Silent Auction Also Planned
The Lindbergh Foundation is holding a very special aviation
event in Minnesota this year. The "Legends of the Sky: Stories of
History-Making Aircraft and Their Pilots" hangar party will be held
on Friday, May 20, at the Golden Wings Museum at the Anoka County
Airport (ANE) in Blaine, Minn., from 6:30 - 10 p.m.
This benefit event features Burt Rutan (shown below, left, with
Mike Melvill), the brilliant aviation engineer who is widely known
for capturing the $10 million Ansari X PRIZE for building and
designing SpaceShipOne, which took the first two civilian
astronauts into space. Rutan also designed and built GlobalFlyer,
which Steve Fossett recently used in his solo non-stop,
non-refueled flight around the world. He is also well known for his
breakthrough designs such as the VariEze and LongEze, which brought
safe, fun, affordable homebuilding and flying to thousands.
Aviation pioneer and balloonist Dr. Bertrand Piccard (famous for
his 1999 'round the world flight in a balloon) is also expected to
attend and share a story during the program.
A variety of vintage aircraft from the Golden Age of Aviation
will be on display at the hangar party from the personal collection
of Greg Herrick, founder of The Aviation Foundation of America. The
featured aircraft, however, will be the 1927 Ford Tri-motor 4-AT-10
(shwn below), C-1077. This is the actual plane that was used to fly
Charles Lindbergh's mother, Evangeline Lindbergh, to Mexico City to
visit her son in December 1927. It has had an illustrious list of
pilots in addition to Lindbergh including: Amelia Earhart; Bernt
Balchen, first to fly over the South Pole; Floyd Bennett, first to
fly over the North Pole; and many others. This plane is the world's
oldest all-metal flying airliner, the world's oldest flying
multi-engine airliner, made the first commercial trip from the U.S.
to Mexico City, and was the first Ford Tri-motor to be put on
floats.
The Sikorsky S-38 replica also has been invited to appear.
A silent auction of some incredible items is also planned. Among
those items to be auctioned are: a ride with John and Martha King
in their Falcon jet, a one-of-a-kind wood rocket sculpture created
by Erik Lindbergh, and a very rare litho of Neil Armstrong in his
Apollo 11 space suit sketched by Paul Calle. This litho is
unframed, measures 19"x29" and is numbered 593/1000. It is
autographed by Armstrong and Calle and is in excellent
condition.
Great aviation stories will be shared and a gourmet buffet will
be offered during this special occasion. Erik Lindbergh (below),
grandson of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, will host the event
and John and Martha King of King Schools, Inc. will be the Masters
of Ceremonies. John and Martha are the first couple to both hold
every category and class of FAA pilot and instructor certificates.
Martha is the first and only woman to achieve this complete ratings
sweep.
Tickets are $65 per person and they are selling fast. Advance
reservations are required. Proceeds from this event will benefit
the Lindbergh Foundation, a public non-profit organization based in
Anoka, Minn.
FMI: Contact the Lindbergh Foundation at 763/576-1596, www.lindberghfoundation.org