Flying With Lindbergh
About this ebook
Nicknamed “Slim,” “Lucky Lindy,” and “The Lone Eagle,” Charles Augustus Lindbergh (1902-1974) emerged from virtual obscurity in 1927, at the age of 25, as a U.S. Air Mail pilot to instantaneous world fame as the result of his Orteig Prize-winning solo nonstop flight from Roosevelt Field on Long Island, New York, to Le Bourget Field in Paris, France.
He flew the distance of nearly 3,600 statute miles (5,800 km) in a single-seat, single-engine, purpose-built Ryan monoplane, Spirit of St. Louis and became the 19th person to make a Transatlantic flight, the first being the Transatlantic flight of Alcock and Brown from Newfoundland in 1919; however, Lindbergh’s flight was almost twice the distance. The record-setting flight took 33 1⁄2 hours and resulted in Lindbergh, a U.S. Army Air Corps Reserve officer, being awarded the nation’s highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his historic exploit.
Considered one of the most admired figures of his time, author Donald E. Keyhoe presents a clear picture of the life and times of this fascinating man.
This work will catapult the reader into a feeling of journeying across the country with Lindbergh himself.
About the author
Donald Edward Keyhoe (June 20, 1897 - November 29, 1988) was an American Marine Corps naval aviator, writer of many aviation articles and stories in a variety of leading publications, and manager of the promotional tours of aviation pioneers, especially of Charles Lindbergh.
Born and raised in Ottumwa, Iowa, he earned a BS degree at the United States Naval Academy in 1919, and was commissioned a Marine Corps Lieutenant. In 1922, his arm was injured during an airplane crash and, during his long convalescence, he began writing as a hobby. He eventually returned to active duty, but the injury gave him persistent trouble, and, as a result, he retired from the Marines in 1923. He then worked for the National Geodetic Survey and U.S. Department of Commerce.
In 1927, Keyhoe managed a very popular coast-to-coast tour by Charles Lindbergh. This led to his first book, 1928’s Flying With Lindbergh, which became a quick success and led to a freelance writing career, with many of Keyhoe’s articles and fictional stories (mostly related to aviation) appearing in a variety of leading publications.
He returned to active duty during World War II in a Naval Aviation Training Division, retiring again a Major. He became well known as an UFO researcher in the 1950s, arguing that the U.S. government should conduct appropriate research in UFO matters, and should release all its UFO files. Jerome Clark writes that “Keyhoe was widely regarded as the leader in the field” of ufology in the 1950s and early to mid-1960s.
Keyhoe passed away in New Market, Virginia in 1988 at the age of 91.
