Friday, April 4, 2008

Chasing Charles Lindbergh:

Nov. 1927--When The "Lone Eagle" Landed In Susquehanna County, Penna.

In May of that year he became the first person to fly the Atlantic Ocean--one of the epic acts in the history of humanity, one which overnight catapulted him into worldwide fame.

Then on Nov. 4, fresh off a triumphal tour that had taken him to 48 states and 92 cities, he was flying from Long Island to Buffalo, New York, when he had to make a landing in a hayfield due to weather.

As written in the book Choconut Township, The Way It Was: Stories, Illustrations & Photographs Of Local History: "The guest of kings and presidents was about to board with farmers and a quiet parish priest.  Upon an unsuspecting Choconut, dropped the most famous man in the world..."

The photo above shows "Lucky Lindy" (2nd from left) in that hayfield. The author grew up in the farmhouse in the background. His grandparents and mother hosted the celebrity flier there for a few hours.

To read about that memorable evening and why for much of his life the author has been on the trail of the famous aviator, go to http://www.mauitime.com/ (Click on "archives," July 19, 2007 issue)

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