Spirit of St. Louis

Monoplane flown solo by Charles Lindbergh

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Spirit of St. Louis
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Overview

What happened

On May 21, 1927, Charles Lindbergh landed his plane, the Spirit of St. Louis, at Le Bourget Field in Paris, France, after completing the first solo non-...

Date

May 21, 1927

Location

Le Bourget Field, Paris, France

Key people

Charles Lindbergh

Why it matters

This article provides a detailed account of Charles Lindbergh's historic solo transatlantic flight, including the challenges he faced and the significance of his achievement.

What was Spirit of St. Louis?

The Spirit of St. Louis (formally the Ryan NYP; registered N-X-211) is the custom-built, single-engine, single-seat, high-wing monoplane that Charles Lindbergh flew on May 20–21, 1927, on the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight from Long Island, New York, to Paris, France, for which Lindbergh won the $25,000 Orteig Prize. Lindbergh took off in the Spirit from Roosevelt Airfield in Garden City, New York, and landed 33 hours, 30 minutes later at Aéroport Le Bourget in Paris, a distance of approximately 3,600 miles (5,800 km). He also flew this aircraft on numerous occasions, delivering mail in and out of the United States.

Spirit of St. Louis
Related books
The Spirit of St. Louis cover The Spirit of St. Louis Charles A. Lindbergh · 1953 Spirit of St. Louis cover Spirit of St. Louis Charles A. Lindbergh · 1954 Spirit Of St. Louis (American Moments) cover Spirit Of St. Louis (American Moments) Rachel A. Koestler-Grack · 2005 The story of the Spirit of St. Louis cover The story of the Spirit of St. Louis R. Conrad Stein · 1984 Charles Lindbergh and the Spirit of St. Louis cover Charles Lindbergh and the Spirit of St. Louis Dominick Pisano · 2002
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Background and consequences

One of the best-known aircraft in the world, the Spirit was built by Ryan Airlines in San Diego, California, owned and operated at the time by Benjamin Franklin Mahoney, who had purchased it from its founder, T. Claude Ryan, in 1926. The Spirit is on permanent display at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. The exhibit, Pioneers of Flight, has reopened following extensive renovation and modernization.

Lindbergh and the Spirit of St. Louis at Roosevelt Field, with perlée engine-turned finishing on the nose panels.
Lindbergh and the Spirit of St. Louis at Roosevelt Field, with perlée engine-turned finishing on the nose panels.
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Related on thisDay

Witness Lindbergh's Historic Landing — May 21, 1927

Charles Lindbergh's 33.5-hour solo flight ended on May 21, 1927, at Le Bourget Field in Paris, France, with a historic landing.

Use the dated article for the day-specific account; use these references to check the event record and explore its wider historical context.

Date article: Witness Lindbergh's Historic Landing — May 21, 1927Wikipedia source
Cite this page
MLA

“Spirit of St. Louis.” thisDay, thisday.info/history/spirit-of-st-louis/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

APA

Spirit of St. Louis. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://thisday.info/history/spirit-of-st-louis/

Chicago

“Spirit of St. Louis.” thisDay. Accessed October 19, 2026. https://thisday.info/history/spirit-of-st-louis/.

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