Lowering the Spirit of St. Louis

[@delavalmilker]

Wish they had more and longer close-ups of the plane, rather than guys talking.

[@sambaritone]

When I lived there, 40 years ago, this was my favorite place to be on the weekends. I never tired of it. I love going back and just being there.

[@lumpyfishgravy]

I went in 2013 as a Brit and was not disappointed. You have world class museums. Go visit!

[@EnergeticWaves]

Smithsonian was great back in the 70's but now its all blame a certain race bullshit.

[@AdrianJayeOnline]

@@lumpyfishgravy ever been to RAF museum at Hendon ?

[@paulw176]

I flew 4000 hours as a USN navigator on a reconnaissance plane. The fact that Lindbergh navigated point to point with absolute accuracy without even using a sextant is mind-boggling. That's 33 hours of nothing but dead reckoning over an ocean - no landmarks, nothing to gain a fix. That guy had ba**s of steel.

[@bbyrd130]

People seriously under estimate how hard it is and how amazingly good he did it as well. Most couldn’t do it in perfect conditions with no wind. He did it at night in the North Atlantic.

[@faw3511]

Read Lindbergh's book. That boy was seriously deranged. The word "risk" wasn't in his dictionary.

[@bbyrd130]

@@faw3511 literally just bought the audiobook yesterday!!

[@budmonk2819]

I cant drive to a location outside 5km of my house without Google Maps or my wife. Incredible

[@ROBERTCEE]

The year I turned 10 was the 30th anniversary of that flight. Lindbergh was still all over the US consciousness, with a movie starring Jimmy Stewart, model plane kits on the shelves, and tiny plastic models of the plane in one cereal brand. He was my hero and the plane was an icon to me.

[@jedidrummerjake]

Me too!

[@dickjohnson4268]

Finally. Thanks for supporting my claim about my first Spirit model coming from a cereal box. I still have it, as well as my first plastic scale model. Don't remember which cereal it was.

[@scotte2815]

He befriended Robert Goddard and pumped him for information on rocket science then he personally gave Nazi Germany essential that information which directly lead to their rocket programs That is historically established fact His involvement in his own son's kidnapping and death is highly likely. No hero to me

[@AvengerII]

@@scotte2815 Lindbergh changed his mind on a bunch of things after he saw the death camps in person. He was never as huge a fan of the Germans after he saw what they did. Most people didn't think the Nazis were going to be that crazy and commit genocide! You failed there already. You also failed to mentioned he was an early proponent of the responsible environmental movement. He was a conservationist later in life. The rest of what you said is sheer, utter bullshit unless you have sources to back it up. Cite them -- cite REAL people, professional historians who actually did research and spoke with people who knew Charles Lindbergh, not professional progandists! Lindbergh was isolationist and DID NOT support sending aid to Britain prior to Pearl Harbor and he DID NOT want America involved in another world war! After Pearl Harbor, he worked as a civilian contractor with the US military and taught fighter pilots in the Pacific how to extend the range of their planes with better fuel management. He flew in actual combat missions with Marine F4U groups and Air Force P-38 units! Yeah, that sounds like a real traitor to me! You sound like a little kid who just got out of his history class at Brainwash University. Do you even think about what you say BEFORE you decide to slander people who have been dead for close to 50 years? Would you say this about your own family members PUBLICLY if they perhaps had views you didn't agree with? Then why are you saying this about someone you obviously don't know and don't understand?

[@Charlesputnam-bn9zy]

@@scotte2815 & bootlicker to Herman Goering. However the kidnapping and murder of the couple's baby is unspeakably and hauntingly similar to the 1996 murder of little JonBenet Ramsay.

[@Captain-Max]

I saw the plane, hanging at the Smithsonian on my 21st birthday... I'm a couple months away from my 70th birthday now. We've come a long way.

[@jedidrummerjake]

I've always been obsessed with that little airplane and the fantastic story of it.

[@maililistaalterego]

While it's on the floor, any chance you guys could post some close-up footage in and around the aircraft? I would especially like to see the cockpit and the instruments on board. As much as I'd like to come and see it in person, I can't :(

[@CaliforniaFly]

I'd like to see cockpit photos also. Seat, floor, panel, overhead, aft fuselage, door and all the exterior in high definition.

[@ButchNackley]

@@CaliforniaFly Lots of photos of the plane here: www.google.com/search?q=Spirit+of+St.+Louis&client=firefox-b-1-d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwij9oqxrqDrAhVOmlkKHdQQAEkQ_AUoAXoECBoQAw&biw=1851&bih=1009

[@7775Kevin]

I agree. I’d like to see some detailed photos of the interior

[@darksepheroth4627]

is there a video detailing any of the restoration process? That would be so awesome to watch.

[@joefrawley5295]

Yeah they lower the plane on video then we get to watch the gentleman talk about the aircraft. Only thing is they forgot to show us the plane?

[@Colt45hatchback]

I guess their strategy is that you then are inspired to go and see it in person

[@jsimm4587]

Like anyone who clicked play don’t have a clue what plane or who’s plane or what it did ! Don’t look like you can see it any better on the ground either .

[@1967250s]

I grew up in D.C., and remember seeing it in the old castle, and then the new Air and Space building when they built that. Such a treasure, right up there with the Declaration of Independence and Lincolns top hat. How about a nice closeup video of all the parts, inside and out?

[@alexius23]

I read that Lindbergh, later in his life, visited & he sat in the cockpit.....after hours

[@daledangelo4421]

Excellent! Never Forget!

[@donaldparlettjr3295]

Kermit Weeks has an exact duplicate of the Spirit in Florida. I remember him flying it around when I visited his Fantasy of Flight. The old Wright Whirlwind ticking away as he was leaning out the side window to get a better view.

[@seapilot4042]

I read yesterday that the 2nd spirit that was built by Ryan sustained some damage. It comes to the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, NY for weekend airshows.

[@Kevin_747]

I've always been fascinated with the whole Lindbergh/Spirit of St. Louis thing. Built a couple of models in my youth. I have a 1927 printing of "We" and my favorite book is "Spirit and Creator" by Don Hall. The story of building of the NYP Ryan is as interesting to me as the flight.

[@SteveAubrey1762]

I would LOVE to visit this museum someday. I think it is so good for them to let people see it up close!

[@jamesrcox8735]

Go, Jack. You will be eternally grateful you did.

[@johnjunde1907]

I wonder what it would take to get the engine to restart? That would be fascinating! Add a couple gallons of fresh gas in the tank, prime the engine and a shot of starting fluid and see what happens. To hear that engine even try to start would send chills down my spine.

[@martinboland7873]

I am sure after 20 yrs up there the engine has a lot of rust in the cylinders. They should bring it down once a year and do preservation service to it.

[@Cessna-yl4rz]

I believe it was lowered a couple of times for Lindbergh to sit in it when he had visited the museum.

[@maxgsd8770]

I have only been there once back in the 60s. It was amazing then! I cannot imagine what it is like now.

[@donnebes9421]

Max GSD I think it’s the same?

[@nickyl9040]

and somewhere hidden in the mega mall madness of Carle Place / Westbury LI NY is a small monument indicating where Lindbergh took off

[@wdwerker]

In 1995 I was visiting DC during the “Million Man March “ when I visited the Air & Space museum. No crowds in any of the Smithsonian locations. They had lowered the Wright Brothers plane for cleaning and I got to talk to the conservator. He showed me how it worked and I got to touch it too ! Spent a week in DC and the Marchers were friendly & peaceful.

[@johnspencer3994]

so very unlike the blm terrorists.

[@frankdeluca5983]

I may be wrong but I thought the original Wright flyer was dismantled and used in other projects by the Wright's....

[@wdwerker]

Frank DeLuca it was the Wright Brothers plane, maybe not the very first one but it was still their plane.

[@bobhunton8775]

A beautiful aircraft.

[@donaldparlettjr3295]

Reminds me of the old days atSilver Hill you could get real close and personal. That gang with Dale, Richard Horrigan, and Mary Feik to name a few were incredible. I remember Dale with the Fw 190 he was driven to finish the bird in record time. What he kept silent was he was dying of cancer. But to see these pieces of history up close is special

[@airandspace]

Watch as we lowered the "Spirit of St. Louis" earlier this week and hear from our experts about its history and how our conservators work to preserve the aircraft for future generations. With the aircraft on the floor of the “Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall," you have a rare opportunity to see this plane up close at the Museum in Washington, DC. The "Spirit of St. Louis" will be conserved and rehung as part of the renovated "Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall" - set to open in 2016. Keep up with the ongoing changes and what's on display as this exhibition remains open during renovations: bit.ly/MilestonesObjectsOnView #MilestonesofFlight #avgeek

[@mmauricebendou3966]

Great videos....

[@clarencedelaney9027]

Would like to go see it, before they put it back up"

[@mmauricebendou3966]

unfortunately I'm not In United States to be able to see it... Perhaps one day I will,,,,,

[@davidfowlerjr6114]

+MMaurice Bendou No way......if your not from the USA, you don't belong here

[@mmauricebendou3966]

David Fowler Jr Try to be less ridiculous....

[@nigel900]

If I’m not mistaken, when Lindbergh landed in France the crowd tore the plane apart for souvenirs, and it had to be rebuilt.

[@jakobholgersson4400]

I heard the same story and wonder if it's correct or just a myth.

[@nigel900]

(@Jakob Holgersson) There was a documentary several years ago that described the hysteria from the hordes of people, as Lindbergh landed. It was described by a multitude of eyewitnesses that the crowds ripped of anything and everything they could (fabric/parts) from the plane as keepsakes. If this is true, then this cannot be the “original” plane in every way. I made an attempt to find information on the internet but none of the articles went very deep into the details.

[@LJDRVR]

According to the books I've read and the photographs I've seen, only small portion of the fuselage covering was damaged by souvenir hunters. French Mechanics repaired the damage with linen and dope before Lindbergh returned to the hangar after resting at the Ambassador's residence. The airplane is very much original. Scott Berg's book is probably the best scholarship out there on Lindbergh. Here's a shot of the damage: www.google.com/search?q=damaged+spirit+of+st.+louis+le+bourget&sxsrf=ALeKk02BurrRT0k5nmzWzwHZRtYdBvUJPQ:1599497527474&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi-tsbPwNfrAhWzFjQIHT8cDZAQ_AUoAXoECAwQAw&biw=1440&bih=789#imgrc=guQI3NGoTrAUIM

[@jrcadet4]

@@nigel900 According to Lindberg's own account, it took only a few hours to repair the damage to the SPIRIT. given the hysterical relief of the crowd at Le Bourget after Lindberg's safe arrival, it could've been a lot worse.

[@michaelreilly1310esq]

Not true, there were just tears in the fabric that was easily repaired

[@life_with_bernie]

I've lived in the DC area for20 years now and 4 times I've tried to get in the museum to see the aircraft and 4 times the lines were too long to wait on to get in. I'm disabled now and even less able to wait on those horribly long lines, so I really doubt I'll ever get in to enjoy this museum before my wife and I move out of the area in the coming year.

[@MidwestMike100]

Interesting and a shame that they don't consider a reservation system for people with challenges or special needs.

[@ferminbf2224]

that's a great idea in order to see it from a different angle...... cheers up!!

[@8871]

Yo lo he visto. Solo por él merece la pena visitar este Magnífico Museo.

[@infeedel7706]

So sad I have not been able to visit this place from Australia and my time in England, this is as much a call for me as Cape Canaveral or KSC. Maybe I'll get there one day...

[@GereDJ2]

The "Spirit" actually had some nice lines to it, especially the front engine cowling area. I wonder if the mirror story in the movie is true?

[@stevenm4319]

"Bart, Get out of the Spirit of St. Louis!"

[@Cam-ns1yi]

I'm impressed he stayed awake that long ... with a little help maybe

[@risksrewardsrelics51]

I was able to see the Spirit of St Louis on the floor of the gallery when I was there in the early-mid 90s. We were lucky that they had it down for maintenance. Every time I’ve been back since it’s been hanging.

[@igorcabrera8123]

At the 1:46 we can see the flags of the visited countries, first flight is USA and Cuba is the last flight

[@HammerHeadGarage]

Where are the original wheels?

[@bellevue260]

There is an exact flying replica of this plane at The Rhinebeck Aerodrome in Rhinebeck, NY. Awesome place.

[@tryithere]

Even the rips?

[@bellevue260]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJO8eXWomsyimtk

[@seapilot4042]

the wheels were changed because there was concern that the original one's might fail/crush

[@faw3511]

I would have been concerned about the undercarriage itself. It's a lot of weight bearing down on a structure not tested in twenty-five years.

[@seapilot4042]

@@faw3511 Ever since they put the MacDonalds in there the place turned into a shithole, thrash everywhere and nobody seems to care, bathrooms overflowing with debris shit paper in the halls Fxxking kids running around with no reguard for anyone, it's a fun park not a Museum anymore. I won't go back ever. Cheers

[@CaliforniaFly]

I have not been there since 1985. A McDonalds was put in there? I need to go back and see things for myself. Thank you Sea Pilot for the information.

[@seapilot4042]

@@CaliforniaFly If you do, check out the Steven Udvar air museum in Chantily, VA.

[@seapilot4042]

​@@CaliforniaFly Just a thought on your message. It really goes to show us who is in charge Big Business or Big Government next we'll see a roller coaster on Mount Rushmore., with a MacDonalds along side. Cheers

[@willamcombs1106]

Why were the original wheels and tires removed?

[@irishmike519]

One of the few museums of the Smithsonian that I’ve been to, but it is my favorite.

[@SomeplaceOrAnother]

So cool I would have loved to have been there.

[@johnallardyce4164]

Wow! _"Spirit of St. Louis"_ has been on display since 1928.

[@maxwellharris507]

The one gripe I have about the Natn'l Air & Space Museum is that nothing there flies

[@MrAquinas1]

I wouldn't want them to attempt flight with historic aircraft. What if there was an accident.

[@tryithere]

Want flies, look in the cafeteria.

[@tryithere]

@@MrAquinas1 Look at Nine-O-Nine.

[@gnatsum64]

@@MrAquinas1 If the US Navy can take Old Ironsides out for a short cruise every year, then I'd think there'd be a safe enough way to operate a historic aircraft. I've heard a lot of car guys say that one of the best things you can do to preserve a car is to drive it at least a few times a year. Cars that sit in museums are often some of the worst off mechanically. I think the same would go for almost any machine.

[@MrAquinas1]

@@gnatsum64 There's a difference between preserving rubber seals that if they failed on a ground based vehicle, it could just be slowed and stopped. In fact, I have a competition license and have driven vintage race cars. But a failing engine or a fatigued cable to a control surface on an historic aircraft can be disastrous.

[@legalmexican]

As a private pilot, I am ever amazed that there is no way to clearly see straight ahead. He landed this thing with his head hanging out the side like a happy pooch?

[@brianevans656]

Lindbergh personally designed a retractable periscope to provide some forward vision. The periscope was good in level flight but not very useful during the landing flare. To enhance visibility all approaches to land the Ryan NYP involved side-slipping. FYI, the periscope was retracted in cruise to reduce drag. Curiously, the Spirit of St. Louis flying replica does not have a periscope.

[@tryithere]

It is amazing that the plane was built that way. Never understood it. Putting the gas in front as well as the engine. I believe he felt it was safer in a crash to not be between the two and was also a way of balancing the plane.

[@johnneedy3164]

Wish I could have been there ,for all who Flys small aircraft would of loved it ,met several jet piolts that NEVER HAVE EVEN experienced a small plane 😢 doing 65 mph 🤗 wide open

[@MidwestMike100]

In a J-3 Cub. Cars on the interstate below were going faster than us.

[@johnneedy3164]

@@MidwestMike100 dad had a beautiful 1946 Luscomb that he rebuilt, had others but loved that Luscomb, boy could he give ya thrill on landing could " WALK" IT KOOL

[@patrickkenney1080]

Lindberg would sometimes go into the museum incognito wearing his Fedora and sunglasses to visit the plane.

[@atomicorang]

I’d like to know if Colonel Lindbergh had to fly it back to the states?

[@flyinhawaiian5848]

After the flight, the airplane was disassembled, crated, then shipped to Washington D.C. aboard the U.S.S. Memphis. Shortly thereafter, Lindbergh and "The Spirit" departed on a goodwill tour of the continental United States.

[@bobbylee2853]

Where’s the Vimy that first flew the Atlantic?

[@chaswalker2038]

In the Science Museum London

[@bobbylee2853]

Chas Walker THANKS!

[@lumpyfishgravy]

Lindberg is continually referenced by Armstrong. That flight was a touchstone.

[@Charlesputnam-bn9zy]

His later flight down to the level of licking Goering's boots was another touchstone, not as glorious as the 1st one.

[@73Shakes]

What happened to the original rims and tires?

[@UltimateBargains]

Oxidizing is apparent; I don't know what they can do to minimize that kind of corrosion.

[@anderspedersen7488]

All the flags on the right side of the nose? Perhaps countries that Lindbergh visited with the plane?

[@brucewhite7069]

did he fly it back to the states? or only one way. to Paris France

[@edfilipowicz4866]

One way.

[@brucewhite7069]

+Ed Filipowicz thanks for the information

[@neillp3827]

It was a lot harder flying back because of the weather so Coolidge put him on the Ss Memphis

[@OneMouseGaming]

@@neillp3827 exactly the prevailing wind and air currents are easterly across the NA. He would have had to fly back into headwinds.

[@catlady8324]

Was it deemed offensive?

[@spikespa5208]

Maybe their Webster wouldn't reach.

[@Retro_Spectrum97]

Im a distant relative of charles linbergh.. I live 30 minutes from lordsburg nm, one of his stops before crossing the atlantic ocean..

[@G550Jedi]

Wish I could be there!!!

[@cherifbar]

just wondering why there is no Canadian flag on the nose with all the others? the Spirit flew over eastern Canada and the Maritimes on its' way to France?

[@estoops]

The small hand-painted flags (most with dates underneath) on the cowling of the plane represent countries in which Lindbergh landed the Spirit of St. Louis. First is the US flag followed by those of France, Belgium and the Great Britain (United Kingdom). The remaining flags represent countries Lindbergh flew the Spirit of St. Louis during his goodwill tour through Mexico, Central America and South America. While Lindbergh and the Spirit did visit Ottawa, Ontario, Canada July 2 - 4, 1927, there is no separate flag representing Canada. Remember that the red maple leaf flag of Canada was adopted in 1964. In 1927 the flag primarily associated with Canada was the flag of the United Kingdom which is on the plane.

[@clintlewallen4857]

@Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum what color was the plane over all was it silver or aluminum im doing a 148 scale of the plane want to get the right color for it

[@dickjohnson4268]

The fabric is silver and the cowling/ spinner is aluminum.

[@dickjohnson4268]

@Phil M Hi ho Silver. CAL's many references to the silver COLOR of the envelopes was with the thought that a steamer could find him easier if he had to ditch. Riiiiiight.

[@Oldbmwr100rs]

@@dickjohnson4268 Aluminum powder was normally mixed with fabric doping to act as a fabric protectant, usually painted over. Likely to save weight the plan was left in basecoat silver. Common practice with fabric coated planes before painting.

[@dickjohnson4268]

@@Oldbmwr100rs Thanks for the info. The first I-A that I worked with as a kid got busted for using cotton t-shirts as a dope patch. The CAA man told him that he couldn't do that. The CAA man left. Then came back in just as fast. A cow had put her hoof through the stab and was munching on the fabric.Louie tore a t-shirt in half, grabbed some butyrate dope, fixed the stab, and sent the CAA man on his happy way. Now, 300 mph tape is approved.

[@dickjohnson4268]

@@Oldbmwr100rs Ok. How many parts are in a Wright J-5-C (or any other Wright) engine? Well sir, there's enough to make 'em run, then Wright engineers added another 50% more parts just to make sure that engine shops stayed busy.

[@jaymoney2112]

Charles Lindbergh was more than a national icon he was a real man who fought he’s what everyone should look up to ever since I was a kid I worshiped him

[@mervynsands3501]

Pioneering kit, preserve it, cheerish it, one of a kind, aviation beginnings from the seat of the pants upwards and onwards. Looking back on a momentous achievement. 🙂😉🥳💯✌👍

[@d-mack7053]

Two Things.... 1. It's better on the floor. 2. Is it the actual plane or the replica?

[@bigerdino]

Is father of Limderbergh Beby?

[@kurtfrancis4621]

Yes, Charles A. Lindbergh was the father of the murdered baby, Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr.

[@edfilipowicz4866]

Dino: learn to spell...if that's possible.

[@scotte2815]

@@kurtfrancis4621 and most likely complicit in that crime.

[@joewoodchuck3824]

It would be cool if someone made a flying replica, even if it had a modern engine and possible dummy radial cylinders if desired. I built a plastic display model of this plane back in the 50s I guess. The tail number is forever ingrained in my mind waiting for the right trivia question to come up. :-)

[@bellevue260]

They did. The Rhinebeck Aerodrome.

[@joewoodchuck3824]

@@bellevue260 I don't remember it from when I was there, but that was probably 25 - 30 years ago. Good that they did though.

[@bellevue260]

@@joewoodchuck3824 they finished it a few years ago. It's accurate to last nut and bolt. The Smithsonian let them look at the original.

[@windwhipped5]

Ive been 3 times time to go back..

[@lawrencelewis8105]

33 hours in the air. How was Lindbergh able to "hold it in" so long?

[@evinchester7820]

Carry an empty bottle......hint hint hint...

[@lawrencelewis8105]

@@evinchester7820 OK, but I would not have wanted to be one of the guys who carried him on their shoulders at Le Bourget.

[@teddammit5179]

When I was a kid and saw the Sprit of St. Louis, my old man held me up on his shoulders so I could touch the plane. I remember the tires were very cracked. I spun the tire and I remember it didn't have ball bearings, was just a wooden axle. Even as a kid I was surprised at that. In this video, those are not the original wheels.

[@TheSwanny]

Ted Dammit if you look at the first part of the vid, the original wheels are installed. They obviously changed them before it came all the way down so the originals wouldn’t bear the weight.

[@SierraThunder]

They removed the original wheels to check them & make sure that they would still support the aircraft before lowering it to the floor. The original wheels are made of wood & hard rubber, not aluminum & balloon tires. If the wood & rubber were dried out & cracked they would have just collapsed under the weight of the plane, so they attended to them first. But towards the end of the video you can see that the original wheels have been returned to it.

[@realitycheck3363]

I see a lot of comments on why it's so high, and not closer to the ground. Your comment about sitting on your old man's shoulders, and spinning the wheels, exactly answers the question why it's so high in the air. Imagine millions of people just wanting to touch it, and "spin the wheels". It would have been destroyed decades ago.

[@rbell7666]

The tires and wheels that landed in Paris were stolen out to the mail when Lindbergh tried to send them to St. Louis. He needed balloon tires for landing on the crappy airfields of the time.

[@sly2392]

james stewart would be proud.

[@robinluck2922]

Those are not the correct tires. Probably took the actual tires off so the weight of the aircraft wouldn't damage them and to preserve them. In 1976 I saw this plane in the St. LOUIS airport... then in 1981 I saw it in the Smithsonian.... always wondered if it was the correct "Spirit of St. Louis" in the airport.....maybe a replica?

[@maljohn6584]

What a BEAUTIFUL aircraft after hanging for over 20 years in a museum PERSONALLY I think this beautiful engine and aircraft should BE started up and allow SPECTATORS to live the days of LINBURGE.AND EXPERIENCE THE SMELL AND SOUND. EVEN THOUGH SHE IS FAR TO PRESURES TO FLY AGAIN. BEFORE PRESERVING THIS FANTASTIC AIRCRAFT IN THE RAFTERS OF THE MUSEUM FOR NOTHER 20/30 YEARS.

[@darrellnesler1883]

I've always considered myself a real visionary, that's to say I'm a realist through and through,mean I have natural born ability to see the big picture which most people don't take the time and trouble to see it but that's kinda the guy Lindbergh was and to me he's the most influential people I like to consider him my hero..!

[@bnln1939]

Wow that is 107.8 mph average for 33 hr. and 30 min.

[@utubewatcher3852]

I wonder if the plane when I made that flight if some other pilot besides Limburger flying it?

[@ronslaughterandalice1018]

I do believe they should get some of the best mechanics to go over the engine and fire it up. I don't think it would hurt anything and would generate much more needed revenue for the museum.

[@claybair4904]

photo op for every one but the spirit, total waste of a video

[@sjoormen1]

This is replica?

[@siriusvittorio2099]

Nope real deal

[@sjoormen1]

@@siriusvittorio2099 Really? I thought that real one was destroyed in Paris as souvenir hunters did what they do.

[@siriusvittorio2099]

@@sjoormen1 Whelp if that's the case. They've had a replica up there since 1928. But I believe it is legit

[@sjoormen1]

@@siriusvittorio2099 I prefer real one. I just somehow assumed that it was destroyed. Thanks for reply.

[@richs7362]

Just love the new wheels! ha ha

[@Scott-hb1xn]

I hope those cheesy rims are just on there for moving it around while on the ground & the original balloon tires will be back on it soon...

[@TheDutchGuy110]

They dont want to risk damaging them of course when moving the plane how old are those tires anyways

[@williamhudson4938]

Did you not read any of the comments before posting?

[@michaelbowen8631]

I see they replaced the original wheels before lowering it to the floor.

[@airandspace]

You're right Michael! To protect the wheels from the weight of the aircraft we traded them out for a modern set.

[@fifteenbyfive]

Even today if someone in NY said they were going to fly that plane by themselves all the way to Paris, I wouldn't believe it.

[@motogp001]

There was a prize of $25.000 dollars up for grabs to the first aviator who flew nonstop across the Atlantic from France to New York or from New York to France. The purse was put up by a Frenchman Raymond Orteig, an owner of hotels in New York. So yes this was a stunt and it was done for fame and fortune. This was a very common way of advertising at the time. Very similar to how companies sponsor sporting events and race cars today.

[@18661873]

Take it up for a spin.

[@scotte2815]

not airworthy. hasn't been in years, never will be again, nor should any such attempt ever be made simply too high a risk to too valuable of a national treasure

[@18661873]

@@scotte2815 : It was a joke, moron.

[@eddielicona2083]

Eddie Licona

[@GermanShepherd1983]

Those shiny chrome wheels don't look original. Are they?

[@brianpauley1151]

I was taught that the original was destroyed in a fire ! WTF ? I don't know whom to believe anymore.

[@faw3511]

A reproduction Spirit, built in the '60's, was displayed in the San Diego Air & Space Museum in Balboa Park. It was destroyed in 1978 when arsonists burned the museum.

[@superancientmariner1394]

Solo is the salient word....the Atlantic had already been crossed by air.

[@frankish5314]

By the British and the Brits had also been the first ones to sucessfully perform heavier than air flight some 50 years before the Wright Bros.

[@notyou6950]

Crank that think up!

[@tryithere]

Wonder if there's any gas left in it from that flight.

[@davewatson2124]

Too much time wasted on talking heads.

[@771jlp]

They put the winter tires on the plane

[@CaliforniaFly]

This flight by Charles Lindbergh impresses me much more than that sound breaking flight of Chuck Yeager.

[@mandywalkden-brown7250]

The flight was impressive, the man’s moral integrity was certainly NOT.

[@CaliforniaFly]

@@mandywalkden-brown7250 Explain, Mandy...

[@davidniquot6423]

Stayed there for 20 years .. without even been fired up ? Well .. that's not what i called preservation...

[@heru-deshet359]

I got to see the Spirit of St Louis up close in 1991. I even saw the "Swastika" that was engraved inside the spinner nose removed for display. Many people did not know it was an Indian Good Luck symbol even though Lindbergh at the time supported the NAZIs and didn't want America to fight Hitler (which eventually ruined him).

[@crimony3054]

They allowed him to fly in the Pacific during the war, but not to wear a uniform. He was a big hero, so they had to save him. In '27 when he flew to Paris, Nazis were a fringe group -- after Mein Kampf but before going mainstream.

[@jamesoconnor3562]

Chrome wheels? Please. I hope it was cleaned before it was put up again. I ASSURE you it did not have chrome wheels. Those MUST be removed.

[@rsvsbg1608]

hand it to Kermit Weeks and get it flying again, guys!

[@dickjohnson4268]

He already has a replica. And yes he could get the SoSL flying again.

[@frankbutaric3565]

So you want to end museums? If everything in a museum gets used that will erase historical items.

[@juanvargaschavarria8772]

Charles lindberg Visit from costarica 1927 and airport the sabana san José costarica Hero the avition world

[@thewatcher5271]

Wish I Could See It One Day But That's Unlikely To Happen. The Historical Significance Speaks For Itself. Having Said That, We Shouldn't Forget What Maitland & Hegenberger Did on June 28/29, 1927. They Flew From Oakland, CA To Honolulu, Hawaii. From A Navigation Standpoint, There Was No Room For Error. Lindbergh Could've Been Off Either Way But It Would've Been Hard To Miss The Continent Of Europe . . .

[@superancientmariner1394]

Please...those wheels...correct them.

[@hovanti]

The shiny chrome wheels were replacements, changed out before the plane was lowered to the floor. This was to protect the originals.

[@crabfat1494]

Change the wheels!!!

[@sablatnic8030]

So what - they changed the rudder too. If you see some of the early videos with it, you can see, that the rudder has a straight underside - not straight in this video.

[@kurtfrancis4621]

They changed the wheels as a temporary feature so they can inspect the real wheels and address any repair work needed.

[@Makeitliquidfast]

could you of least made the temporary wheels look like the originals for petes sake, come on thats bush league and would have been easy to replicate, it looks rediculous with those wheels.

[@edfilipowicz4866]

Agreed.

[@philm.6113]

libertyn jeopardy Yes, rediculous.

[@smacdiesel]

Sad, it should always be exhibited up close so people can see it.

[@liloldme1210]

Bet this place doesn't have a Vimy...the real first to fly the Atlantic.

[@stevek8829]

Spirit of Saint Louis was not first to cross Atlantic, only first solo. Solo was not the wave of the future. Neither was single engine the future of transatlantic commerce. It was a mere stunt that opened the way to nothing.

[@frankish5314]

First non stop crossing was by Alcock and Brown in 1919. www.wired.com/2010/06/0615alcock-brown-fly-atlantic/