Spirit of St Louis

Spirit of St. Louis hanging from the ceiling at the National Air and Space Museum.

On May 21, 1927, Charles A. Lindbergh completed the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight in history. He flew the "Spirit of St. Louis" 3,610 miles between Roosevelt Field on Long Island, New York, and Paris, France, in 33 hours and 30 minutes.

With this flight, Lindbergh won the $25,000 prize offered by New York hotel owner Raymond Orteig to the first aviator to fly an aircraft directly across the Atlantic between New York and Paris.

When he landed at Le Bourget Field in Paris, Lindbergh became a world hero who would remain in the public eye for decades.

Spirit of St. Louis facts:

• Wingspan:46 feet
• Length: 27 feet, 8 inches
• Height: 9 feet, 10 inches
• Weight, gross: 5,135 pounds
• Weight, empty: 2,150 pounds
• Engine: gasoline, 223 hp