Acclaimed by an ecstatic crowd, the young American pilot Charles Lindbergh achieved the feat in 1927 of flying solo from New York to Paris, nonstop.

Over 33 hours of non-stop flight

After more than 33 hours of non-stop flight, Charles Lindbergh’s small plane, named « Spirit of Saint-Louis » lands at Le Bourget airport. For hours, before gaining altitude to escape the storm, Lindbergh had flown just three meters above the waves. His technique for avoiding falling asleep was to place a huge tank at the front that required him to use a periscope for guidance.

50 hours without sleep

When he arrives, the young American exclaims: « Well, I did It! « . It has been over 50 hours since he slept and barely ate. To save the aviator from a grueling walkabout upon his arrival, a shrewd policeman cheers a fake Lindbergh in coveralls, immediately worn as a hero. The real one is exfiltrated in a shed to rest and eat. Newspapers covering the feat are selling like hot cakes. Charles Lindbergh pockets the 25,000 dollars of the Orteig prize (a wealthy hotelier) promised since 1919 to the one who will connect the two metropolises non-stop. Other pilots have tried to achieve this feat, dozens have perished. The American pilot left for his country as he came, but as a hero.