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Lindbergh grandson also flies to Paris

By ELIZABETH BRYANT

PARIS, May 2 (UPI) -- Erik Lindbergh, grandson of aviation hero Charles Lindbergh, arrived Thursday morning at the same Paris airport his grandfather did 75 years ago. But what a difference in the two flights.

Charles Lindbergh, when he was 25, took 33 1/2 hours to get from New York to Le Bourget airport in May 1927 in the first solo, non-stop, trans-Atlantic flight. Eric Lindbergh did it in 17 hours and 10 minutes after taking off Wednesday morning from a New York airport.

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Like his grandfather's plane, the Spirit of St, Louis, the New Spirit of St. Louis, flown by Erik Lindbergh, 37, had only one engine. But that is where the similarity stopped.

Charles Lindbergh's plane, made of wood and canvas, had no navigational equipment.

Erik Lindbergh's Laincair Columbia 300 was equipped to transmit his position by satellite every five minutes to the flight control headquarters in St. Louis. He was able to keep up his morale when night fell by chatting to the pilot of an American Airlines flight.

The younger Lindbergh's plane was lighter than his grandfather's craft, with a smaller wingspan. His overall flight time was about an hour longer than scheduled, due to windy conditions, his spokeswoman, Diane Murphy, told United Press International.

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Erik Lindbergh was able to fly despite suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.

When Charles Lindbergh landed, he was astonished to be met by a wildly enthusiastic crowd of more than 100,000 and sought refuge in the U.S. ambassador's residence.

When Erik Lindbergh, a sculptor and private aviator who lives near Seattle, landed at 11:43 a.m., he was greeted by his mother, Barbara Rubbins; journalists; and Gérard Feldzer, president of the Aéro-Club de France. Feldzer presented him with the same medal given to his grandfather when he arrived at Le Bourget.

Erik Lindbergh kissed the ground after emerging from his aircraft. "He was just really glad to see that runway," Murphy said.

Then he had a shower before answering journalists' questions.

Lindbergh, who hopes next to fly to the edge of space -- or about 62 miles from Earth -- said he made his New York-to-Paris flight to promote space travel, to honor his grandfather's legacy of innovation and to mark the 100th anniversary of his birth. The elder Lindbergh was born on Feb. 2, 1902.

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