Lindbergh, Earhart, and the Rise of the Airlines

In 1927, the cheering crowds in New York and across the nation were celebrating more than Charles Lindbergh’s history-making solo trans-Atlantic flight. They were celebrating the conquest of a fearsome natural obstacle. And while they cheered the hurdling of an ocean, they were carrying the scenario to a separate conclusion: If a man could cross a vast ocean in a matter of hours, why not turn westward and leap across a familiar continent?

T en years after Lindbergh’s flight, when Amelia Earhart dared to circle the earth, millions of Americans again sat with their ears close to their radios, caught up in the excitement of the new era. While we sat listening, still another thought dawned in the national consciousness: Flying is open to everyone. Even the news of Amelia Earhart’s mysterious disappearance didn’t dampen America’s newfound enthusiasm for flying.

So Lindbergh and Earhart have a place in history not only for their record – setting endurance flights, but for helping to turn America into a nation of flyers.