The Flight

by Dan Hampton

  14 and not take my eyes from its edge for an instant Ibid., p. 186, para. 3.

  14 It felt more like an overloaded truck than an airplane Ibid., p. 185, para. 5.

  15 “TRANSOCEAN FLIERS DOGGED” New York Times, April 27, 1927.

  17 I could probably stay in the air Lindbergh, SOSL, p. 18, para. 17.

  18 I’m above the trees Ibid., p. 187, para. 1.

  19 French newspapers like La Presse Quoted from Project Midnight Ghost Report, p. 3.

  19 Why smother the flavor Lindbergh, SOSL, p. 176, para. 1.

  20 I’ve never flown across that much water before Ibid., p. 190, para. 3.

  20 I’m also a mile or two southeast off course Ibid., p. 189, para. 3.

  21 But he had left all that behind Ibid., p. 190, para. 1.

  21 “One boy’s a boy” Lindbergh quoting his father, Ibid., p. 191, para. 4.

  24 Carl Schory of the National Aeronautic Association Pisano and Van der Linden, p. 67.

  24 “To hell with the money” Lindbergh, SOSL, p. 169, para. 3.

  27 It’s a compact place to live Ibid., p. 191, para. 1.

  28 “Are you only taking five sandwiches?” New York Times, May 21, 1927.

  TWO: HOPE

  35 “he adopted the surname” Berg, Lindbergh, pp. 12–13.

  43 “We are exceedingly poor in cash” Lindbergh quoted in Ibid., p. 30.

  47 “I used to imagine myself with wings” Lindbergh, SOSL, p. 245, para. 4.

  49 “As I grew older” Ibid., p. 245, para. 5.

  50 “It was explained at the Department of Health” New York Times, September 22, 1918.

  54 LONDON GIVES READ New York Times, June 2, 1919.

  54 The London Chronicle added Quoted from the New York Times, June 2, 1919, p. 2.

  56 “I don’t want to go to” Lindbergh quoted in Berg, Lindbergh, p. 53.

  56 “[a] pity, to permit so many” Ibid., p. 55.

  59 “Behind every movement” Ibid., p. 248, para. 3.

  THREE: HOUR FIVE

  60 I’m a little tired Lindbergh, SOSL, p. 201, para. 2.

  61 Why should he tear leaves from a notebook Ibid., p. 203, para. 1.

  62 I’m half-asleep! Ibid., p. 203, para. 3.

  62 I’ve let myself be caught off guard at a critical moment Ibid., pp. 173–74, paras. 4-5.

  65 How accurately have I held my course? Ibid., p. 205, para. 2.

  65 When flying low Ibid., p. 205, para. 2.

  67 What amazing magic Ibid., p. 209, para. 4.

  67 “On course, plenty of fuel” Ibid., p. 210, para. 1.

  68 No, I’ll leave the windows Ibid., p. 210, paras. 3 and 4.

  68 Why didn’t I put them in before? Ibid., p. 210, para. 2.

  68 “an enclosed cockpit” Ibid., p. 88, para. 1.

  69 It’s certainly bad country Ibid., pp. 207, para. 1.

  69 Their supple trunks and thick, green boughs Ibid., p. 208, para. 2.

  69 “It was a mistake” Ibid., p. 211, para. 2.

  70 “Yes . . . but we considered all that at the factory” Ibid., p. 211, para. 3.

  72 If only I had a parachute! Ibid., p. 212, para. 3.

  72 I can’t carry everything Ibid.

  74 I don’t dare check the magnetos now Ibid., p. 217.

  77 If the fog will hold off a few hours more Ibid., p. 224, para. 3.

  79 “I don’t mind reading it through a mirror” Ibid., p. 225, para. 5.

  79 “Will this do?” Ibid., p. 226.

  80 His mother, teaching in Detroit Ibid., p. 231, paras. 1–3.

  80 The sea is no longer a stranger Ibid., p. 229, para. 2.

  FOUR: DOORWAY TO THE ATLANTIC

  81 “You don’t plan on making that flight alone” Lindbergh, SOSL, p. 83, para. 4.

  81 “I’d rather have the extra gasoline than an extra man” Ibid., p. 83, para. 5.

  82 I’m beyond the stage where I need a bed Ibid., p. 233, para. 3.

  82 Sleep is winning Ibid., p. 233, para. 4.

  82 And the sun is sinking Ibid., p. 233, para. 5.

  82 How can I get through the night Ibid., p. 233, para. 5.

  82 I must think about problems Ibid., p. 236, para. 5.

  85 a forced landing, over mountains Ibid., p. 138, para. 2.

  87 I feel that I’m entering the Arctic Ibid., p. 239, para. 2.

  87 what would I do now if my engine failed? Ibid., p. 241, para. 3.

  87 Under such conditions Ibid., p. 97, para. 5.

  88 It was impossible to increase safety Ibid.

  90 A fishing schooner Ibid., p. 269, para. 4.

  91 I’ve never been as conscious of the minuteness Ibid., p. 269, para. 5.

  93 Still, a search had to be attempted Ibid., p. 270, para. 2.

  93 a gesture, the payment of a debt felt by living men Ibid., p. 270, para. 2.

  93 Sometimes, flying feels like man Ibid., p. 288, para. 3.

  96 “a monoplane, believed to be” New York Times, May 21, 1927.

  96 “Captain Lindbergh passed over New Tusket” Cable, printed in the New York Times, May 22, 1927.

  96 “Captain Lindbergh passed over Mulgrave” Ibid.

  96 “Captain Lindbergh got his last sight” New York Times, May 21, 1927.

  96 “He has my best wishes for his success” Ibid.

  98 There are no more reassuring islands ahead Lindbergh, SOSL, p. 297, para. 3.

  FIVE: INNOCENCE LOST

  101 “dedicated more than the last” Fitzgerald, This Side of Paradise, New York, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1920, p. 255.

  102 loss of 53,402 combat deaths DeBruyne and Leland, CRS Report, p. 2.

  103 3,500 American soldiers arrived Editorial, New York Times, December 1, 1918.

  104 Illiteracy would decrease Snyder, 120 Years of American Education, 1993.

  106 “the sky is a vast dome” New York Times, February 1922.

  108 “God’s worst enemy and hell’s best friend” Okrent quoting Sunday, in Last Call, p. 97.

  111 “The music is sensuous” Lewis, Only Yesterday, p. 78.

  111 “a pathological, nerve-irritating” Bryson, One Summer, p. 69.

  111 “a stupid, sodden, vicious lot” Okrent, Last Call, p. 46.

  114 “terrorist movement” FBI (Philadelphia Division), “History of the 1919 Bombings.”

  118 “I do believe in the ethical teachings” De Camp, The Great Monkey Trial, p. 91.

  119 “The one beauty about” Mencken, Heathen Days, p. 177.

  121 Running into a squall line Waller, A Question of Loyalty, p. 15.

  123 totaling 1,481 planes Wildenberg, Billy Mitchell’s War with the Navy, p. 25.

  123 “are a direct result of incompetency” New York Times, September 6, 1925.

  124 “be suspended from rank” Waller, p. 324.

  125 “They could not endure” Allen, Only Yesterday, p. 105.

  SIX: THE EMPIRE OF THE NIGHT

  126 The last gate is closing behind me Lindbergh, SOSL, p. 297, para. 1.

  132 “If we buy a plane” Ibid., p. 75, para. 6.

  135 I’m giving up both land and day Ibid., p. 296, para. 3.

  135 Now, I’m heading eastward Ibid., p. 296, para. 3.

  135 I won’t run out of fuel over the ocean Ibid., p. 300, para. 2.

  135 The engine sounds smoother Ibid., p. 301, para. 3.

  137 I wonder if man ever escapes Ibid., p. 301, para. 4.

  137 You fly by the sky on a black night Ibid., p. 301, para. 3.

  138 Why try to hold on to those stars? Ibid., p. 305, para. 3.

  138 But if I start flying blind Ibid., p. 305, para. 3.

  138 What about God? Ibid., p. 320, para. 2.

  139 It’s hard to be an agnostic Ibid., p. 321, para. 5.

  139 If one dies, all this goes on existing Ibid., p. 322, para. 1.

  139 That means I’m gaining on the storm Ibid., p. 314, para. 2.

  140 too much warmth would make want to sleep. Ibid., p. 322, para. 2.

  1
40 How high should I climb tonight? Ibid., p. 316, para. 3.

  142 There is no doubt now that a storm area lies ahead Ibid., p. 315, para. 1.

  142 The body’s reflexes must be Ibid., p. 323, para. 5.

  142 The mind must operate as mechanically Ibid., p. 324, para. 2.

  143 my world and my life are compressed Ibid., p. 324, para. 3.

  143 When a single one strays off Ibid., p. 324, para. 4.

  143 there are things to be considered outside the cockpit Ibid., p. 326, para. 4.

  144 He knows he must get back into clear air Ibid., p. 327, para. 2.

  144 “Kick rudder hard . . . no time to lose” Ibid., p. 327, para. 3.

  144 “No, faster; turn the right amount” Ibid., p. 327, para. 8.

  145 “Turn faster! You see the airspeed’s dropping” Ibid., p. 327, para. 13.

  145 “It’s not ice” Ibid., p. 327, para. 14

  145 I ought to be turned around by now Ibid., p. 328, para. 3.

  146 if he can keep heading eastward Ibid., p. 331, para. 1.

  146 What I do depends largely on what I have to do Ibid., p. 310, para. 4.

  SEVEN: PHANTOMS IN THE MIST

  147 Last night I couldn’t go to sleep Lindbergh, SOSL, p. 338, para. 4.

  147 I cup my hand into the slipstream Ibid., p. 343, para. 3.

  147 the earth inductor is hopeless Ibid., p. 337, para. 5.

  148 Is it possible that I’m entering a magnetic storm? Ibid., p. 337, para. 4.

  148 I’d almost forgotten the moon Ibid., p. 340, para. 3.

  151 Night surrendering to morning Ibid., p. 353, para. 3.

  152 I’ve waited for morning the whole night through Ibid., p. 353, para. 4.

  152 I’ve burned the last bridge behind me Ibid., p. 351, para. 2.

  152 Now my anchor is in Europe Ibid., p. 351, para. 2.

  153 Possibly if I eat a sandwich Ibid., p. 360, para. 1.

  153 Should I have taken along a thermos Ibid., p. 360, para. 1.

  153 If I could get down through the clouds Ibid., p. 360, para. 2.

  154 The slightest relaxation of pressure Ibid., p. 363, para. 3.

  155 I can work it all out then Ibid., p. 364, para. 2.

  156 this is morning Ibid., p. 367, para. 2.

  156 Suppose I start down through these clouds Ibid., p. 367, para. 2.

  157 Two thousand feet now Ibid., p. 368, para. 6.

  157 The air down here is thicker, humid Ibid., p. 369, para. 2.

  158 It would have to blow with great Ibid., p. 369, para. 4.

  159 I have a strong feeling that I’m too far south Ibid., p. 371, para. 3.

  160 I’ve done almost as much on this single trip Ibid., p. 372, para. 2.

  160 I should climb to 1,500 feet Ibid., p. 378, para. 4.

  161 “It’s clear up above” Ibid., p. 379, para. 3.

  164 These phantoms speak with human voices Ibid., p. 389, para. 2.

  164 In fact, these emissaries Ibid., p. 390, para. 4.

  165 Rain may be an indication of better weather Ibid., p. 388, para. 5.

  165 Am I crossing the bridge Ibid., p. 390, para. 2.

  166 in fourteen hours, with any luck Ibid., p. 394, para. 4.

  166 but I’m in mid-Atlantic Ibid., p. 399, para. 4.

  167 I know there’s no land out here Ibid., p. 400, para. 1.

  167 It’s nonsense, pure nonsense, to be lured Ibid., p. 400, para. 4.

  168 If I keep putting it off for fifteen minutes Ibid., p. 401, para. 2.

  168 How can I pass through such ordeals Ibid., p. 423, para. 3.

  168 can I even reach the Irish coast? Ibid., p. 423, para. 3.

  168 I’m passing out Ibid., p. 424, para. 1.

  168 God give me strength Ibid., p. 424, para. 2.

  EIGHT: CROSSING THE BRIDGE

  171 I’ve finally broken the spell of sleep Lindbergh, SOSL, p. 424, para. 4.

  174 Whatever may come later, these sun-filled hours are mine Ibid., p. 433, para. 2.

  175 the first living thing I’ve seen since Newfoundland Ibid., p. 434, para. 2.

  175 I feel that I’ve safely crossed the bridge to life Ibid., p. 434, para. 3.

  175 why do I find such joy, such encouragement Ibid., p. 434, para. 3.

  175 This ocean . . . which for me marks the borderland of death Ibid., p. 434, para. 4.

  177 They make it seem like evening . . . make me want to sleep Ibid., p. 451, para. 2.

  179 No . . . I won’t clip Ibid., p. 452, para. 5.

  181 “encourage commercial aviation and to authorize” H.R. 7064

  182 “The Army schools taught me” Berg, Lindbergh, p. 75, para. 3.

  183 A second sign of life! Lindbergh, SOSL, p. 453, para. 3.

  183 They are really children of ocean and air Ibid., p. 453, para. 4.

  183 in three hours, if I haven’t sighted land Ibid., p. 455, para. 2.

  184 “Your mail planes fly over” Lindbergh quoting a letter, SOSL, p. 38, para. 5.

  184 The greatest test of my navigation Ibid., p. 457, para. 3.

  185 The ocean is no longer a dangerous wilderness Ibid., p. 458, para. 2.

  185 The coast, the European coast, can’t be far away! Ibid., p. 457, para. 6.

  186 “WHICH WAY IS IRELAND?” Ibid., p. 459, para. 3.

  186 It looks like a severed head Ibid., p. 459, para. 4.

  186 Why don’t they pay attention to my circling and shouting? Ibid., p. 460, para. 1.

  187 Can it possibly be land? Ibid., p. 462, para. 2.

  189 Yes, there’s a place on the chart Ibid., p. 463, para. 1.

  190 I’ve never seen such beauty before Ibid., p. 463, para. 3.

  191 I know how the dead would feel to live again Ibid., p. 464, para. 1.

  191 Only six more segments to fly Ibid., p. 464, para. 2.

  192 Have I lost ability to distinguish fact from fancy? Ibid., p. 464, para. 3.

  NINE: DREAMS

  194 It’s as though a curtain has fallen behind me Lindbergh, SOSL, pp. 465–66, para. 1.

  195 What limitless possibilities aviation holds Ibid., p. 469, para. 3.

  196 the voices that spoke with such authority Ibid., p. 467, para. 3.

  198 I feel like the western pioneer Ibid., p. 469, para. 4.

  198 But of course! Ibid., p. 470, para. 4.

  200 I have enough fuel to reach Rome Ibid., p. 472, para. 2.

  201 No, he decides this flight is from New York to Paris Ibid., p. 473, para. 5.

  201 he can reach France before darkness Ibid., p. 471, para. 1.

  202 How, he wonders, can a farmer make his living Ibid., p. 476, para. 1.

  202 “far from being so good looking” Lindbergh quoting his great-grandmother, ibid., p. 476, para. 3.

  204 I’ve crossed England so quickly Ibid., p. 477, para. 4.

  205 How safe the people on those ships have been Ibid., p. 479, para. 1.

  207 The coast of France! Ibid., p. 480, para. 1.

  207 Could they have flown off Ibid., p. 480, para. 1.

  207 They too rode on a magic carpet Ibid., p. 480, para. 1.

  208 I’m over the country of my destination Ibid., p. 481, para. 1.

  208 I don’t speak a word of French Ibid., p. 481, para. 5.

  209 I didn’t get a visa before I took off Ibid., p. 481, para. 5.

  209 I’m so far ahead of schedule Ibid., p. 481, para. 5.

  209 I’ll have to buy a new suit of clothes Ibid., p. 482, para. 1.

  210 I’ve broken the world’s distance record Ibid., p. 483, para. 3.

  211 Why, it’s past suppertime Ibid., p. 484, para. 3.

  211 No . . . These fields are so clean Ibid., p. 484, para. 4.

  212 Yes, it’s an air beacon! Ibid., p. 485, para. 3.

  212 nobody told me it had lights Ibid., p. 485, para. 3.

  212 They have shared this experience together Ibid., p. 486, para. 1.

  213 It’s truly a magic carpet Ibid., p. 482, para. 3.

  213 I see
it Ibid., p. 487, para. 1.

  215 I shouldn’t be hunting for a beacon Ibid., p. 488, para. 1.

  215 Yes . . . there’s a black patch to my left Ibid., p. 488, para. 2.

  216 I must remember I’m over Europe, where customs are strange Ibid., p. 488, para. 3.

  216 I’ll fly on northeast a few miles more Ibid., p. 488, para. 4.

  216 If I see nothing else Ibid., p. 489, para. 1.

  219 It must be Le Bourget! Ibid., p. 489, para. 5.

  219 I’ll drag the field from low altitude Ibid., p. 489, para. 6.

  222 I’ll have to take a chance on that Ibid., p. 490, para. 4.

  222 I’ll overshoot if I keep on at this rate Ibid., p. 491, para. 2.

  223 If I don’t sideslip, I’ll be too high Ibid., p. 492, para. 1.

  224 Give her the gun and climb Ibid., p. 492, para. 1.

  224 The field must be clear Ibid., p. 492, para. 1.

  TEN: A NEW REALITY

  226 “tremble with pressure” Lindbergh, SOSL, p. 495.

  226 “Are there any mechanics here?” Ibid., p. 495.

  227 “in the center of an ocean of heads” Ibid., p. 496.

  230 “Come . . . They will smother him!” Ibid., p. 497.

  230 “C’est impossible . . . Lindbergh has just been carried” Ibid., p. 498.

  231 “I’m not Lindbergh!” Davis, The Hero, p. 209.

  231 “Of course you are” Ibid., p. 209.

  231 “I tell you, sir, I’m not Lindbergh” Fredette, The Making of a Hero, p. 154.

  231 “I think some French officers took him” Ibid., p. 209.

  232 “he would bitterly regret for the rest of his life” Ibid., pp. 210–11.

  234 “lights of several ships” MacDonald, New York Times, May 22, 1927.

  234 “Anyway, I paid no attention” Ibid.

  235 Slim also never tied a bicycle Lindbergh, SOSL, p. 547, para. 3.

  235 “Also, believing in aviation’s future” Ibid., p. 547, para. 2.

  236 “On the morrow of the attempt” Doumergue to Coolidge, New York Times, May, 1927.

  236 “dropped dead on the street” New York Times, May 22, 1927.

  237 “Lindbergh’s flight will leave” Davis, The Hero, p. 214.

  237 “For years the American people” Allen, Only Yesterday, p. 190.

  239 “He has accomplished the greatest” Berg, Lindbergh, p. 136.

  241 “The name of my ship” Ibid., p. 142.

  242 “You are the prophet” Ibid., p. 143.

  243 “I am delighted to hear” Raymond Orteig Jr., New York Times, May 22, 1927.

  243 “It seemed an almost impossible” Ibid.