President Bush Calls Lindbergh in Paris After Flight: Erik Lindbergh safely flies from New York to Paris in 17hrs, 7min on May 2, 2002.
Avoiding thunderstorms and icy wings, Erik Lindbergh, flying in the footsteps of his grandfather Charles Lindbergh, completed his trip to Paris, landing at 11:23 an Le Bourget in Paris, France. Moments after landing, Peter kissed the ground and embraced his mom, Barbara Robbins. He then was greeted by Peter H. Diamandis, Chairman and President of The X PRIZE Foundation, who had seen Erik depart in Long Island, NY the previous day and flown via commercial airline to meet him in Paris.
Along the way, Erik encountered turbulence, thunderstorms and dangerous weather conditions forcing him to fly at altitudes between 7,000 and 17,000 feet. Lindbergh was thankful to several airliners in the area and his St. Louis Mission Control team, who offered encouragement and boosted his morale as he fought fatigue and sleep deprivation.
Biography:
Erik Lindbergh, a commercial pilot and certified flight instructor, is the grandson of Charles and Anne Lindbergh and son of Jon Lindbergh and Barbara Robbins. As 2002 marks the 75th anniversary of his grandfather's Spirit of St. Louis transatlantic flight, Erik Lindbergh will recreate this 1927 milestone, illustrating the human spirit's ability to dream, innovate and achieve one's goals against many odds.
Though he leads an active lifestyle, Erik also suffers from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a progressive autoimmune disease marked by pain, tenderness, and inflammation of the joints, that nearly caused him to give up his passion for aviation when he was diagnosed at the young age of 21. RA crippled Erik for 15 years and only recently has he been active again. During his worst years with RA, Erik was forced to use a cane due to the severe pain that made it almost impossible for him to walk. Today, with the help of a breakthrough biotech drug, Enbrel®, Erik has his life back and is in pursuit of his dreams. Using his experience with RA, he now serves as a spokesperson for the Arthritis Foundation, working to educate others about RA.
A graduate of Emery Aviation College where he received his Aeronautical Science degree, Erik serves as a Trustee and Vice President of the X PRIZE Foundation, a non-profit organization that stimulates the creation of a new generation of launch vehicles designed to carry passengers into space. The X PRIZE is fashioned after the Orteig Prize, the aviation incentive prize won by Charles Lindbergh's transatlantic flight in 1927, which created the now $250 billion aviation industry.
Erik is also a Director of the Lindbergh Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering his grandparents belief in creating a balance between technological advancement and environmental preservation. The Foundation promotes gives grants, does educational programs and gives the Lindbergh award each year for work dedicated to "Balance" concept.
Aside from aviation, Erik is an artist and owner of Lindbergh Woodworks, which creates unique furniture and wood sculptures. He is known for his sculptures of rustic planets, spacecraft and aircraft within the community of astronomy and aviation.
More Information contact The X PRIZE Foundation
X PRIZE
722-A Spirit of St. Louis Blvd
St. Louis, Mo. 63005
Tel: 636-519-9449
Fax: 314-533-6502
http://www.xprize.org/index.html
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Information
Please view the following web sites for more information about rheumatoid arthritis treatment.
Erik Lindbergh Gallery
A Lifelong resident of the Pacific Northwest, Erik Lindbergh’s approach to woodworking is to blend natural shapes into functional and pleasing form
"I think that the most difficult challenge of this work is to allow the wood to speak for itself. How does one open ones eyes to see the depths of what happens in nature? As I contemplate my own tentative relationship with the earth, I find myself identifying with gnarled trees, our twisted trunks, knots and burls are a visible testament to the struggles we have lived through, and the more "skawapity" we get, the more character we have. Perhaps this kinship is what lights the creative fire in my belly and draws me into this wildwood world. I suppose too, that I am frustrated with my experiences with the “throwaway” furniture that is sold in the giant stores of today. My rebellion is to create something that will not only serve a purpose, but will awaken the senses to the beauty of all the "imperfection" that is our world."
