Several years ago, I was writing a magazine story about the great flyer, Charles Lindbergh. After all, he was a Lincoln, Nebraska pilot and so was I so we shared a common bond. There is a small marker at 21st and High Streets in Lincoln where once was the airport “Lucky Lindy” started his great adventure. The land is no longer an airport but is just a nice upscale housing development where most folks have no clue what really happened in the hollowed sky above them.
There is also a house on Sheridan Street where Lindy dropped in. He parachuted from a plane and landed on the roof. He was learning how to be a barnstormer and actually flew the barnstorming circuit prior to the great flight to Paris.
But I wanted to know more about him. From what film footage there was of him, he seemed a bit shy so I didn’t know if I would learn anything special about him. I wanted to know what made him tick.
The place to look is the wonderful Love Library sitting on the University of Nebraska Lincoln campus. There were only a couple of books about him and most of the information was about his famous flight and the making of the plane. But, there was on book and one page that I found very interesting. Lindbergh was worried about our character. In fact, he developed 22 character factors that he thought a good man (or woman) should have. Here they are courtesy of Leonard Mosley.
Charles Lindbergh’s 22 Character Factors*
(From Lindbergh. A Biography. By Leonard Mosley. Published by Doubleday)
1. Ambition.
2. Aptitude.
3. Balance.
4. Brevity.
5. Concentration.
6. Diligence.
7. Enterprise.
8. Foresight.
9. Honesty.
10. Intuition.
11. Judiciousness.
12. Manliness.
13. Orderliness.
14. Precision.
15. Quiet temperedness.
16. Reserve.
17. Solicitude.
18. Tact.
19. Unselfishness.
20. Vigor.
21. Watchfulness.
22. Zeal.
His Favorite Song: “Home on the Range.”
And indeed he was in Lincoln. Not bad for a guy who ran off the road twice on his motorcycle while trying to get to Lincoln and learn how to fly…and to jump out of planes, too.
Kenny Miller has been in the creative business for over 30 years. He has created two advertising agencies and is the author of two books: The Last Flight of Kilo Mike; and A Visit to Hartington. Kenny is also a highly experienced professional pilot; a published photographer; and a top-notch storm chaser. If it interests him, Kenny does it You should, too! His site is http://www.nebraskawriter.com
Tags: charles lindberg, flight to paris, kenny miller, lindbergh, lucky lindy, the spirit of St. Louis
