Made for the home market in the late 1920s and released by Kodak as part of their Kodascope film library, this collection of silent newsreels celebrates Charles Lindbergh’s 1927 trans-Atlantic flight. Titled “The Epic American Trans-Atlantic Flight” the film shows Lindy at :25 before looking at the accidents that crippled his competitors for the Ortieg prize. At :30, Renee Fonck’s three-engine Sikorsky airplane, the S-35, is destroyed on takeoff. At :56 Admiral Byrd’s Fokker trimotor is shown crash landing. At 1:18 Chamberlain’s Bellanca is shown taking off, and then returning to the field with damaged landing gear. At 1:49, the Davis and Wooster attempt ends in disaster near Langley. At 2:00, Nungesser and Coli vanish on their attempt to fly to New York from Paris. At 2:25, Lindbergh poses with the Spirit of St. Louis and at 2:38 bids his mother goodbye. At 2:49 events of May 20th are seen with the aircraft being pushed out of its hangar. At 2:57 a new newsreel begins… the airplane is moved, loaded with fuel (3:20), and Lindbergh suiting up (3:28). At 3:40 Richard Byrd wishes Lindy good luck. At 4:15 the aircraft takes off on its flight. At 5:13 a new newsreel ” Lucky Lindbergh arrives safe in Paris” shows Lindbergh’s route in an animated map, and shows events at LeBourget Airport as Lindy arrives. At 6:07, shots of the airport during the day, and at 6:20 searchlights at night illuminating the airport.
At 7:21 Lindy is shown at the U.S. Embassy. At 8:34 Lindbergh is decorated by the President of France with the Legion of Honor. At 9:03 Lindy poses with the Spirt of St. Louis. The film ends with a shot of Lindbergh and his mother.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
