Friendship Flight Press Releases 1997 (3) Following in Lindbergh's Footsteps

Dallas, Texas - To recreate the monumental flight of Charles Lindbergh, businessman and pilot Bill Signs has organzied individuals, organizations, and businesses into the Friends of Friendship Flight '97.

The Lindbergh Foundation was created in 1977 on the 50th anniversary of Charles Lindbergh's epic New York to Paris flight. Friends and admirers of the Lindberghs met at the Explorers Club in New York City and established the Charles A. Lindbergh Fund which later changed its name to the Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh Foundation.

Three major Foundation programs honor the Lindbergh legacy and further the vision of a balance between technology and nature.

Lindbergh Grants: Every year, the Lindbergh Foundation presents grants for research and education projects which contribute to the balance between technology and environmental preservation.

The Lindbergh Award: Presented annually since 1978, the honorary Lindbergh Award recognizes an individual for their extraordinary contributions to the Lindberghs' technology/nature balance.

Education and Motivational Programs: The Lindbergh Foundation sponsors educational and motivational efforts that are designed to honor the Lindbergh legacy and advance their vision.

According to Signs, "It's an honor and a privilege to have the Lindbergh Foundation become a Friend of Friendship Flight '97. It's my goal to not only complete the recreation of Lindbergh's historic flight, but to do so with the honor and dignity that Lindbergh himself would have wanted."

At each stop along the flight path, area coordinators in San Diego, St. Louis, New York, and Paris are also preparing to honot the courageous Charles Lindbergh. Children from local schools have been invited to spend the day at the airport to leard about the Lindbergh flight and to meet with Signs and observe, first-hand, the inner workings of Signs Cessna 210 Centurion. Signs will also be available to answer their questions about both the historic Lindbergh flight as well as his 70th anniversary recreation.

Lifting off from San Diego, California, on May 10th, 1997, exactly 70 years to the minute, Signs will make the flight to St. Louis, Missouri in a little over 10 hours, arriving around 5 a.m. Then on May 12th, Signs will depart St. Louis, again 70 years to the minute, for the six hour flight to Long Island, New York. Following Lindbergh's diary, Signs will spend a week in the New York area and depart for Paris on May 20th at exactly 7:52 a.m.

The flight to Paris will take approximately 23 hours with Signs landing at Le Bourget Airport at approximately 1 p.m. after cirling the Eiffel Tower twice. Throughout the Atlantic crossing, Signs will hand-fly the aircraft and not have access to the aircraft's autopilot. Although Signs is required to carry additional navigational and communication equipment, he still faces the same weather problems that confronted Lindbergh on his 3,610 mile flight.

In addition to the children at each ground location having the opportunity to learn about Lindbergh's flight, a special Internet web site has been established to allow children all over the world to follow Friendship Flight '97. For those with Internet access, the web site address is http://www.friendshipflight.com. Once online, web site visitors have the opportunity to check out various pages within the Friendship Flight web site including background information on Charles Lingbergh, Friendship Flight '97 and much much more.

The Lindbergh Foundation's mission is to support present and future generations as they work toward a balance between technology and nature. Signs believes that his Lindbergh flight recreation will help turn the attention of children and adults worldwide to the monumental effort that was required by Charles Lindbergh to fly across the Atlantic.