"The transatlantic flight of Charles Lindbergh in May 1927 was acclaimed around the world as a heroic feat of the era, a symbolic victory over nature and space by human ingenuity and technological progress." (Charles Lindbergh: An American Aviator). Lindbergh is considered a very accomplished man, his greatest achievement being the transatlantic flight. When the "Spirit of St. Louis" departed from New York on May 20, 1927, Charles Lindbergh was nothing more than a mere common man. On May 21,1927, when he stepped out of his plane in Paris, he was a world-famous hero. Lindbergh 's love of aviation began at an early age. As soon as he was eighteen he would sign up with the U.S. Flying Service (Gill, 16). Lindbergh became a pilot in the spring/summer of 1923 and enlisted in the Army Air Service in March of 1924. He would later graduate from the Army 's Advanced Flying School as the top of his class. All of this would pave the way for him to complete his world known flight of 1927. Lindbergh 's flight had a phenomenal impact that has carried over into today 's society. Lindbergh 's transatlantic flight had economical, cultural, social and political impacts that will not be soon forgotten. Many of the impacts are still relevant today. Economical impacts include the impact made of the air industry as a major field and on the prosperity felt on American society. Impacts culturally were through works by Lindbergh and works about Lindbergh. Socially Lindbergh connected America to the rest of the world and was then considered to be an International Hero. And political effects include the strengthening of America and France 's relationship and Lindbergh 's acts as a political figure. Maloney 2
Lindbergh 's transatlantic flight had a huge economical impact on the air industry. The boom that the aviation industry felt after the flight was enormous. Commercial air travel became considered safer and people began
Cited: "Charles Lindbergh: An American Aviator". Copyright1998-2006. 13 January 2006. www.charleslindbergh.com. Gill, Brendan. Lindbergh Alone. New York, New York. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc. 1977. Hardesty, Von. Lindbergh, Flight 's Enigmatic Hero. San Diego, California. Tehabi Books. 2002. Hixson, Walter L. Charles A. Lindbergh, Lone Eagle. New York, New York. HarperCollins College Publishers. 1996. James, Edwin. "Lindbergh does It! To Paris in 33 ½ Hours; Flies 1,000 Miles Through Snow and Sleet; Cheering French Carry Him Off Field". New York Times. 22 May 1927. www.charleslindbergh.com/ny. Lindbergh, Charles. We. New York, New York. Grosset and Dunlap Publishers. 1927.