SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS

Milestone: First Nonstop Solo Transatlantic Flight
Date of Milestone: May 21, 1927
Aircraft: Ryan NYP "Spirit of St. Louis"
Pilot: Charles A. Lindbergh
Aircraft Location: Smithsonian Institution, National Air and Space Museum, Milestones of Flight Gallery
On May 21, 1927, Charles A. Lindbergh completed the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight in history, flying his Ryan NYP "Spirit of St. Louis" 5,810 kilometers (3,610 miles) between Roosevelt Field on Long Island, New York, and Paris, France, in 33 hours, 30 minutes. With this flight, Lindbergh won the $25,000 prize offered by New York hotel owner Raymond Orteig to the first aviator to fly an aircraft directly across the Atlantic between New York and Paris. When he landed at Le Bourget Field in Paris, Lindbergh became a world hero who would remain in the public eye for decades.

P51 MUSTANG

BELL COBRA

The AH-1 Cobra is an attack helicopter manufactured by Bell. It shares a common engine, transmission and rotor system with the older UH-1 Iroquois (nicknamed "Huey"). The AH-1 is also sometimes referred to as the "HueyCobra" or "Snake".
The AH-1 was once the backbone of the United States Army's attack helicopter fleet, but has been replaced by the AH-64 Apache in Army service. Upgraded versions continue to fly with several other users. The AH-1 twin engine versions remain in service with United States Marine Corps as the service's primary attack helicopter.

APOLLO 9

Apollo 9 was the third manned mission in the Apollo program, a ten day Earth-orbital mission launched 3 March 1969. It was the second manned flight of the Saturn V launch vehicle and the first manned flight of the Apollo Lunar Module (LM).

A12 BLACKBIRD

Paul visited the Aerospace museum during our visit to Balboa Park. He was especially interested in this plane, known as the fastest and highest flying spy plane ever.

A-12 Specifications
Manufacturer:
Lockheed Aircraft Corporation
Construction:
Titanium Monococque with some super-high-temperature plastics.
Width:
55 feet, 7 inches
Length:
102 feet, 3 inches
Height:
18 feet, 6 inches
Landing Weight:
52,000 pounds
Maximum Speed:
Mach 3.3
Maximum Ceiling:
Above 75,000 feet
Powerplant:
2 Pratt & Whitney JT11D-20A (J58) with 32,500 pounds of thrust. (Excluding #06927)

PAUL'S BALBOA PARK PIX

Sorry to everyone for so many pix of me. Between Paul and Z I couldn't escape.

I'm still awestruck by the beautiful architecture at this park.

THE CACTUS GARDEN

Over a pretty overpass from Balboa Park is the most spectacular garden ever. It is a 100 year old Cactus garden. Winding paths take you through its beauty, just incredible.

Some of the Cacti are so huge, they are as big as trees. Brightly colored flowers blanket the ground below the cacti, and stone walls line the paths.