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The sign accompanying the Spirit of St. Louis. It reads

Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis
First Nonstop Solo Transatlantic Flight

On May 21, 1927, Charles A. Lindbergh completed the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight in history, flying his Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis 5,810 kilometers (3,610) miles between Roosevelt Field on Long Island, New York, and Paris, France, in 33 hours, 30 minutes. With this flight, Lindbergh won the $25,000 prize offered by New York hotel owner Raymond Orteig to the first aviator to fly an aircraft directly across the Atlantic between New York and Paris. When he landed at Le Bourget Field in Paris, Lindbergh became a world hero who would remain in the public eye for decades.

The aftermath of the flight was the "Lindbergh boom" in aviation: aircraft industry stocks rose in value and interest in flying skyrocketed. Lindbergh's subsequent U.S. and Central and South American tours in the Spirit demonstrated the potential of the airplane as a safe, reliable mode of transportation.

Gift of Charles A. Lindbergh

Wingpan:	14 m (46 ft)
Length:	8 m (27 ft 8 in)
Height:	3m (9 ft 10 in)
Weight, gross:	2,330 kg (5,135 lb)
Weight, empty:	975 kg (2,150 lb)
Engine:	Wright Whirlwind J-5C, 223 hp
Manufacturer:	Ryan Airlines Co.