See how it looked in 1927

Lindbergh’s Own Version Of His Flight

'There Wasn't Anything to Do but Just Keep Going,' He Tells Press

PARIS – May 23

Capt. Charles Lindbergh today told the story of his flight from New York to Paris to a group of newspapermen at the Embassy; and when he had spoken everyone was firm in the belief that he was a real flier.

“Being newspapermen,” he began, “I suppose you gentlemen are interested in knowing what was the most dangerous thing about our flight. The most dangerous thing of all was that landing at Le Bourget, bringing that ship down on a field with all that crowd running. I had more concern at that moment for the welfare of our plane than at any other time in the whole flight.

“The first part of the flight was better and easier than any of us expected. The field in New York was muddy, which made the takeoff a little long, but we got away all right.

“All the way up the American coast to Newfoundland we had uncommonly good weather. Lots better than we expected. But in the next 1000 miles it couldn’t have gone much worse for us.”

At this juncture the Ambassador remarked, “When Lindbergh says ‘we,’ he means the ship and himself.”

All the way through, except when asked for a personal opinion of something the flier used the first person plural in describing the voyage.

Fog, Rain and Hail

“After we got away from land,” continued the aviator, “we ran into fog, then into rain, then hail. Sometimes we flew not more than 10 feet above the water, and the highest was 10,000 feet. We went up that high to try to get above the storm, but the average altitude for the whole second 1000 miles of the flight was less than 100 feet.

“If we had known that the weather would be as bad over that part of the ocean as it turned out to be, we would not have started, but once we got into it there was not any use in turning back, there wasn’t anything to do but keep going.

“We were mighty happy to see the dawn, which we ran into about 2 o’clock New York time. In the afternoon, we picked up Ireland. From the maps we had and from what I read home I knew that England was a sort of hilly rolling country, France pretty flat and Ireland inclined to be mountainous. So when I saw pretty high ridges off in front I knew it was Ireland. I – ”

“Pardon me” – a voice from the outer ring of listeners called – “but did you do the whole fight by dead reckoning? I am a flier myself; my name is Cobham, and I flew over here from London a few minutes ago to see you and tell you, you have done the greatest thing I have ever heard of.”

Sir Alan Greets Him

All heads turned. The voice was that of Sir Alan Cobham, the greatest of British long-distance aviators, the pioneer of routes to South Africa, India, and Australia.
“
It is Sir Alan Cobham,” several said, and made a path for him to approach Lindbergh, who grasped the Briton’s hand and said: “I am mighty glad to meet you, sir. I have heard a great deal about you. We – I – did it all by dead reckoning. We didn’t carry any astronomical instruments, and I don’t know how to use a sextant.”

“What points did you fly over in crossing from Ireland to France?” someone asked.

“Hand me the map; I’ll tell you,” Lindbergh replied.

In answer to another question he said he did not feel either hungry or sleepy during the flight, and as to his meals – “I ate about a sandwich and a half and drank about a half a glass of water. I kept the windows open all the way. But, you see, our ship, the way she is built you are protected from straight winds, and so we didn’t have that discomfort.”

“How did you fly from Cherbourg on to Paris?”

“Oh, just came on in a straight line. Picked up the beams of the searchlights all right and saw the Seine. Then when I got a look at the Eiffel Tower all lit up, I knew it was Paris, and I had been told at home that Le Bourget was 11 kilometers northeast of Paris.

No More Doubt

“When I got there I wasn’t quite sure that it was Le Bourget. That is why I flew around there several minutes. I though Le Bourget must be a little further on but when they turned on the field lights I figured this must be the place. Then the crowd began racing out there into the lights and there wasn’t any more doubt about it.”

The French journalists mentioned Nungesser and Coli.

“There are a hundred things that could have happened to Nungesser and Coli,” he said. “If they had very bad weather this side of Newfoundland one of the hundred things which seems not improbable is that they got into a sleet storm that they might not have been able to get out of or climb above.

“Then suppose they flew low all the way and got into an upheld. There you have the worst possible conditions and you might not be able to get over it. There are uphelds off Newfoundland where if you had to come down there wouldn’t be one chance in a thousand to be found.

“The flight Nungesser and Coli took from Paris to New York is much harder than coming from New York to Paris because of unfavorable conditions. At New York we received telegrams from all over the United States, nearly all asking us to express sorrow to the people of Paris over the loss of Nungesser and Coli. Their attempt touched the heart of everybody in our country and every one of us wanted them to succeed.”