PARIS, May 23, 1927 (UP) -- Lack of sleep didn't bother Capt. Charles Lindbergh on his flight from New York to Paris but sleet provided plenty of trouble, he told newspapermen in describing the trip.
The construction of the plane with the pilot's seat sunk so low that periscopes alone enabled him to see, kept the wind from blowing on his face and thus prevented sleepiness, Lindbergh said.
"I encountered sleet in mid-Atlantic," he said. Sleet forming on the front on the wings of a plane is capable of forcing it down in a few minutes, but when I struck the storm I was able to get above it quickly."
He flew 10 hours in continual rain, sleet and fog and had to ascend to 10,000 feet to get above it, he said.
"It wasn't agreeable," he added.
He said, however, that he had the advantage of good weather from New York to Newfoundland, which he considered unusual.
"One of the greatest dangers I faced was in landing at Le Bourqet Field, when the crowd almost overwhelmed me," he said.
Lindbergh paid high tribute to Charles Nungesser and Francois Coli, missing French aviators.
"The Frenchmen's task was harder than mine," he said. "Conditions flying westward are bad, whereas everything was in my favor except the sleet storm.
"Nungesser possibly hit a similar storm. Moreover, the weather was terrible when he started. Airplanes were down all over the Eastern United States.
"Nungesser also may have been forced to alight on the ice fields of North Newfoundland, in which case he didn't have a chance in a thousand.
"I steered by dead reckoning because I had not hands to spare to use a sextant. I used an earth induction compass, and made the Irish coast within three miles of the place I had planned to arrive."
Lindbergh said he flew across France by sight rather than by map.
"I had studied the geography and topography of the section," he said, "and knew such features as the Seine and the location of towns east to identify. I saw Paris far away. I had heard much of the city, and they guided me.
"The landing field was well lighted, but I flew over it several times to make sure it was Le Bourget and also to study out a suitable place to drop as I was afraid of hitting the crowd.
"I started with 451 gallons of gasoline and used 12 an hour."
(The rate of consumption for the 33-hour flight would mean a total consumption of 396 gallons, leaving 55 gallons unused. As a matter of fact, 50 gallons remained in the tank. Lindbergh's estimate was exceptionally close, considering that he had not measured the amount of fuel remaining.)
In reply to a question, Lindbergh said he considered commercial flights across the Atlantic feasible but said mid-ocean landing places should be arranged.
In an earlier interview, given at the American embassy shortly after his arrival, Lindbergh said he could have flown another 500 or 1,000 miles.
The flyer had just had a bath and was clad in Ambassador Myron T. Herrick's pajamas. He looked as fresh as a college student about to dress for a prom as he sat on the edge of the bed and bashfully opened a cablegram. It was from his mother, and after reading it he thrust it under the spread.
He said he flew sometimes as low as 10 feet above the ocean, at other times rising to 10,000.
"I did not see a ship during the day, but saw the lights of one at night," he said, explaining that fog had cut down visibility.
"I did not see a ship during the day, but saw the lights of one at night," he said, explaining that fog had cut down his visibility.
"I did not see a ship during the day, but saw the lights of one at night," he said, explaining that fog had cut down visibility.
"I did not use caffeine or other stimulants to keep awake - just drank water. But I was pretty thirsty when I got here.
"I've never been in Paris before.
"I saw the Eiffel Tower from my plane and saw the flares of Le Bourget field 30 miles away," he added.
"We could have kept on for another 1,000 miles," Lindbergh said. "The old ship could have done that easily. I didn't pay much attention to economy, but even at that there's enough gas to go 500 miles more."
Asked how long he expected to stay in Paris, Lindbergh said, "I'd like to stay as long as I can, but I guess I'd better get back home as soon as possible."
He referred with some amazement to his striking welcome at Le Bourget Field.
"It was some welcome," he said, "it came pretty near being rough. I sort of feared for my ship.
"My compass was a great partner on the trip."
In response to a final question he agreed he had stuck closely to his schedule, "closer to schedule even than I had planned, and when you come to that, well, there's a lot of luck."
