Charles Lindbergh

Charles Lindbergh first became interested in flight after World War I and became a barnstorming pilot in the Midwest. In 1924 he enlisted in the Army Air Service and became a reserve officer in the Missouri National Guard. The next year he was hired as chief pilot for the Robertson Aircraft Corporation, which flew the air mail between St. Louis and Chicago.

Lindbergh’s historic solo transatlantic flight in the Spirit of St. Louis in 1927 changed the face of aviation and brought him international honors and acclaim. His subsequent air tours in the Spirit of the United States and Latin America, and his work as an advisor for Pan American Airways and Transcontinental Air Transport, helped establish U.S. transcontinental and intercontinental air route systems.

Charles Lindbergh learned valuable skills as a barnstormer, using farmers' fields to give airplane rides and perform stunts, and airmail pilot.

Who Was Charles Lindbergh?
Lindbergh was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1902 and was raised in Little Falls, Minnesota. He died in Hawaii in 1974 on the island of Maui, where he is buried.

  • He was a barnstormer and air mail pilot.
  • He gained worldwide fame as the first person to fly alone across the Atlantic.
  • He flew the Spirit of St. Louis to all 48 states to show that airplanes could provide a safe, reliable mode of transportation.
  • He flew the Spirit of St. Louis on a goodwill tour to Central and South America.
  • He demonstrated to the world the airplane’s potential as a safe, reliable means of transportation.
  • He advised airlines and helped aviation grow.