights." "Charles Lindbergh's flight 75 years ago this May, was made in response to a $25,000 prize (worth about $10M today at an 8 percent interest rate)," explained Dr. Peter Diamandis, founder and Chairman of the X PRIZE Foundation. "This flight created a revolution in air transportation and most notably changed public perception about flying on airplanes. Within a year of Charles Lindbergh's flight, the number of passengers increased by 30-fold! The X PRIZE competition plans to change the public's view about space travel and to motivate the design and construction of a new generation of spaceships designed to carry the general public into space." Erik Lindbergh's flight plan Leg 1: On April 14, Erik Lindbergh departed Lindbergh Field for St. Louis. Flight time: 7 hours, 19 minutes. Leg 2: On April 20, Erik departed from the Spirit of St. Louis Airport (Executive Beechcraft Aviation) for New York. Flight time: 4 hours, 50 minutes. May 1-2: (conditions permitting) Erik will depart Republic Airport to fly non-stop from Republic Airport (Farmingdale) to Le Bourget, Paris (flight time: @17-21 hours). Erik Lindbergh's New Spirit of St. Louis route of flight. Erik Lindbergh's flight plan follows the "great-circle" route followed by his grandfather, Charles Lindbergh. Actual flight information, which is updated by the minute during each flight, is displayed at our Mission Control website: www.xprize.org. San Diego to St. Louis: San Diego, California, Lindbergh Field (departure point), Blythe, California, Winslow, Arizona, Angelfire, New Mexico (NE of Albuquerque), Liberal, Kansas, Jefferson City, Missouri, Spirit of St. Louis Airport, Chesterfield, Missouri (destination). St. Louis to New York: Spirit of St. Louis Airport (departure point), Alton, Illinois, Vandalia, Illinois, Indianapolis, Indiana, Dayton, Ohio, Columbus, Ohio, Wheeling, West Virginia, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Allentown, Pennsylvania, Solberg, New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, Republic Field, Farmingdale, New York (destination). New York to Paris Republic Field, Farmingdale, New York (departure point), Groton, Connecticut, Providence, Rhode Island (south of) Boston, Massachusetts, Margaree, Nova Scotia (Cape Breton Island), St. Johns, Newfoundland Atlantic Ocean (here be dragons!), Soutwestern tip of Ireland (south of) Cork, Ireland, Plymouth, England (south of) Dartmouth, England, Octeville, France (near the mouth of the Seine River), Le Bourget Field outside Paris (destination). |
