A Lindbergh Flies Again

Seventy-five years after Charles Lindbergh shrank the globe by flying his single-engine Spirit of St. Louis across the Atlantic, another Lindbergh has piloted a small single-engine craft from New York to Paris.

By Bob Sillery Posted 05.01.2002 at 12:52 pm 0 Comments

"Before my grandfather, anyone who boarded a plane was called a flying fool.
Afterward, they called them passengers," said Erik, a trustee of the X Prize
Foundation. The $10 million prize is modeled after the $25,000 award that
Charles earned for his 3,600-mile flight. Twenty-one entrants are now
building craft to attempt to claim the $10 million.

Erik, who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, also represents the Arthritis
Foundation. "Five years ago, I could barely walk," he said. The biotech drug
Enbril and two knee replacements "helped me get my life back. "So although
his flight was shorter, it held special challenges. A stretching regimen
helped lubricate his joints, and a specialized chair from Oregon Arrow kept
him comfortable.

Erik rehearsed survival strategies should his plane, a Lancair Columbia 300, crash in the water.
"But I don´t plan on getting my feet wet," he said.

What would Erik like to do afterward? "Go to outer space with the winner of
the X Prize," he said.