Lindberghiania

Collecting Lindbergh

David S. Ball, RPSL

Charles Lindbergh was arguably the greatest airmail pilot in America or perhaps the world. Beginning as Chief Pilot on Contract Air Mail (CAM) 2 from Chicago to St Louis in 1926 he flew for about 10 months before deciding to compete for the Orteig Prize which would reward the first heavier than air craft to fly non-stop from Paris to New York or New York to Paris. It went unclaimed for years before a number of aviators, including Lindbergh, made the attempt.

After his triumphant transatlantic crossing Lindbergh returned to carrying the mail on numerous domestic and international inaugural flights. In addition to the mail he actually carried, estimated at about one million envelopes, are Goodwill Tours both in America and overseas, survey flights, airport dedications, first day covers, and anniversary envelopes.

This latest chapter draws heavily from both the 1940 and 1973 Sections. The primary focus is on the 103 specifically identifiable flights that he piloted. Auxiliary contemporaneous collecting interests like the Guggenheim national and Latin American tours are included while 50^th anniversary Spirit of St Louis replica flights have been left out. There are hundreds if not thousands of Lindbergh-related cachets. AAMS chooses to focus on those events related to his flying career and not as a comprehensive checklist of everything that remotely relates to the aviator.