POSTCARD N.214 - USA
Postcrossing Postcard sent on ?; received on the 10th March 2026
Postcard image: Ryan NYP "Spirit Of Saint Louis"
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A postcard issued by The Smithsonian Institution with a photograph of one of the most illustrious aircraft in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum: the Ryan NYP (New York to Paris) "Spirit of Saint Louis", in which Charles Lindbergh completed, in 1927, the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight, Between Roosevelt field, Long island, New York, and Le Bourget, Paris, France.
The flight took 33 hours and the pilot had to struggle to stay awake during much of it for he had not slept the previous night, so much so that at some point he barely escaped crashing into the sea due to having fallen momentarily asleep and losing control of the aircraft..
I can't imagine what it would be like to fly in a noisy rattling aircraft without any forward vision other than that provided by a periscope, over the sea, in a cockpit probably not that impervious to exhaust fumes for 33.5 hours, in such animic conditions, but the truth is that Charles Lindbergh did it and with his feat won a irrevocable place in the history of aviation.
Incidentally, the Billy Wilder “Spirit of Saint Louis” film, featuring James Stewart as Lindbergh, gives quite a detailed account of the flight and the challenges it raised for the pilot.
Thanks a lot Kira! Unfortunately the card got a bit wet inside my letterbox, and my attempt at drying it off with a clothes iron only did worse....
The "two ounce USA" stamp illustrated with several flowers was issued on 22MAR2024 as part of a two stamp set ( the companion stamp is a "Forever USA ") themed on "Floral Greetings"
The card circulated without having been postmarked, so I have no clue as to its place of origin.
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