Evening star., 1927-05-22
PARIS HOP RESULT
OF YEARS WORK
"Lucky," Earning Nickname,
Given EnthC--:: =. &c Backing
Because of Record.
BY the Associated Press.

| N Il w 1oNh, May -l.-1 AC i'AO
story of Charles Lindbergh is rec.
ord of the attainment of high ideal
held to with unswerving determine.
ton.
At heart the gangling aviator is
| ''juSt the boy he looks" say his
friends and his ideal. though not al.
ways the same, is one not unsimilar
to that held by virtually every Amerl'
can boy. He had a bent and he
hoped to achieve greatness in his
chosen field.
Born in the Middle West in 1902.
the son of Charles A. Lindbersh. who
later became a member of Congress,
Charlie Lindhergh seemed at first des.
tined for the life of a farmer. Up
until six years ago he was plodding
industriously behind plow and harrow,
but every spare minute he spent on
his old motor cycle or in any car that
he could lay his hands on.
Besides that-and this has bearing
on the present flight for those who
| have feared the flyer would be lone
some--he almost always drove alone.
He liked solitude, and he likes it still.
Not Academic Success.
| On leaving farm work Lindbergh
went to college to study mechanical
engineering, but according to fellow
students he was not an academic sue.
cess. He did more experimenting than
most. they have said, but as soon as
the results were plain to him he would
go on to other work. not even bother
ing to turn in a report. So most OF
the marks he received were below
passing.
Then one day an airplane landed on
| tn college campus and a new fire was
| lit in this alOOf bows heart.
I'm goinS to be an aviator" he
| told his mother without preamble, and
forthwith signed up for instruction at
an aviation school.
From the moment he first curled
his fingers around control stick he
was a success at flying. When he
was through at the Commercial!
School Lindbergh became a student
at the Army School at Kelly Field. in
Texas. For two years he studied
there. and it was during that time
that he had his first accident and
| first acquired the name of Lucky"
Lindbergh.
Jumps After Crash.
While stunting in the air he crashed
with another plane, and both he and
the other aviator had to ''go over
the side" They Lad parachutes. but
at that time it was new idea that
aviators might be saved by para.
c:.utes just as well as balloonsts.
| But when the wrecked planes landed
| after the collision the pilots were
| already on earth, congratulating each
| other on their escape.
After two years at the Army School
| and another in Army service. Lind
bergh went back to the Middle West
and became an employe Of the Robert.
son Aircraft Corporation. It was in
this capacity that he became an air
| mail flyer and was able to pile up
a total Of 1900 hours in the air in
| the six years after he first left the
I! ground. 1t has been estimated that
this is equal to the average aviator's
Is years experience.
AS an air mail flyer Lindbergh was
three times more forced to place his
life in the effectiveness of his para.
| chute. He escaped without injury
each time. though once he stayed with
his plane SO long that he was badly
Jared in landing and another time
was in danger of being mangled by
the wild circlings of the unnamed
plar from which he had leaped as he
drifted down to earth.
Planned This Flight for Year.
It was a year ago that he first con-
ceived the idea Of making the New
York Paris hop. He went to Maj. WI.
| liam Robertson, head of the company
for which he worked, and confided his
ambition Mai Robertson, who knew
the stuff of which the young man was
made, became enthusiastic and was in
strumental in influencing leading citi
zens of St. Louis to back the project.
rh-re was no fanfare of publicity,
~ beating of drums for the 24-year-
ole flyer who hoped to beat all the
| af lA 6xyiy1
preparations went steadily ahead. Al
first Lndbergh came to New YORK IN
search of his perfect plane. He wanted
a Bella nca, such as is now waiting 10
make the Paris hop on Long Island,
but he found that he could not get the
plane he wanted in time. SO ne went
t. San Diego and conferred with oH'-
cials of the Ryan Co.
They were enthusiastic, and TO
Lindberghs order they turned out
The Spirit Of st. Louis. When 1t was
completed Lindbergh took 1t into the
air. drove it upward with a rush,
turned a couple of back fiips and
came down grinninS. Right then ne
probably knew in his heart that he
was going to land in France.
First Causes Amusement.
But all this time little had been
!
circle of friends and associates. When
he unconcernedly hoped off for the
Atlantic Coast his action caused
amusement rather than interest. But
when he made st. Louis in one day
people began to sit up and take no
, tice.
The next night he was at Curtis
Field. had been affectionately dubbed
the flying fool" and the world took
him to its heart overnight.
When Lindbergh took off for the
ocean flight ahead of all competitors
he was only carrying out what the
general public had come to expect OF
him-courage, audacity and ability
10 carry through what his daring sug-
gested.
Lindbergh is more than feet tall
has blond hair and blue eyes. bashfu
boyish grin. and looks younger than
his 25 years. His mother is school
teacher. His father died several years
ago.
This is the picture of Lucky Lind
bergh. the youth who was lucky be-
cause he backed his decisions with
everything he had-brayery, expert
ence, concentration andlyouth.