Spirit of St Louis

[Guest]

The MSCoF has me wondering about the Spirit of St Louis. How many simmer will try duplicating this historical flight? Hopefully this will be one of the adventures because it would be nice if MS does the research and finds out the weather that was reported during that flight including temp and winds aloft. Otherwise I guess some personal research will be needed since this entire flight would be based on fuel management and weather. I think I would like to try this once in a hail Mary flight. Make it or don't but give it only one try in life just like the pilot did (it was Jimmy Stewart right? LOL). Anyway, I would like to do this using no auto-pilot, no GPS, no use of pause. Additionally I would like to find out what he brought for food if any since weight plays a big role. Hopefully MS will include all this info including at what alt he flew and for gods sakes what kind of lavatory system he used (that will be the one thing that I will not replicate BTW ;o) ) Wait for a rain filled weekend to do it. He was able to get up and move around as I remember so I will just consider the computer room and the bathroom acceptable rooms. Since he didn't have t.v. nor a radio available for the enroute flight I will do the same. Will turn up the sound kind of loud just to test the hum factor that the engine gives since after awhile it works to put most people asleep. Figure I will do this flight on-line with a RW channel opened up so if anyone wants to validate the flight they can see If I am in anyway close to making it to France and hear if I am still alert. Kind of looking forward now to getting these old planes in CoF. But like I said, hope MS does a good job in providing the details on the historical flight and provides a very accurate air file (fuel burn at least) with an adventure offering weather of that flight. Because I just want to do it once and see if I crash , run out of fuel, get way off course, or make it. I'm not trying to land where he landed either...just make it to the otherside and then see how close I came.Kilstorm

[Guest]

Great post, and yes I will also be replicating the historic flight as well. To be true to "Jimmy Stewart" - :-lol I will not be using the actual bathroom in my house for the full 33 1/2 hours! I am bringing along 4 bottles of Pepsi :9 and you know what I will be doing with them when there empty... :-doh Just kidding, but it will be great to attempt this flight. Especially with all the NEW stuff in FS9! Lindy's house is about 15 minutes from where I live here in New Jersey, I've been there a few times. It's funny every time i've been there, Lindy is always out? Do you think he is trying to avoid me?? Seriously, This is a great tribute to a great man and Aviator and well be an excellant experience to make an attempt to to do what Mr. Lindbergh did.Check out the official Lindy site:http://www.charleslindbergh.com/

[Guest]

Great site Mark! It actually provides some great info. I think I will even fly all the pre flights. Then if I make it I will do the post flights but not day after day but over time. (How funny would it be do this flight using FSMaintenance where when you land you already have to do 4 Class D checks and every thing has failed!!!) At first I thought I would just shoot to make it across the pod but now after reading about the flight I will try and land at the same field. Will just need to get some maps to get an idea of what to look for. Would also like to document my experience somehow. Kil~

[Guest Douglas K]

"Are There Any Mechanics Here?" (Lindbergh"s first words after landing at Le Bourget Field)Mighty big shoes to fill!!!For reasearch into this remarkable flight I recommend Lindbergh's book "The Spirit Of St. Louis" published in 1953 by Charles Scribners Sons. I am fortunate enough to have my own copy of this wonderful book, but your local library should have it if you can't locate it elsewhere. Lindbergh was a terrific writer, and for any aviation enthusiast, and especially for anyone wanting information on his transatlantic crossing this book is a must have.In it you will find a hour by hour account of his ordeal, complete with flight data recorded for each hour up to the 21st hour or so, interspersed with recollections of his life and times as an aviator.He was NOT able to move around inside his aircraft, so if over thirty hours in a hard wicker chair appeals to you, then go to it!!You must first be sure that you do not sleep the night before your flight, as Lindbergh wasn't able to sleep before his. When he landed in Paris he hadn't slept for 63 hours!The idea of trying this myself when Century Of Flight is released is appealing, but I think I'll give it a pass, a man's gotta know his limitations.Lindbergh, like so many people from his generation, was made of iron.

[Guest]

Why couldn't he sleep the night before if you know by chance. Sorry I don't know much about this flight, his life, or the events around it but will be just for this purpose. About the no moving around and wicker basket thing well that was for weight so I'll sit in a chair without a back. I'm still not going to avoid the bathroom just for the fact that, well... Otherwise I will try and replicate this flight as best as he did. As far as the hours awake thing goes well it kinda reminds me of all those old car-a-thons they use to do where people had to stay awake and keep there hand on a car to win a car. Inever did that but if I was there and didn't have anything to do then I probably would. It will be a fight of mind over matter (or something like that). Kil~

[Guest Douglas K]

Due to last minute preparations and the circus like atmosphere that surrounded his hotel on the night before he departed Lindbergh didn't get to bed until close to midnight. He had posted one of his friends outside the door to guard against anyone disturbing him. This fellow had instructions to wake him at 2:15. He recounts how he lay restlessly with his mind churning through every detail of his preparations for the flight to come (he was a fanatic about detail and preparation, he even trimmed the margins off his maps!). Just as he was dozing off his "friend" burst in and asked "Slim, what am I going to do when your're gone?" After that he couldn't sleep so he got up and went to Roosevelt Field with no sleep since the night before. He does wonder though, if he would have been able to sleep, even without his friend coming in and disturbing him.Lindbergh suffered terribly from sleep deprivation during this flight, he even hallucinated that the fuselage behind him was full of phantoms offering advice on flying the NYP, and with whom he conversed. His account is a blend of the physical and the metaphysical and the effects of both on a successful outcome to the New York to Paris flight, which is what makes it such a compelling read.

[Guest]

Glad you liked the site Kil. It has some really excellant info! Thanks again for posting this. I am even getting more excited about FS9 now.. :-)Doug, Fantastic info! Thanks alot for sharing it.