Dedicated to the history and preservation of artifacts and memorabilia commemorating
CHARLES A. LINDBERGH and The Spirit of St. Louis
First solo, non-stop flight from New York to Paris - May 20 - 21, 1927
VOLUME MMIV
JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH, 2004
ISSUE No. 1
Inside This Issue!
-2004 Symposium News
- Lindy in Mexico!
-2004 Dues Information If you haven’t renewed yet,
This will be your LAST issue!
2004 Symposium
Preview Edition
PUBLISHED IN THE MEMORY OF MAX HEALEY, FOUNDER (1915 - 1990)
C.A.L./N-X-211
Collectors Society
Executive Committee
President
Juan A. José
5 de Mayo #136 - Casa 1
Col. Tepepan
Mexico D.F. C.P. 16020 Mexico
Vice President
Joena Meier (217) 243-7032
2 Millwood Manor
Jacksonville, IL 62650
Secretary
Bill Grant
P.O. Box 295
Patton, CA 92369
Treasurer
Gary Fisk (310) 539-2599
24506 Cadiz Drive
Lomita, CA 90717
Immediate Past President
Doug Studer
14154 Aulick Road
Butler, KY 41006
Board of Directors
Barry Friedman
Kurt Francis
Duane Jacobson
Havner Parish Jr., MD
Max Rensberger
Marketing & Communication
Juan A. José – Director & Chairman
Newsletter Editors
Doug Studer & Joena Meier
Preservation Committee
Duane Jacobson, Curator
9119 16th Avenue South
Bloomington, MN 55420
(952) 854-8260
Membership Committee
Gene Weisenberg, Chairman
1562 Bradbury Road
San Marino, CA 91108-2727
(626) 286-9596
t
i
r
i
p
S of the
Society
It was 1929 when the newlywed couple of Charles and
Anne Lindbergh surveyed the Yucatan Peninsula. I wonder
how the Caribbean coast of Mexico looked from an airplane in 1929! It must have been quite a sight, for 75 years
afterwards, it is still an amazing one. Cancun in 1929 was
no more than a desolate island in the middle of nowhere
that was once a Mayan settlement. Nowadays, Cancun is
a world-class tourist destination with a population that’s
reaching a million inhabitants. It’s so easy to reach, that I
guess it is no more difficult to get there from the USA, than
flying from San Diego to New York via St. Louis.
First time I visited Cancun was in 1980, and I fell in love
with the place. I guess I am still in love with it, for I have
visited it at least 30 times since! My next visit to Mexico’s
Caribbean coast is a very special one, for Cancun is the site
we elected to have our XV Symposium, and also where I
am going to preside over our Board Meeting and our
General Business Meeting. It will be a great honor to welcome those attending members to our Symposium in
Cancun. Maria and I have been working very hard and
spending a lot of pesos in trips and phone calls making
sure we get first-class services at a very competitive price.
I think we have been sucessfull doing that, but I guess our
effort will be worthless if members don’t attend. I won’t say
anything about the importance of Symposiums on the continuity of our Society, I think we all know that.
May the Spirit of the Society be with all members as they
call a travel agent and book a flight to Cancun for May 1316th. ¡Bienvenidos!
Juan
[email protected]
Nominating Committee
Doug Studer, Chairman
14154 Aulick Road
Butler, KY 41006
(859) 448-0711
Past Presidents Committee
Bob Arehart, Cris Sauer,
Lyn Sheldon, Doug Studer
Gene Weisenberg, Rosie Zuern
Society Web Site: http://fly.to/cal-n-x-211/
Mailbag
Doug,
In reference to C.A.L./NX-211 Volume MMIV #4,
“The Kitty Hawk Flyer – Doesn’t”, page 12, line
4:
Notes and News from Members
Hi Doug,
Well, yesterday we got really lucky and punched
our bird out through a very high overcast cloud
layer, before the rains came later in the day. So,
we are FINISHED and will be flying home next
Friday. After being gone so long, it will take
some adjustment to go back to left-coast living.
I had nearly 2 weeks off at Christmas time so was
home for that. Of course I had a chance to comb
through all my accumulated mail. I have to tell
you that each issue of the newsletter just gets
better and better. Your use of color is stunning a great improvement!
I’ve enclosed another eclectic collection of
...STUFF. I hope some of it will be new and interesting to you.
Happy landings,
Gary
Gary, Thanks for the pat on the back and the
contributions to the Newsletter. As always, both
are extremely appreciated.
Members, look for the information on Gary’s
launch in the “Society News” Section of this
issue!
Dear Doug,
Regarding the Phillips head screw controversy, I
think we got our signals mixed. Refer to the
photo of yourself at the bottom of page 9 where
you are standing by the boulder. If you look
down by your toes, you will see the end of the
track to which I was referring. It was here, not by
the replica indoors. A friend who visited the site
over Thanksgiving, a bit more than a month after
my 21 October visit, reported that the cadmiumplated Philips screws were still there. Did you
note the ones I am referring to?
Cheers!
Rowl (Hall)
Rowl, I did see the rail near the boulder, but not
the screws, all the reason I need for a return
trip. I’ll keep you posted!
CAL/N-X-211 VOLUME MMIV No. 1
Thanks for the catch! But, thanks more for the
visual, just had to share it!
Collectibles
Lindy Flies the Mail..North!
This innocent air mail first flight cover has an
interesting story to tell.
The cover was sent from Mexico City (Mexico,
D.F. is shown in the air mail CDS) to Jeffers,
Minnesota. The cachet indicates it was carried
on the first flight from Mexico City to
Brownsville, Texas, across the border from
Matamoros.
The contractor for this flight was Pan American
Airways, Inc. This particular route was Foreign
Air Mail route 8 (F.A.M. 8). The AAMC catalog
designates this flight as F8-4. Pan American at
this time was busy establishing routes throughout the Caribbean and central America.
PAGE 3
What makes this particular flight especially interesting is that the pilot. Col. Charles A. Lindbergh,
a technical adviser to the contractor, was a guest
at the American Embassy in Mexico City.
Lindbergh flew the first mail North on March 9
and also flew the return from Brownsville on
March 10. Pan American made extensive use of
Lindbergh on such inaugural flights. His fame
got publicity and gave the airline credibility.
The stamps are the 25c 1928 brown carmine
and gray brown airmail (Scott C3) and the 10c
1923 lake Cuauhtemoc Monument (Scott 655).
The CORREO AEREO etiquette is a label in the
colors of the Mexican flag.
Historic Photograph
Signed, December 26, 1927
—the day he flew Anne Morrow, his
future wife, for the first time!
Charles A. Lindbergh (1902-1974). American
Aviator, Inventor, Environmentalist, and Author
(Pulitzer Prize, 1953). Historic Photograph
Signed, "C. A. Lindbergh, Dec. 26, 1927" — the
day he flew Anne Morrow, his future wife, for the
first time!
An 8 in. by 10 in. sepia tone photograph of
Lindbergh at the peak of his fame, and only
months after his historic flight. Lindbergh was in
Mexico on a promotional tour when he met the
US Ambassador’s daughter, Anne, taking her on
her first flight on December 26, 1927. They
would marry a year and one-half later. This
image is a Cortez Fotografia portrait, has two
small stains, one touching the “h” in Lindbergh,
CAL/N-X-211 VOLUME MMIV No. 1
the other on the right margin which could be
matted out. Signature darkness is uneven, but
very readable. This is a very good collector’s
item marking one of the more significant dates in
Lindbergh’s life. $3,500. (#10960)
Fisk Files
For this Issue I have scoured the Fisk
Files for examples of articles and advertisements of Lindbergh in Mexico
One of the most important events in selling aviation to the general public was the entry of
Henry Ford into aircraft manufacturing. The Ford
automobile was at the time the symbol of reliability and it followed in the minds of a good
many people that a Ford airplane would be safe
to fly. The Ford Tn-motor was a rugged, all
metal, dependable transport airplane which won
a permanent place in aviation history.
The first 4-AT (for Air Transport) made its maiden
flight on June 11, 1926. Between its first flight
and July 27, 1931, 71 4-ATs were built. The Tnmotor, with three 220 hp Wright J-5 engines,
became a successful 12 to 14 passenger transporter. The 5-AT became the most famous of the
five Ford Tn-motors. By the time Ford stopped
producing aircraft in 1933, 199 Ford Tri-motors
had been built. In May of 1930, the 5-AT sold for
$40,000. Four years later, used 5-ATs were selling for $5,000. More than 100 airlines from
around the world flew the Ford Tn-motor. They
were used on the first transcontinental route and
were flown by Transcontinental Air Transport
(TAT) later to become known as TWA.
This Museum’s Ford Tn-motor is the oldest one
PAGE 4
in existence and has been flown by Harry
Brooks, Ford’s Chief Pilot. This is the airplane
that was used to fly Charles Lindbergh’s mother
to Mexico City to see her son. Charles Lindbergh
himself also flew this airplane.
CAL/N-X-211 VOLUME MMIV No. 1
PAGE 5
Features
Lindbergh in Mexico
By Juan José
Charles A. Lindbergh’s parents visited the border
city of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico on their
wedding trip in 1901. Charles’ first confirmed
trip outside the U.S.A. was to Panama in 1913,
when he traveled by boat with his mother to visit
the building of the interoceanic way. There’s no
evidence supporting that Lindbergh visited
Tijuana or any other Mexican city during his stay
in San Diego, while the “Spirit of St. Louis” was
being built in the Spring of 1927, nor that he had
flown over Mexican territory during the test
flights of the aircraft.
The first time that Lindbergh flew over Mexican
territory was on September 23th, 1927, when he
flew N-X-211 over Mexicali, Baja California en
route from San Diego, CA to Tucson, AZ as a part
of Lindbergh’s successful tour to promote aeronautics sponsored by The Guggenheim Fund.
The second visit to Mexican skies took place the
next day, when he flew over Chihuahua state
bound for El Paso, TX after taking off from
Lordsburgh, NM. I haven’t found any evidence
to demonstrate that such short flights over
Mexican territory had been approved by
Mexican authorities, so it could be possible that
Lindbergh literally violated Mexican air space!
Lindbergh’s December 1927 nonstop flight
between Washington, D.C. and Mexico City (his
first formal visit to my country) has its origin in
the good personal relationship Lindbergh and his
father-in-law to be, Dwight W. Morrow, established the moment they met at the temporary
location of the White House in Washington,
D.C. on June 1927. Morrow claimed then that
the young aviator “had to be protected from the
wolves,” thus beginning to act as some kind of
mentor and advisor for Charles.
Lindbergh at “El Toreo” bullfight ring in Mexico
City in December 1927.(AGN archives)
CAL/N-X-211 VOLUME MMIV No. 1
Morrow was named US Ambassador to Mexico
in August, 1927. On September 29th, 1927,
Lindbergh wrote to his friend and financial guru,
congratulating him on his new job and indicating that: “judging by the little I have been able to
see in our borders, I’m afraid the job will be difficult” adding on the same letter- “if there’s any
opportunity where I can be of any help to you,
please call me”. On October 4th answering his
congratulating letter, Morrow wrote to
Lindbergh: “You talked to me once about the
possibility of you making some flights in Latin
America...it would be good to talk about it...”.
And so they did before Morrow left for Mexico
by the end of October, 1927. The Ambassador
was right in thinking Lindbergh’s prestige could
be well used on his mission in Mexico, through
a “good will” flight that would help to relax a little the hostile atmosphere that prevailed on the
bilateral relationships at that time. In the light of
the positive reaction perceived in Mexico about
a possible trip of Lindbergh to the country, barriers against the trip in the USA and elsewhere
began to fall down and good reasons were found
to make out of the Mexico visit the focal point of
a Latin America tour. By the end of November,
two important events coincided to avoid an
undefined delay of the flight: One of them was
the US government’s intentions to use aviation as
a tool of diplomacy (remember Pan American!),
the other was the extraordinary success Morrow
had on his diplomatic performance, so much
that he quickly gained the confidence of
Mexican President, Plutarco Elias Calles.
Lindbergh most probably had the intention of
studying the possibilities of having an American
company establishing one or more airlines flying
to Mexico, Central and South America before
PAGE 6
any other country did it, thus adding pressure
over the security of the Panama Canal, as the
German-owned Colombian airline SCADTA had
from the South. In light of the above, there has
been speculation on who payed for Lindbergh’s
1927-1928 Latin American trip expenses.
Lindbergh claims that he payed all those expenses himself and not any airline or government.
Knowing Lindy as we do, we must accept that he
payed for the trip, but maybe not for the quesadillas he ate in Mexico! Mexican President
Calles was very happy with the idea of having
Lindbergh as a guest and sent him a message in
early December, not only inviting him to visit
our country, but also promising a very warm
welcome. “Leave the problems of the flight to
me...” Lindbergh told Morrow, who was not very
happy about the aviator’s desire of making the
flight nonstop. As usual, Lindbergh wanted to get
more positive attention to the real capabilities of
aviation and air mail reaching his destination on
time, regardless of weather conditions or other
limitations.
The Morrows
Cuernavaca,
Mexico “Casa
Mañana” house
in 1929. (AGN
archives)
N-X-211 took off from Bolling Field in
Washington, D.C. at 12:25 p.m. eastern standard
time, on December 13th, 1927, arriving at
Balbuena Field in Mexico City at 3:40 p.m. EST
on the 14th. Several sources report the arrival at
2:39 p.m. Mexico time. According to Lindbergh
the flight took a total of 27 hours and 15 minutes. While on the route, he kept his direction
until he flew over Tampico, Tamaulipas, which
he identified by the oil tanks. Then, something
CAL/N-X-211 VOLUME MMIV No. 1
went wrong that caused a one hour and fifteen
minute delay on the estimated duration of the
flight: For those awaiting him in Balbuena the
delay was dramatic, and these included
President Calles, Ambassador Morrow, diplomats and thousands of people who attended the
arrival. Comedian Will Rogers, who was visiting
Mexico, calculated the crowd at the airfield in
the 200,000 range. A worried Calles was quoted
saying to Morrow: “If he crashed on the way, it
would be the worst calamity falling over
Mexico”. There were fears about what impact an
accident of Lindbergh on this trip would cause to
the development of international aviation. It
shouldn’t be forgotten that in the Mexico of
1927, echoes of the Revolution could still be
heard, and that the forced landing or accident of
a pilot, even more of a foreigner one, and especially a “gringo” could be something very serious, and even worse if it was about the most
famous man in the world. By the way, Amelia
Earhart had to make an unscheduled landing in
the State of Hidalgo, Mexico, while trying to fly
nonstop between Burbank, California and
Mexico City on April 19th, 1935. Fortunately
nothing happened to her. While waiting on the
“Spirit of St. Louis” at Balbuena, a Cia. Mexicana
de Aviación Fairchild airliner that had left
Tampico a little before Lindbergh, appeared on
the horizon and was taken as the “Spirit” producing a short-lasting excitement among the
crowd.
Lindbergh ended up flying over the city of
Toluca, where he finally located his position and
headed towards the Valley of Mexico. Around
two o’clock in the afternoon, it was officially
anounced in Balbuena that he had been seen
over Toluca and orders were given to the 9th Air
Squadron pilots to take off and meet him. A
Morane Saulnier M.S. 35, registration number
31ª flown by Major Agustín Castrejón, found NX-211 and escorted it to Mexico City. About his
detour and delay, Lindbergh later admitted that it
was his fault and tells a peculiar anecdote: After
clearing the bad weather area, he tried to guide
himself by the maps of Mexico he had gotten in
his country, but he couldn’t get to locate the references correctly, nothing seemed to match
PAGE 7
between what he saw from the plane and what
he read on the map. He tried to apply the technique of identifying the towns, reading their
names on the train stations. Unfortunately, all he
saw on the Mexican train stations were signs
where the word “Caballeros” could be read. But
there was not any town with that name on the
aviator’s map. When he saw that every station he
inspected was called the same way, he realized
that that name corresponded to a special place
for men, call it restrooms! Lindbergh continued
to guide himself by geographic accidents until
he saw a quite big city, where he could see a
sign on a wall that read “Hotel Toluca”, which
allowed him to locate his position and head correctly towards the nation’s capital.
Labor workers and other union members
showed their appreciation on Lindbergh’s 1927
visit to Mexico. (AGN archives)
who I’m sure that by sending us their highest
representative of youth, will and heroism of the
United States, did it to produce a spiritual and
material get together even more strong between
both countries. If I correctly translate the meaning of Lindbergh’s trip, I can assure you that its
results, from the point of view I mean, will be
and have already been more positive and immediate.”
The trip between Balbuena and the United States
Embassy where he was to stay took more than
one hour, in which Lindbergh was acclaimed by
thousands of Mexicans. The same building is
now a restaurant called “La Calesa de Londres,”
located on Londres Street. Over the whole city,
the sound of the “Viva, Lindbergh!” was heard at
the top of voices. In the capital’s stores the flags
of the United States and the recordings of it’s
anthem were sold out; the city was filled with
pictures of Lindbergh and while the diplomatic
differences were forgotten, at least for a while,
Mexicans began to give the name “Lindbergh” to
food dishes, schools, theatres, drinks and anything ever imagined.
This Cessna CW-6 was flown in Mexico by
Lindbergh 1929. (Hector Davila archives)
Once N-X-211 landed in Mexico City, Morrow
took Lindbergh to Calles who said: “I congratulate you on your trip, it’s one more glory for your
country, and a new glory for you,” then he
turned to Morrow and added “I have the pleasure to give you a safe and sound Colonel
Lindbergh, inside of my country’s territory.”
Afterwards, the Mexico City Mayor gave
Lindbergh the keys of the city, saying: “You can
do here what you please.” And so he did!
Because he got for himself and for his aviation
causes the attention of the entire Mexican population and its government. Calles declared to the
press in Balbuena: “But this doesn’t only have a
technical interest as an heroic act of aviation... I
consider it, above all, as a valuable embassy of
good will that North America people is sending,
CAL/N-X-211 VOLUME MMIV No. 1
On December 15th, Lindbergh visited the
Foreign Affairs Department and at the National
Palace he was welcomed by Calles. In the
evening he attended the gala session of Mexican
Congress, where he was decorated; he also saw
the Aztec Calendar. On December 16th, he visited the American School (that Constance
Morrow attended) where he said to the students:
“Boys, Aviation is the future way of transport
between the United States and this country...
PAGE 8
when you grow up flights between both countries will be made through regular routes...”. On
that evening he went to Balbuena, where he
made six flights over the Valley of Mexico in a
Morane Saulnier plane, M.S. E.P.2 35, registration number 31A128, of the then Mexican
Armed Forces. The first flight he made with
Mayor Alberto Castrejón, then he took up,
among others, Will Rogers. Lindbergh expressed
his admiration for Mexican pilots. Mexican
pilots have to face not only the important elevation of the capital, but the very changing winds
and the topography of the region. “I had never
seen the wind change so fast” Lindbergh said.
On December 17th, a Festival in the National
Stadium was held in his honor. Over sixty thousand people filled up the seats. Lindbergh
arrived at the Stadium with Calles and Morrow.
That same day, the “Spirit of St. Louis” got the
two Mexican flags that were painted on its cowling. On December 18th, he attended a “jaripeo”
at the Rancho del Charro, and he also attended
a bullfight. Downtown, an impressive workers’
parade was organized in his honor; 100,000
workers participated. Lindbergh witnessed the
event from the balconies of the National Palace.
On the 19th he visited Xochimilco floating gardens South of Mexico City, then on the 20th, he
performed a series of flights in a Cia. Mexicana
de Aviación Fairchild FC-2, registration number
M-SCOE. Among his passengers were then
President Calles (on his first flight ever!),
Mexican President-to-be General Alvaro Obregn
and Dwight Morrow. “Who doesn't feel safe flying with Colonel Lindbergh!” said Calles after
the flight. In the evening came the homage of the
Mexican Army, during those ceremonies
Lindbergh was asked for his opinion about the
Military School and he answered: “Fine, just
fine...” (That’s Lindy right!!!). Nevertheless, later
that same day, Lindbergh had to make an effort
to speak foretelling the future of air services
between Mexico and the United Sates; he said
he was convinced that the conditions were right
to establish an airline between the United States
and Mexico and he pretended to obtain the necessary support from both governments, businessmen and citizens.
CAL/N-X-211 VOLUME MMIV No. 1
Mexican folklore celebrating Lindbergh’s visit
to Mexico in 1927. (AGN archives)
On December 21, 1927 Anne Morrow arrived in
Mexico City to spend Christmas with her family.
That was the day Charles and Anne met and this
special event took place at the US Embassy in
Mexico City. The irony is that she was not very
happy about the idea of the hero who was invading the family environment, so much that she
even wrote in her diary that “she was not to reverence Lindy.” Something the shy, little, cultivated and beautiful Anne, didn’t count on, was destiny itself. On the 22nd and with Henry Ford’s
help, Mrs. Evangeline Lindbergh (mother) arrived
in Mexico City flying on the biggest plane that
had operated, until then, in Balbuena: a Ford
Trimotor 4-AT-10, registration number NC-1077,
Bill Sout was the pilot. Charles took off in the
“Spirit of St. Louis” to the encounter the “Ford”
with no success. When he got back, he had to
make three small flights to avoid hurting anybody among the crowd who was waiting at the
military airport. Before meeting his mother he
had time that day to visit Teotihuacan Pyramids.
On the 23rd Lindbergh left for Cuernavaca,
Morelos, with a group of military officers,
including Emilio Carranza. Christmas Eve took
place in the intimacy of the Morrow family,
embassy officers, some close guests of the family, and Mrs. Lindbergh. On Christmas Day
Lindbergh went back to Xochimilco with the
Morrows and his mother, playing “unknown”
with some success. At some point in this visit
Lindbergh avoided an unpleasant experience
when one of Morrow’s friends was mistaken for
PAGE 9
Lindbergh by a big Mexican who hugged him
and not noticing his mistake said to this person:
“Adored hero, I can’t let you go without hugging
you!” On the 26th, he flew the same Ford
Trimotor that brought his mother to Mexico,
among the passengers were members of the
Morrow family, including Mrs. Morrow,
Elizabeth, Constance and Anne (first time in the
air with Charles!).
He said goodbye to President Calles on the 27th
and left for Guatemala City flying N-X-211on
December 28th. His Latin American Goodwill
Tour ended in St. Louis, MO on February 13th,
after visiting Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El
Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica,
Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Virgin Islands,
Puerto Rico, Domincan Republic, Haiti, and
Cuba.
While in Mexico Lindbergh had said that: “this
will not be the last visit I make to Mexico, since
I am planning to come back in a few years,” and
yes, he did, and it didn’t take him years but
months to be back in my country, for Anne was
a good reason to make the trip back. In
November 1928, he used a hunting expedition
in the State of Chihuhua as a reason to fly South
to Cuernavaca in a Curtiss Falcon, registration
number NC7455. The Morrows had fallen in
love with Cuernavaca (now a city only one hour
away from Mexico City), so much that they had
a home built to spend their weekends; their
house was called “Casa Mañana.” The story says
that every time the Morrow’s asked for the estimated date of completion of some job on the
house, the person building it would say:
“Mañana,” meaning tomorrow! The street where
the house is located was named “Morrow Street”
honoring a family that helped a lot to raise the
international prestige and cultural heritage of
Cuernavaca. For example, Diego Rivera’s murals
at the Cortez Palace in downtown Cuernavaca
were a gift of Dwight Morrow. It has been reported that Mrs. Morrow long after her husband‘s
death, used to go back to her house in Mexico to
enjoy it, and spend quiet and nice times there.
Nowadays “Casa Mañana” remains much in the
same condition Mrs. Morrow left it but it is now
a Mexican restaurant called “La India Bonita.”
CAL/N-X-211 VOLUME MMIV No. 1
A 1927 picture of Colonel Lindbergh Theatre at
San Martin Park (Now Mexico Park) in Mexico
City. (Juan A. José Archives)
Lindbergh returned to Mexico in February 1929
during a Pan American inaugural flight to
Cristobal, Canal Zone, Panama (FAM-5); this
time he flew a Sikorsky S-38 flying boat, registration NC8000, making stops on the Mexican
Caribbean coast (among them Cozumel in the
Yucatan Peninsula). Also in February (on the
12th), Ambassador Morrow announced at the
Embassy in Mexico City “the formal engagement
of their daughter, Anne Spencer Morrow to
Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh.” Then on the
24th, the groom-to-be returned to Mexico City
flying a Travel Air 6000B registration NR8139.
This particular airplane would later be known as
“Miss Wichita” and “Romancer,” this last name
apparently in honor of Charles and Anne. In this
same aircraft, Charles and Anne took off from
Balbuena on February 27th for a little picnic trip.
On the trip back to Mexico City the plane lost a
wheel; since the plane had no seat belts Charles
helped Anne cover herself with seat cushions.
After using all the fuel, Lindbergh successfully
crash-landed the plane on the one wheel left.
The aircraft ended upside-dow; Anne was not
hurt but Charles hurt again his right shoulder (the
same one he had dislocated after he bailed out
of a plane he was testing in St. Louis back in
May, 1925). The day after this accident Charles
flew a Mexican Fleet biplane. During this visit to
Mexico Lindbergh also evaluated, on behalf of
Mexican Armed Forces, the potential military
use of a Cessna CW-6 plane (registration 6446).
PAGE 10
Around this time Lindbergh made a comment
regarding air power in Mexico: “Whoever controls the air controls Mexico.” Lindbergh’s 1929
visits to my country had a high note when he
agreed to be in command of Cia. Mexicana de
Aviación’s inaugural flight on their first international route: Mexico-Tampico-Brownsville
(F.A.M.8). The aircraft used was a Ford Trimotor
5-AT-B-12 named “Mexico” with Mexican registration M-SCAN and US registration 9661. This
flight took place March 9th. Flight back to
Mexico City with Lindbergh also in command of
the “Mexico” took place next day and among
the personalities onboard were Juan and Betty
Trippe.
On September 29, 1929 the Lindberghs and the
Trippes began a South American and Caribbean
tour in one of Pan American’s Sikorsky’s S-38’s
(NC9137) inaugurating F.A.M. 6 to Surinam from
Puerto Rico. The group reached Cozumel,
Mexico on the first day of October. While the
Trippes continued their way towards Cuba, the
Lindberghs stayed in the Yucatan area searching
for pyramids with Carnegie Institute’s Dr.
Ricketson and archaeologist Alfred Kidder. The
Lindberghs flew over and visited archaeological
sites: the Mexican states of Campeche, Yucatan
and what’s now Quintana Roo. A controversy
arised when Lindbergh was credited somehow
with the discovery of a Mayan lost city; a discovery that in reality never took place. In this
case (as usual), some people tried to capitalize
on Lindbergh’s fame and did the aviator a bad
favor among archaeologists.
I have not found (and I would really appreciate
any help from fellow members) any evidence
showing that Lindbergh came back to Mexico
after his archaeological expedition until the mid
1960’s. In the meantime, the Lindberghs had a
very close encounter in Paris, France in 1939
with Mexican culture when they ran into the
very famous Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (wife
of Diego Riviera) and who was wearing a colorful “tehuana” dress that impressed Anne a lot.
Charles and Anne visited Baja California on a
grey whale watching expedition organized by
their son Jon in 1967. Land and other family
members were on the same trip. It is reported
CAL/N-X-211 VOLUME MMIV No. 1
that Charles gave them a big scare when he
jumped off the boat to swim with the whales!
Sometime in 1968, two airline pilots belonging
to Aeronaves de México (now Aeromexico) were
enjoying a relaxing time near the city of La Paz,
in Southern Baja California when they saw an
amphibian plane land nearby. The curious pilots
approached the plane that turned out to be a
Grumman Goose G-21, registration N3222, just
to find that Lindbergh was onboard, along with
California Academy of Sciences Dr. Lindsey performing another whale protection effort. To their
surprise (and I think to the surprise of every
member of our collectors society), Lindbergh
spent the day with these Mexican airman, skindived, fished and ate with them; he even
allowed them to have their picture taken with
him! Last evidenced news of what may be
Lindbergh’s visit to Mexico indicate that Charles
returned to Mexico City in 1972 where he gave
an interview to a Mexican journalist (another
surprise!) and met with Mexican officials trying
to protect the grey whale of Baja California. I am
sure Charles may have visited or passed by
Mexico City many other times on the supervision
trips he made as a member of the board of Pan
American from the 50’s to the early 70’s.
The “Lone Eagle” visits have left many landmarks in Mexico: A big and beautiful open-air
theatre was named “Teatro Coronel Lindbergh”
on January 10, 1928. Lindbergh is among those
that Mexican muralist Juan O’Gorman portrays
in his 1938 mural called: “The Conquest of Air.”
This mural is still at Mexico City Airport. At the
same airport there’s a 1961 Lindbergh bust by
artist Ernesto Tamaríz. There is also a Charles
Augustus Lindbergh street in Mexico City and at
least one school here carries the Lindbergh
name. The former site where the American
School in Mexico City was located when he visited it in December 1927 became a school
called Charles Lindbergh; because of Charles‘
controversial stands during WWII his name was
taken out of the building that remains, being
used as a public school. In the Mexico City
Techno-logy Museum there is a well-made and
well preserved scaled down replica of the
“Spirit” on display.
PAGE 11
Jerome Lederer, 101; put “black
box” on planes, and Inspected
N-X-211 Before the Paris Flight
Chicago Sun Times, February 9, 2004
LOS ANGELES - Jerome F. Lederer, who inspected the “Spirit of St. Louis” before Charles
Lindbergh’s trans-Atlantic flight and later
launched NASA’s space flight safety program,
has died. He was 101.
Mr. Lederer died Friday of congestive heart failure at Saddleback Memorial Medical Center in
Laguna Hills, according to the Flight Safety
Foundation, the nonprofit international group he
founded in 1947.
His career spanned aviation from the earliest airmail flights of the 1920s to the space flights of
the 1970s. Over those years, he was
credited with helping bring about such innovations as equipping planes with "black box" flight
data recorders that help investigators find the
cause of crashes.
Mr. Lederer launched the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration’s Office of Manned
Space Flight Safety after the launch pad space
capsule fire in 1967 that killed astronauts Roger
Chaffee, Virgil Grissom and Edward White II.
“Jerry was a realist,” astronaut Neil Armstrong
said several years ago. “He recognized that flight
without risk was flight without progress. But he
spent a lifetime minimizing that risk.”
Born in New York City on Sept. 26, 1902, Mr.
Lederer said his love affair with aviation began
when he attended an air meet at New York’s
Belmont Park.
He earned a degree in mechanical engineering,
with aviation options, from New York University
in 1924. Two years later, he was hired by the
U.S. Postal Service to oversee its plane maintenance. Flying airmail routes was extremely dangerous then, and 31 of the first 40 pilots died in
crashes.
Mr. Lederer helped reduce the fatality rate by
coming up with film crash tests and redesigning
the exhaust stacks and other systems to reduce
the danger.
One of those interested in his work was a young
airmail pilot, Charles Lindbergh. The day before
CAL/N-X-211 VOLUME MMIV No. 1
he took off on the solo flight that was to make
him an international hero, Lindbergh had Mr.
Lederer inspect his single engine “Spirit of St.
Louis”.
“I did not have too much hope that he would
make it,” Mr. Lederer admitted years later. “I just
went out because I was a friend of his, and I
wanted to see the airplane, to look the situation
over.”
To Mr. Lederer’s relief, Lindbergh made it.
Lindbergh Exhibit
Continues to Travel
In the last issue of the Newsletter, I reported on
the Missouri Historical Society’s traveling
Lindbergh exhibit. I thought it was returning to
St. Louis after Raleigh, but the latest issue of the
Lindbergh Foundation Newsletter reported the
following; The Lindbergh exhibit is scheduled to
appear at the following venues before returning
to St. Louis, where it will become a semi-permanent exhibition:
Augusta Museum of History, Augusta, Ga.
March 6 - May 31
Virginia Historical Society, Richmond, Va.
July 3 - Sept. 25
PAGE 12
It’s Really Not Herr Heinkel
Richard Sanders Allen
Last year, I foolishly instigated an inquiry as to
the identity of the “man in the middle” of a photograph of Mr. & Mrs. Charles A Lindbergh that
appears on page 152 of von Hardesty’s
“Lindbergh, Flight's Enigmatic Hero.” (Harcourt,
2002), an evocative and excellent biography. I
further confused the issue by misidentfying the
background airplane as a Consolidated Fleetster,
with possible Spanish Civil War connections,
rather than a Lockheed DL Vega, which it is.
I questioned the man pictured between the
Lindberghs as being the famed German aircraft
designer/builder, Ernst Heinkel. This set off a barrage of correspondence relating to Lindbergh’s
German visits, and acceptance of a medal from
Goering, which Heinkel witnessed. (Although
designed as a neck sash, C.A.L. pocketed the
medal, still in its presentation box.)
Several people sent photos of Heinkel, with
remarkable similarities to the man in the picture;
about the same height, hat in hand, same stance,
But today we finally have an answer; a clipping
from the Kansas City STAR of April 26, 1933,
sent via Leonard Kohn by Ray Fredette, a
Lindbergh “collector/scholar” of Arlington, Va.
The newspaper picture is identical with that in
Hardesty, and the caption identifies the “man in
the middle” as:
“RICHARD W.
ROBBINS,
PRESIDENT OF
T &. W. A..”
Thank you, Mr,
Fredette!
CAL/N-X-211 VOLUME MMIV No. 1
Society
News
What Gary’s Been Up to
REDONDO BEACH, Calif. Feb. 14, 2004 The
22 Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:
NOC) built Defense Support Program (DSP)
satellite was successfully launched today by the
United States Air Force from Cape Canaveral Air
Station.
A Titan IVB rocket and Inertial Upper Stage payload delivery vehicle carried the satellite into a
geosynchronous orbit. DSP 22 joined the existing constellation on orbit to give the nation
advance warning of ballistic missile launches
and other events.
“With the successful launch of DSP 22, the longstanding cornerstone of the nation’s early warning system just got stronger,” said Peggy Paul,
Northrop Grumman DSP program manager.
“The men and women of the DSP team take
great pride in seeing another one of our products
called into service to meet the Air Force’s current
requirements and respond to evolving threats.”
Prior to the launch, the Central Florida Chapter
of the Air Force Association named Northrop
Grumman a General Bernard A. Schriever
Fellow of the Aerospace Education Foundation
in recognition of DSP’s sustained record of outstanding support to the Air Force over the past 34
years.
Since the first DSP's launch in 1970, the DSP
spacecraft and infrared sensor have gone
through five designs to improve capability, survivability and life expectancy. The spacecraft
have demonstrated remarkable reliability,
exceeding their specified design lives by nearly
250 percent. Northrop Grumman’s Space
Technology sector is responsible for building the
spacecraft and integrating the sensor, and
Northrop Grumman’s Electronic System sector
provides the primary infrared payload, as well as
PAGE 13
the strategic and tactical mission processing.
Northrop Grumman is one of the nation’s leading missile defense prime contractors. The company was recently awarded a multibillion dollar
contract by the Department of Defense’s Missile
Defense Agency to serve as prime contractor for
the Kinetic Energy Interceptor, and is also prime
contractor for the Space Tracking and
Surveillance System missile tracking system.
Way to go, Gary!
CAL/N-X-211 Collectors Society
Makes Educational Efforts in
Mexico
Juan José
As part of our continious effort to preserve the
memory of Lindbergh and the “Spirit of St.
Louis”, I had the privilege of making a presentation on the life of Charles A. Lindbergh to student pilots at Mexico’s most important civil aviation school called “Escuela de Aviación
México” on January 22nd.
Although it is well known that Lindbergh’s memory is very well preserved in Mexico, as it is also
known that Mexico had an important role in
CAL/N-X-211 VOLUME MMIV No. 1
Lindbergh’s life (remember he met Anne in
Mexico City in December 1927), I think it is
important to make regular efforts to preserve the
legacy around here, especially among those who
will participate in aviation activities in the future.
Thanks to the goodwill of Escuela de Aviación
México Director, Mr. Alfredo Velazquez (the
very same one I am trying to “convert to
Lindbergh” by the way), the students and I had
the opportunity to talk about Charles for a good
2 hours.
I am scheduled to make a new presentation on
Lindbergh in late May, 2004; this one on the subject of Lindbergh's visits to Mexico. The presentation will be offered to the participants of the
Mexican Aviation Meeting that will take place in
Mexico City.
Our Society has a lot to do on the educational
aspect of our collecting effort. I think it is not
only important, but it is also very rewarding to
share Lindbergh with all kinds of students, not
only in the USA or Mexico but everywhere. I
encourage all members to go after local schools
and get some presentations made. I am sure we
will get some new young members out of those
efforts and that’s also worthwhile.
So, “El Aguila Solitaria” (“the Lone Eagle”) is
being remembered around here.
Over the Wing
The Bill Chana Story
From The Lindbergh Foundation
Newsletter, March 2004
More then 50 years of aviation history, test
flights, and missile development, mark the life of
Bill Chana, flight test engineer, test pilot and
aerospace manager. During his career, he played
an active role flight testing XB-24 and XB-32
WWII bomber;, the world’s largest land plane,
the world’s first delta wing airplane and vertical
take-off and landing airplane; the world’s only
surpersonic seaplane; and Convair airliners. He
took part in building and test flying the Wee Bee,
commonly known as the “World’s Smallest
Plane,” and served as president of the San Diego
Aerospace Museum. All this and more is documented in this soft-cover book by our esteemed
PAGE 14
member, which is filled with photographs, drawings, and test flight notes.
Astronaut Wally Schirra wrote: “...you will come
away with a clear understanding of what it takes
to develop aircraft and spacecraft to their present
maturity. From model building... to running an
aerospace museum, he covers it all.”
To order, send $30 payable to WFC Publications,
to: WFC Publications, P.O. Box 9704, San
Diego, CA 92169-0704.
Congratulations to Bill for his recent induction
into the EAA Homebuilders’ Hall of Fame and
receiving the 2003 Cliff Henderson
Achievement Award from the National
Aeronautic Association. What a great way to
support a fellow member and get a good book!
Members, Look for a
separate mailing soon
with this year’s slate
of officers!
We need your vote!
Please reply by the
dates requested
to get your votes
counted!
CAL/N-X-211 VOLUME MMIV No. 1
Marketplace
First Flight Centennial SALE
ITEMS FOR LINDBERGH
COLLECTORS SOCIETY
75TH ANNIVERSARY FLEECE SWEATSHIRT –
100% spun polyester heavyweight panda fleece
in burgundy with right chest 3-1/2" diameter
embroidered logo. (Sweatshirts tend to run
large, we recommend purchasing one size smaller.) Adult sizes only in:
XL
XXL
Originally $45, specially reduced to $25.
75TH ANNIVERSARY T-SHIRT – 100% cotton
shirt in tan with compass rose on the front right
chest and full size logo on the back. (Shirts tend
to run small, we
recommend
purchasing one
size
larger.
Would be ideal
for older children.)
Adult
sizes only in:
S
M
Originally $15,
specially
reduced to $7.
PAGE 15
75TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE
COIN – 1.5" brass coin with color and diamond
cut edging surrounding the Anniversary logo that
says “1927-2002, Celebrate the Lindbergh
Legacy.” The reverse is plain brass and says
“75th Anniversary, First non-stop flight, Spirit of
St. Louis, New York to Paris, 1927-2002,
Lindbergh Foundation.” Comes in a plastic coin
case.
Originally $10, specially reduced to $8.
HERITAGE WEEK CACHED ENVELOPES – A
cancelled color envelope from the 1985
Lindbergh Heritage Week celebration in
Minnesota, when the terminal at Minneapolis/St.
Paul International Airport was named in honor of
Charles Lindbergh. $2.
HERITAGE WEEK POSTER – A 22" x 28" color
poster created for the 1985 Lindbergh Heritage
Week celebration in Minnesota. $7.50.
50TH ANNIVERSARY MEDALS – 1.5" bronze
coin, one side has an image of Lindbergh and
the “Spirit of St. Louis,” the reverse says “50th
Anniversary, First non-stop flight, Spirit of St.
Louis, New York to Paris, 1927-1977, Lindbergh
Memorial Fund, Official Commemorative
Medal.” Comes in a blue velvet pouch. $10.
2000 LINDBERGH AWARD PRINT – Limited
edition, 18" x 36" full-color print featuring the
likeness of Charles Lindbergh and Burt Rutan,
2000 Lindbergh Award recipient who is best
known for designing the Voyager aircraft, which
transversed the earth nonstop, without re-fueling, in 1986. Signed by Burt Rutan and the artist,
Michael Casad.
Originally $250, specially reduced to $25.
CAL/N-X-211 VOLUME MMIV No. 1
PAGE 16
Postage is $4 for the first item and $2 per each
additional item. Check or money order made
payable to the Lindbergh Foundation. We also
take VISA or MasterCard only. Credit card orders
may be phoned, faxed or mailed. If mailing or
faxing, be sure to include:
Name, Full address, Phone number, Type of
Credit Card: (Visa/MasterCard), Credit Card #,
Exp. Date, Cardholder Name, Cardholder
Signature and the Amount to be charged.
Contact:
Lindbergh Foundation
2150 Third Ave. N., Suite 310
Anoka, MN 55303-2200
phone: (763) 576-1596
fax: (763) 576-1664
www.lindberghfoundation.org
The Spirit of St. Louis
Aviator Glasses
With the cooperation of the Lindbergh
Foundation and Missouri Historical Society, the
manufacturer of the Spirit of St. Louis Aviator
Glasses has been able to create a virtual replica.
Here’s your opportunity
to get an official replica
of the original Aviator
Glasses worn on the historic flight of the “Spirit
of St. Louis” in 1927.
Log on to: www.lindberghsunglasses.com
CAL/N-X-211 VOLUME MMIV No. 1
PAGE 17
Lindbergh Medallion
This is the commerative medallion issued by the
Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce. It is 2.5 " x
3.5". If interested please make an offer to:
Ciaran Mercier
1811 Novato Blvd. #39
Novato, CA 94947
[email protected]
WW1 AERO
SKYWAYS
1900
to
1919
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to
1919
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OUR TWO JOURNALS
SERVICES WE PROVIDE
• Information on current projects
• News of museums and air shows
• Technical drawings and data
• Aeroplanes, engines, parts for sale
• Copies of original drawings, manuals
• Assistance in locating parts, information
• Donated copies of early aviation books
• A worldwide networking service
• Early technical books, magazines
• Your wants and disposals
• News of current publications
• Information on paint & color
• Photographs
• Scale modelling materials
• Workshop notes
• Historical research
• Back issues of the 2 journals
FREE BACK ISSUE FOR NEW SUBSCRIBERS:
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Slimshots
Don’t Miss the Last Pages
of this Issue for
Important Society
Business:
Dues, Dues, Dues!
and the Symposium
Information and
Registration form.
CAL/N-X-211 VOLUME MMIV No. 1
Eddie Tore
Noting the size of the crowd that had gathered, Charles
was glad he made his symposium reservations early.
PAGE 18
The 2004 Top Ten
10. Celebrate your birthday.
9. Pay income taxes.
8. Visit the dentist.
7. The summer solstice.
6. Valentine’s Day.
5. Make New Year’s resolutions.
4. Get a physical.
3. Put a new license on your car.
2. Change the batteries in your smoke detectors.
and the #1 thing that happens once a year...
1. Pay your CAL/N-X-211 Collectors Society dues!
Or miss out on the newsletter and other benefits
It’s that time again, Gary is anxious to renew each and every one of
you as a current member for 2004.
Please send $20.00 for a single membership and
$25.00 for a spousal membership to:
Gary Fisk
24506 Cadiz Drive
Lomita, CA 90717
Please make checks payable to: CAL/N-X-211 Collectors Society
Thanks to you all for the
continued support of the Society!
CAL/N-X-211 VOLUME MMIV No. 1
PAGE 19
Nos vemos en
Cancún!
See you in
Cancún!
SYMPOSIUM SCHEDULE:
May 12th: Early arrivals
May 13th: 16:00 Board meeting at Hotel room.
19:00 Welcome dinner
May 14th: 9 am to 1pm Show and Tell “Soles Room”
13:00 Lunch
14:30 General Business Meeting at “Soles Room”
15:00 Presentations (Virtual Flying of SOSL & Lindbergh in the Mexican Caribbean)
19:00 Gala dinner at “Soles Room” (Dress code: casual - we are on the beach!)
May 15th: Full day Tour to X-Caret
May 16th: ¡Adios amigos!
Hotel: PRESIDENTÉ INTER-CONTINENTAL, Cancún Hotel at $90.00 USD per single or double room
plus taxes, including breakfast. In case anybody wishes to stay longer to enjoy Cancún, they are maintaining this same rate for us three days before and three days after the Symposium dates.
For reservations you should call:
011 + 52 (998) 848 8700 directly to the hotel in
Cancún or 1 (800) 904 4400 to the reservations
central in Mexico City
Reservations code: “Lindbergh Collectors”
Hotel address:
Blvd. Kukulcan Km. 7.5,
Cancún, Q. Roo, Mexico, 77500
You will need your credit card number to guarantee the reservation.
Cancellations with no charge are accepted 74 hours before arrivals.
ALL THOSE RESERVATIONS MADE BY MARCH 31ST WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE
RAFFLE OF AN UPGRADE TO A CLUB ROOM FOR VIP´S FOR ALL THE STAY !!!
Registration Fee is $50.00 USD per person which will include the Official Dinner.
Please don’t mail registration fee, just registration to Juan and Maria José at 5 de mayo # 136-1, Col.
Tepepan, Mexico D.F. C.P. 16020, or fax it at 011+52+55+56-75-63-37 or e mail it to [email protected]
Air Transportation: Members attending should make reservations to fly into Cancún/Mexico International
Airport (CUN). Transportation from Cancún Airport to Presidenté Hotel is around $ 7.50 USD per person
on a public van. Van tickets are purchased after you pick up your luggage.
CAL/N-X-211 VOLUME MMIV No. 1
PAGE 20
Nos vemos en
Cancún!
See you in
Cancún!
Member Name:
_______________________________________________________
Spouse/Guest Name:
_______________________________________________________
_________ I will be staying at the Presidenté Inter-Continental
_________ I have made other arrangements for accomodations and can be reached at
__________________________________________ while in Cancún.
I will arrive on
__________________________________________
I will need _________ tables for my display items *
* PLEASE REMEMBER that it is suggested that members bring reduced number of items as
most of the transportation will be air transportation. The Cancún Symposium will have a
limited collectibles show-and-tell.
The Registration Fee is $ 50.00 USD per person. This will include Official Dinner on
Saturday night and all the materials needed for the symposium. Registration Fee is to be
paid at your arrival to the symposium in Cancún. PLEASE DON’T MAIL IT.
Please mail, e-mail or fax ONLY this registration form to:
JUAN AND MARIA JOSÉ
5 de Mayo 136-1
Tepepan, Xochimilco
Mexico DF 16020
MEXICO
CAL/N-X-211 VOLUME MMIV No. 1
e-mail : [email protected]
Fax : 011 + 52 (55) 5675-6337
Phone number : 011 + 52 (55) 5641-9334
PAGE 21