Charles Lindbergh’s Contribution to Aviation

Charles Lindbergh’s Contribution to Aviation

Despite the significant advancement evident in the modern aviation, the industry is barely a century old. Most of the developments in aviation are attributable to an industrial revolution in Europe and America during early 1900s. However, both world wars propelled unprecedented innovation levels in aviation, with the rivaling countries striving to outwit each other through air technology (Sherry, 1989). As First World War cooled off, the US aviators saw a need for adopting military aviation technology in the development of commercial airlines. The move was an opportunity to heal the economic wounds inflicted by the war.

Bridging a gap between Europe and America was one of the most significant challenges to aviation during its infantry. While business ties were booming between the two continents, effective means of transport threatened to derail the developments. Notably, people still preferred to travel by ship, train or car. Charles Lindbergh transformed transport industry by becoming the first human to conduct a solo flight across Atlantic Ocean (Kessner, 2010). His safe landing eliminated fears among people and stakeholders of the aviation industry regarding their views on impossibility of a safe transatlantic air transport. Therefore, the paper shall focus on the contribution of Charles Lindbergh to aviation.

A Leap in Aviation

Charles Lindbergh was only 25 years old when he landed The Spirit of Louis in Paris (Le Bourget Field) on 21^st May 1927. The flight had lasted over 33 hours and was a non-stop from New York’s Long Island.  He created a sensation that made people less afraid to board a plane on a transatlantic journey (Lindbergh, 1998). As such, commercial flights across the Atlantic Ocean were launched as a result of a newly gained confidence. In fact, more than 170,000 passengers boarded US airliners in the year 1929.  This was a triple of previous years’ passenger record. In addition, more than 3 million business people boarded transatlantic private planes in the year 1929 alone.

Most scholars attribute post-1930 soaring aviation stocks to Lindbergh’s maiden flight.  In fact, Seaboard Airline’s stock skyrocketed prior to investors’ discovery that it was indeed a railroad business firm. Financial investor’s growing interest in the aviation sector led to an emergence of fledgling and nonscheduled airlines.  Records indicate that there were an upwards of forty-five scheduled US airlines and multiples of nonscheduled airline firms.

Advocacy for Change

Charles rose to fame after his transatlantic flight. Luckett (1986) observes that Charles used his celebrity status to push for radical changes and developments in global aviation.  During 1927’s summer and fall, Guggenheim Fund for the Promotion of Aeronautics (GFPA) requested Charles Lindbergh to conduct an extensive US tour in his Spirit of St. Louis.  Following the request, Charles made visits to more than 75 cities across the United States, dropping messages in small towns he couldn’t land.

In preparation for Charles Lindbergh’s historic visits, cities across US groomed airports. Cities that lacked facilities had to build them as others modernized existing airport facilities and structures. Some of the busiest modern airports in United States— including Piedmont Triad International Airport (PTIA)—were dedicated a few months before Lindbergh’s 1927 visit. The following year, for instance, Piedmont Triad International Airport (PTIA) expanded regular commercial air passenger operations to include a direct flight from Greensboro to Washington D.C.  Besides, Charles Lindbergh inspired local pioneers in aviation (for example Zachary Smith Reynolds and Dick) as Winston-Salem commenced its operations in late 1927.

During dedication of Miller Municipal Airport, Thomas Davis (then 9 years old) was among the attendants.  A speech delivered by Charles Lindbergh during the occasion influenced young Thomas to pursue a career in aviation. The inspiration he derived from Lindbergh earned him a pilot license during his 16^th birthday. He would later become Piedmont Airlines’ founder at a tender age of 29 years.  Prior to its merging with USAir in 1980s, Piedmont Airlines was ranked 7^th among major US airlines.

Lindbergh as a Role Model

On the other hand, Robert Morgan (a 9-year-old)   was among the group of American kids that viewed Charles Lindbergh as a role model. Morgan from Ashville followed closely Charles’ national tour from newspaper coverage. He clipped the tour articles and kept them in his scrapbook. At the height of the Second World War, Morgan piloted Memphis Belle. Memphis Belle, a B-17 bomber, cloaked 25 missions over UK and the rest of Europe without a crew fatality—this was historical. 

Charles Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight shone a media spotlight on William Winston. The Army Air Service Sergeant (AASS) was among the first aviators to offer official flying lessons to Lindbergh. Later, Winston got a promotion to a Master Pilot at Pan American World Airways. While he was among American pilot pioneers to cross Atlantic by air more than a hundred times, Winston helped to shape the transatlantic air traffic rules, thanks to Lindbergh’s success as one of his students (Hall, 2012).  The rules he helped develop are still in effect in modern times.

Aviation experts, media, and scholars compared Charles Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight to Wright’s Brother’s Maiden flight in 1903 at Kill Devil Hill, USA. As a result of the media attention to Wright Brothers efforts, there was a rise in movements that demanded recognition of Brother’s contribution to aviation. In the end, Congress enacted policies that allowed for an establishment of Wright Brother’s National Memorial.  Josephus Daniels, a Secretary to US Navy, first raised the issue of creation of a national monument in honor of Wright Brothers during 1913. However, it took more than 14 years for the authorization bill to be passed. It would not have been possible were it not for the mounting activism and media pressure triggered by Lindbergh’s transatlantic success story. Ironically, Lindbergh was absent during the laying of a cornerstone in the year 1928. This is despite the fact that he received an invitation to the occasion. Most analysts argue that Lindberg’s absence was intentional to avoid detraction of attention from Orville—a key figure in a push for monument setup. 

Mapping of Commercial Flight Paths

Throughout his life, Lindbergh participated in global campaigns to push for changes in aviation. Together with his wife (Anne Morrow Lindbergh), he charted air routes for new commercial airlines. The new airlines conducted flights from Canada to Asia. Notably, Lindbergh’s wife was a specialist in air navigation and served as a copilot to her husband. In two years time, Lindbergh and his wife conducted a total of 30000 miles in flight aiming to map out commercial flight paths across the Atlantic Ocean.  During early years of Second World War, Ford Motors hired Lindbergh as a Consultant. His consultancy focused on the production of B24 Bombers.  As the war progressed, he became a test pilot and a technical advisor for United Aircraft firm.

In the later years of his military career, South Pacific admitted Lindbergh as a fighter planes’ student. On the other hand, he taught junior pilots on the need for fuel conservation to increase bombing range. His teachings revolutionized the military aviation techniques, leading to America’s military success in air battles with Nazi Germany and Japan. Notably, the downing of a Japanese war plane capped Lindbergh’s success and participation of the Second World War (Gross, 2002). In total, he successfully conducted more than fifty combat missions without a serious encounter with enemy air fighters.

Environmental Conservation

During his sunset years, Lindberg became an active participant in conservation movements. He played a crucial role in development of activist groups that championed for the protection of Blue and Humpback Wales in danger of extinction. As such, he led the opposition of development of supersonic civilian planes (such as Concorde). His objection rested on the fears of plane’s effects on earth’s atmosphere hence the planet’s inhabitants (Bityurin et al., 1999). During the late 1960s, the American Aviation industry was developing at a rapid phase due to the cold war. Therefore, fear of USSR’s success in space exploration and air dominance led US to disregard environmental safety measures in advancement of aviation technology.  Lindbergh warned of a looming catastrophic danger that threatened the survival of endangered species should the relevant authorities fail to take enough conservatory measures (Reich, 1995). Though his warning often fell on deaf ears, there is a renewed effort, in the 21^st century, to observe his recommendations, especially those that regard aviation and space technology.

            From the discussion, it is clear that Charles Lindberg is one of the most influential people that made a significant contribution to local and international aviation industry. His triumph in transatlantic flight ushered in a new era in commercial air transport that triggered a success in America’s economic development and dominance in aviation. Charles defied the fears of air travel across vast seas and oceans, inspiring a new generation of fearless aviators globally.

References

Bityurin, V., Klimov, A., Leonov, S., Bocharov, A. N., & Lineberry, J. T. (1999). Assessment of A Concept of Advanced Flow/Flight Control for Hypersonic Flights In Atmosphere. AIAA Paper, 4820-4829, 1999.

Gross, C. J. (2002). American Military Aviation: The Indispensable Arm (No. 2). Texas A&M University Press.

Hall, N. (2002). Spirit & Creator: The Mysterious Man Behind Lindbergh's Flight to Paris. Safe Goods Publishing/ATNPu.

Kessner, T. (2010). The Flight of the Century: Charles Lindbergh and the Rise of American Aviation. Oxford University Press.

Lindbergh, C. A. (1998). The Spirit of St. Louis. Simon and Schuster.

Luckett, P. D. (1986). Charles A. Lindbergh, a Bio-bibliography. Greenwood Publishing Group.

Reich, L. S. (1995). From the Spirit of St. Louis to the SST: Charles Lindbergh, Technology, and Environment. Technology and Culture, 351-393.

Sherry, M. S. (1989). The rise of American air power: The creation of Armageddon. Yale University Press.