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The Spirit of St. Louis landed in Santa Fe on Sunday, September 25, 1927 . photo - courtcsy Muscum of New Mexico

Sixty'Two Years lgo Gharles Lindbergh

[anded rrThe Spirit of St. Louistt in Santa Fe
for a brief moment Santa Fe felt itself catapulted
into the international spotlight
rHE sANrA FEAN MAGAZTNE
Vol. 17 No.8 SePtember 1989

Story, Charles Bennett Few of us toclay can imagine thc' impact on

the western world of the May 2 |, 1927 trans-
Atlantic flight made by 25 year-old Charles A.
Lindbergh. Lindbergh, an air-mail pilot on thc'
St. Louis-Chicago route since 1925, decided to
compete for a $25,OOO prize offered by Ray-
mond B. Orteig for a New York to Paris non-stop
flight. Leaving Roosevelt Field, Long Island, at
7:52 a.m. on May 2O he arrived on May 2I at
Lc. Bourgc't Field at lO:OO p.m. Paris time. For
this epochal flight Lindbergh earnc'd the adula'
tion of the world.
He was feted and decorated on both sides of
the Atlantic. It has been said that he loosened
the greatest torrent of mass emotion ever
witnessed in human history in the three weeks
following the flight. In Europe he was greetc'd
by thousands wherever he went. Upon his
return to the United States he probably received
the greatest welcome any man in history has
 ;]ritll!.i.r'..i1:

THE SANTA FEAN MAGAZINE, September I 9a9.

S I
ever received if judged by numbers: eighteen strung
tons of paper showerecl on Linclbergh's trium- separate
a two-strand barbecl wire fence, to
phal motorcacle on lune 14, 7gZr. An wishers. ALindbergh and his airplane from well-
"hangar," also clescribecl as a ,,cor,
estimated 4,5OO,OOO New yorkers watchecl the ral,"
parade, the largest crowcl in the city's history. northwest
I25 feet by go feet, was preparecl in the
corner of the fielcl.
He was awarded the French Cross of the Legion
Lindbergh arrived on time at 2:OO p.m., fly-
of Honor, the British Royal Air Force Cross, the ing
up the Rio Grancle from El paso. He was
Distinguished Flying Cross in the Unitecl States, reported
to have "buzzed', or ,'crow,hoppecl,,
and other medals ancl honors. Followinc his en- cars
on Old La Bajada on the roacl between San_
thusiastic reception in Washingtor, urr.l N.* ta Fe and
Albuquerque. Upon lancling, the
York City, Lindbergh macle an air tour of Zg aviator was
met by Santa Fe Mayor Ed Safforcl,
cities and every state in the Union. Governor Richard Dillon, ancl members of the
The air tour was unclerwritten by the Daniel cify
council. He was driven in an open car north
Guggenheim Funcl; its purpose was to promote on Cerrillos
Road into town, turnino east in
commercial aviation. The tour was carefully front
planned, with Lindbergh cautioning that he clicl
of the executive mansion on ihe roaa
known today as West De Vargas, to Don
not want him and his plane to be mobbecl upon Gaspar,
north to Alameda, .ur1 to Shelby
landing at airports, as hacl been the casc, on Street, north
to the plaza, ancl arouncl the plaza
several occasions since his historic flicht. He once to La
Fonda.
opted for skipping a city insteacl of taking the After a few hours rest, Linclbergh was
chance of landing into a crowcl. Letters were escorted
to the capitol, where, at 5:OO p.m., ne
sent to the mayors of all cities on the tour, lay- was
officially welcomecl to the city ancl state. He
ing out the ground rules, among them a request made
a speech from a clecoratecl platform
that Lindbergh not be incluclecl in any plans erected specifically
for this purpose on the west
that would prevent him from going to becl by steps of the
capitol. A large crowd hacl gathered ''
9:OO p.m., and warning against any commer_ on the steps ancl around the concrete balusters.
cial exploitation or charging aclmission ro see The weather was
clescribecl as ,'icleal, " with the
him. Lastly, it was statecl that Linclbersh woulcl stately
trees on the capitol grouncls framinct
not accept any personal invitations clurincl the lovely vistas
of blue sky and white cloucls.
tour. On the stand with Linclbergh was I(athenne
When the tour was over it woulcl cost the Gucr- Stinson (Otero),
genheim Fund $68, T21.27, of which
introclucecl as the worlcl,s
$SO,OOb greatest woman flyer. When she ancl Linclbergh
went to Lindbergh. The tour took"gs clays, stood side,by,side
beginning on luly 20, I7ZT , ancl enclino on Oc- clapped
the crowcl cheered ancl
enthusiastically. Also on the speaker,s
tober 23rd. The tour took him 22,3SO miles, stand were
Governor Dillon, Mayor Safforcl,
and he spent about 260 hours in the air. He and Lieutenant
Governor Eclwarcl Sargent.
stopped in 82 cities and spent at least one night Other
members of the official party incluclecl
in each of the 48 states. The tour probably ac- former governors
Miguel A. Otero, Larrazolo,
complished what it set out to c1o: it macle the and Hagerman;
ancl former U.S. Senator Holm
country more air-conscious. In lg27, thc, year Bursum.
After the Conquistaclors bancl playecl
of the tour, there were I,Ob6 lancling fielcls ancl "America,"
Mayor Safforcl openecl the pro_
airports in the United States, of which only a cecd i ngs.
handful were lightecl. By ISBO there were Lindbergh's speech was almost totally
1,782 airfields, of which 64O hacl lishts. Air- devoted
to the promotion
mail had also been given a strong Loost Uv United States. A reporter of aviation in the
Lindbergh's activities: cluring the tour described the aviator covering the speech,
as possessing ,,no plat-
American Airlines reached a figure in pouncls of form graces,"
air-mail transported that was an increase of power, " and "mostly
ancl ,.not notable carrying
tooks serious. " Lindberclh
84% more than the previous year. first addressed the popular belief that Santa Fe
"Lucky Lindy," flying The Spirit of
St. Louis, with its high elevation was consiclerecl to be at a
landed in Santa Fe on Sunclay, September 25, disadvantage
in aviation. He pointecl out that
1927 at an airfield hastily preparecl for him in now, with
the development of the airplane
a miraculous three days time. This airstrin engine supercharger and other improvements,
straddled Cerrillos Roacl just south of its junc- elevation
no longer presentecl an obstaclc,.
tion with the Albuquerque roacl five miles south Lindbergh went on to point out that airplanes
of Santa Fe. The lancling area clefinecl for the ar- were far
more practical
riving aviator was 5OO feet wicle ancl I OO0 feet the long run
than
- ancl less expeniive in
automobiles.
long, with Cerrillos Roacl running through the an airplane - He noteA that
middle. The landing area was orientecl $IO,OOO, but its operation like ?he Spirit of Sf. touls cosr
southwest by northeast. On each sicle was from New was cheap: his trip
York to paris hacl cost onlv $ I OO in
THE SANTA FEANMAGAZINE. SeDtember I989, 52
Mayor Ed Safford, I(atherine Stinson, Charles A. Lindbergh, and Governor Dillon.
gas and oil. He added that an airplane's life
u'as krnE;er than that of an automobile, three
times longer in fact. He informed the crowd that
The Spirit of St. Lctuis had at that juncture flown
more than 25,OOO miles, 226 hours, and was
)'et to receive its first ovc.rhaul.
However, he noted that the airplane norv
faces the same handicap with a lack of airports
that the automobile formerly had with a lack of
parred roads. Shortly afterward Lindbergh con-
cluded his spc.ech and was whisked back to La
Fonda.
After sleeping seven hours, Lindberg;h had
breakfast in his room. It was reportc,d in a local
nc'wspaper that it had taken "four bellboys bat-
tering; at his door to awaken him." He was
subsequently driven to the airfield, from which
he departed at 2:3O a.m. on Monday,
%
photo - Courtesy Museum of Neu Mexico
September 26. Governor Dillon, Mayor Safford,
and about 25-30 cars saw him off. The
aviator's final words appropriately addressed
Santa Fc''s makeshift airfield: "You've made a
fine start, go ahead and finish it. The next thing
you'll want is a hangar, of course."
After performing the mandatory instrument
checks final preparations were made for take
off. As the reporter for The New Mexican record-
ed: "A moment of gleam of motor headlights
and his silver plane flitted into opaque gloom
down the fairway, where only a distant red
lantern marked the southeast corner. The ship
showed no light. Thc. drone of the motor u,aned
to silc'nce in the distancc.."
Lindbergh's short visit to Santa Fe was a suc-
cess and for a brief moment Santa Fe felt itself
catapulted into the international spotlight.o