Thegrandson of Charles Lindbergh is taking to the air to promote civilian spacetravel. Erik Lindbergh will recreate the "Lone Eagle's" 1927 non-stopNew York to Paris, flying solo across the Atlantic this spring.

Calledthe New Spirit Flights, the aircraft flight plan includes a repeat of CharlesLindbergh's historic New York to Paris sojourn, landing at Le Bourget Airport,outside Paris. The flights are a project of the X Prize Foundation of St.Louis, Missouri.

TheX Prize organization is offering a $10 million prize for the first private teamto fly to space in a privately-built spacecraft, return to Earth and fly againwithin two weeks. The X Prize is modeled after the Orteig Prize, a $25,000purse that Charles Lindbergh won for his 1927 transatlantic flight.

TheX PRIZE was founded on May 18, 1996 in St. Louis for the specific purpose ofstimulating the creation of a new generation of launch vehicles designed tocarry passengers into space.

Fightfor flight

"Iam making these flights for three reasons," Lindbergh said in a pressstatement. Along with promoting the X Prize competition and the future of spacetravel, the aircraft flights are to call attention to new treatments forrheumatoid arthritis, and to honor the legacy of innovation made famous byCharles Lindbergh, he said.

Fifteenyears ago, Erik Lindbergh was stricken with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), adebilitating and often disabling disease. His fight with RA made it difficultfor him to perform simple, everyday tasks and pursue a love of flying. With thehelp of a breakthrough biotech drug, the young Lindbergh can both live his lifeand pursue a passion to retrace his grandfather's voyage across the Atlantic.

ErikLindbergh serves as a trustee and vice president of the X Prize Foundation.

"Mygrandfather was motivated to make his flight by a prize that unquestionablyhelped to open the future of aviation," said Erik Lindbergh. "I ampromoting the X PRIZE because I believe it will help open the door to spacetravel for the rest of us."

The New Spirit Flights are to begin April 14, with Erik Lindbergh departing SanDiego's Lindbergh Field. He will follow Charles Lindbergh's 1927 flight plan,flying to St. Louis, and then to New York. During the first two weeks of May --75 years after his grandfather made his giant leap into aviation history --Erik will fly solo, in a single-engine composite Lancair Columbia 300 aircraft.

"The1927 flights of the Spirit of St. Louis marked the beginning of the modern ageof air travel. Seventy-five years later, a solo transatlantic flight in a smallplane is still considered the Mount Everest climb of flying," said GreggMaryniak, Mission Control Director for the 2002 New Spirit of St. Louis flight,and Executive Director of the X Prize Foundation.

"Erikis an experienced commercial pilot and flight instructor, and has spent monthsundergoing rigorous training and testing to prepare himself for these highlydemanding solo flights," Maryniak said.

Groundtracking

MissionControl for the flights will be located at the St. Louis Science Center's JamesS. McDonnell Planetarium.

TheMission Control team will utilize state-of-the-art technology to track andsupport Erik Lindbergh's flights from beginning to end. Mission Control will beset up to provide a unique educational opportunity for young people and adults,aviation enthusiasts and historians around the world.

Adocumentary film about the campaign of flights is being produced by The HistoryChannel, and is slated to air May 20 - the 75^th anniversary ofCharles Lindbergh's pioneering solo trek.