Aerial Pioneers: Lindbergh & Rickenbacker

Charles A. Lindbergh: Path to Flight

• Postwar life: CA Lindbergh drifted around with no fixed address; his remarks to Charles foreshadowed great changes to come. $11/11/1918$ marks the end of the war.
• Charles Lindbergh's early years: tries to make a go of the family farm; rides a $Excelsior$ motorcycle after CA takes the Saxon; CA helps financially when possible; Charles dreams of flying after seeing a plane and reading about aerial combat.
• War’s aftermath and college: no patriotic need to farm; Charles considers college; chooses the University of Wisconsin mainly for nearby lakes, not for engineering prestige.
• Academic and social struggles at Wisconsin:
  • Fails English and earns Ds in math/chem; placed on probation mid‑semester. $1922$ entry.
  • Hates English rules and becomes a loner; little involvement with campus social life or women.
  • ROTC attracts him; excels as marksman; joins rifle and pistol teams; wins first prize and a Colt $45$.
• Financial pressures and family dynamics:
  • CA announces he’s broke and can’t fund tuition; Evangeline refuses to mortgage the house; Lindbergh persists for one more semester.
  • Realizes flying, not academics, is his true calling.
• Turning toward aviation:
  • A fellow student’s literature and brochures spark interest in flying; warnings about the dangers of aviation are noted, but the lure remains.
  • February $1922$: dropped from Wisconsin for academic deficiency; Lindbergh heads for Lincoln, Nebraska to join Ray Page’s flying outfit (Lincoln Standard Aircraft).
• Lincoln Standard Aircraft and first steps into flying:
  • Company changes name to Lincoln Standard Aircraft; Lindbergh remains as a working student, even though he is essentially the only trainee at times.
  • First plane ride on $04/09/1922$; the experience is vivid: birds, engines, and the sense of life and death in flight. He later recalls the moment with dramatic imagery.
• Training and early flying experiences:
  • Instructor Ira “Biff” Biffel is often absent; Lindbergh absorbs plane care, maintenance, and the mechanics of flight—the pilot also serves as mechanic and rigger in those days.
  • Lindbergh becomes a barnstormer’s wing walker; performs a parachute jump after seeing a demonstration, then does a double jump (collapses one chute mid‑fall, opens a second).
  • Flying becomes a sacred pursuit; he cashes in lessons by trading his silk chute and helps pilots in exchange for instruction.
• Barnstorming and defining experiences:
  • He views flying as a form of “holy grail” and continues to practice relentlessly, even if barnstorming is a dead end for a career.
  • Lindbergh buys his own plane (a used Jenny with a new eight‑cylinder engine) for $500$; makes a cautious solo at Meridian after a rough start and a ditch landing that smashes the prop and tests his nerve.
  • He accumulates paying passengers and builds a reputation; a crash history punctuates his early career (CA’s political bid ends badly with a third place, but Lindbergh presses on).
• Family finances and the shift toward flight as a career:
  • CA’s political campaign falters amid memory issues and sensitivity to temperature; Lindbergh’s barnstorming earnings grow steadily.
  • A group of army flight graduates (young officers) invites Lindbergh into a potential military aviation path; he considers it a path out of conformity.
• Path to the Army:
  • Lindbergh decides to pursue military aviation and, after a series of conversations with CA and Evangeline, opts to join the U.S. Army as a pilot in training.
  • On $03/16/1924$, he reports to the army pilot training school at Brooks Field near San Antonio, Texas, marking the transition from civilian aviator to military pilot.

Eddie Rickenbacker: From Racer to War Pilot

• From racecar to aviation: Eddie Rickenbacker transitions from top American race driver to aviation target during WWI; his epiphany occurs on a train toward England, where he purges superstition and liquor as he shifts focus to aviation.
  • He has given up car racing and burns his lucky charms while traveling toward a new life in Europe.
  • The 1920s racing success translates into a desire to contribute to the war effort as a pilot.
• Early wartime provocations and travel to Europe:
  • Boards the Saint Louis to Liverpool; British authorities suspect him of being German (Baron von Rickenbacher myth); he is detained and strip‑searched by Scotland Yard for the journey to England.
  • Christmas in Liverpool: he is allowed ashore after intercession by Louis Coitola (Coitarla/Coeur d’Alene), who brokered his return to the U.S. later.
  • Wilson’s declaration of war on Germany occurs in early April $1917$; Eddie shifts to recruiting other pilots and volunteers for aviation.
• The Lafayette Escadrille and early American aviation status:
  • Eddy’s contact with Major Thaw on the Saint Louis introduces a potential pathway to the Lafayette Escadrille; he contemplates joining but is initially advised by brass that he lacks a college degree or formal aviation training.
  • The U.S. Army Aviation Service in 1917 is small (fewer than $50$ planes and fewer than $40$ pilots); the air service’s future is uncertain and morale is low.
• Entry into service and rise in responsibility:
  • Eddie attempts to join as a pilot; he is told he is too old at $27$ and lacks a college degree.
  • A secret mission offers transport to France with Pershing’s staff; he is sworn in as a sergeant and travels aboard the RMS Baltic to Europe.
  • In France he serves under Colonel Billy Mitchell, who values Eddie’s practicality and humor; Eddie becomes chief engineer for a pilot training project and eventually earns pilot status after learning to fly in Tours under French instruction.
• Training and first solo flight in Europe:
  • Flight training in Tours uses a rudimentary trainer that had no wings; Eddie’s first solo is in a small biplane with a crosswind; he overcorrects, tilts toward the hangar, and nearly crashes but survives.
  • After about 17 days of flying, Eddie has 25 hours of flight time and is commissioned as a first lieutenant; he joins the American flying school in France as an engineer and pilot‑in‑training.
• The five German spies and leadership dynamics:
  • The officer corps at the American flying school is nicknamed the ‘five German spies’; Eddie must learn to fly under their supervision while serving as an engineer.
  • Eddie’s improvisation and risk‑taking often clash with the cautious approach of the Ivy League pilots, leading to a temporary grounding by the squadron’s commander, Lt. Col. Spotts.
  • Eddie earns a chance to train at the French gunnery school (Kazeau) after Spotts relents, recognizing his determination.
• Ninety‑fourth Aero Pursuit Squadron and combat service:
  • Eddie is assigned to the 94th Aero Pursuit Squadron, nicknamed the Hat in the Ring, under Major Huffer, with Raul Loughborough as operations officer; the squadron eventually becomes the backbone of the U.S. air effort in France.
  • The squadron flies the Newport 28 (a French‑built fighter) with twin Vickers machine guns and a 160 horsepower Gnome rotary engine; the Newport 28 is rugged and agile but prone to engine fires due to copper fuel tubes.
  • The U.S. aviation effort relies on French aircraft initially because American production could not yet meet the demand; the Spad 13 is among the top French fighters, and American pilots become adept with a variety of foreign aircraft until U.S. production catches up.
• Combat ethos and notable figures:
  • The Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen, epitomizes the era’s air combat: more than 80 enemy aircraft shot down; his cunning and use of dogfighting maneuvers shape aerial warfare.
  • Aces and their battlefield innovations (Immelmann turn, Loughbury loop, etc.) drive rapid improvements in speed, maneuverability, and firepower.
  • Raul Loughborough, a flamboyant, capable pilot, becomes a close ally of Eddie and serves as operations officer; the Escadrille culture blends bravado, camaraderie, and danger.
• Key dates and milestones:
  • Eddie’s wartime journey includes travel to England and France in 1917–1918, his joining of the U.S. Army aviation service, and activation of the 94th Aero Pursuit Squadron in 1918.
  • The war’s end and the transition to a peacetime aviation era follow soon after, with Eddie continuing to influence American aviation for years to come.

Aerial Warfare Context and Terminology (essentials)

• Aerial warfare evolution:
  • Early roles: scouts and artillery spotters; later, fighters and bombers with ever heavier payloads.
  • Synchronization of machine guns with propeller revolution (by 1916) enables more effective dogfighting.
• Terminology and key figures:
  • Ace: pilot with at least five confirmed kills.
  • Red Baron: Manfred von Richthofen, famed German ace with >80 kills.
  • Lafayette Escadrille: American volunteers who fought with French forces before the U.S. entered WWI.
• Aircraft generations and examples:
  • Jenny (the Curtiss JN-4): common training aircraft; used by Lindbergh early in his career.
  • Newport 28: French single‑seat fighter used by the U.S. in 1918; 160 hp Gnome rotary engine; prone to engine fires due to fuel tube design.
  • Spad 13: French top fighter of the era; widely regarded as one of the best available fighters before U.S. production caught up.
• Tactics and culture:
  • Dogfights invented and named after pilots who popularized them (e.g., Immelmann turn, Loughbury loop).
  • Accompanying culture: Escadrille camaraderie, battlefield improvisation, and the blend of skill, luck, and risk that defined early aerial warfare.