One of the more interesting displays at the Museum is that of Charles Lindbergh. During the year of 1926, Lindbergh flew the mail from St. Louis through Springfield, Peoria, and ending up at Maywood Field in the Chicago area, and returned visa versa. During the nine months or so that he flew the mail, Lindbergh bailed from his planes on two separate occasions. From one of those occasions happened near the rural town of Covell, Illinois about 10 miles southwest of Bloomington-Normal, the Prairie Aviation Museum has received three parts from the downed aircraft that crashed-landed on its own. Check out the display across from the large airplane models case for details.


What seems incredible is the fact that after crashing and jumping from, his aircraft(s) on four occasions, giving him the moniker of “Lucky Lindy”, he was able to fly the Atlantic Ocean in just 33.5 hours with little or no sleep or a chance to land a disabled aircraft if needed on its way to Paris. From this event, Charles Lindbergh received accolades from all over the world on this accomplishment.


The controversy surrounding his involvement in politics (and to a lesser extent, his personal life) sometimes overshadows the fact that he was an important pioneer in aviation from the 1920s to the 1950s. His 1927 flight made him the first international celebrity in the age of mass media. In the late 1940s, Lindbergh visited U.S. Air Force bases to evaluate American air power (of which he was a staunch supporter) in relation to the emerging Cold War. During this trip, he remarked "I think my flight to Paris came too soon for the civilizations of the world. They were suddenly thrown together by air travel and they weren't quite ready for it.

The controversy surrounding his involvement in politics (and to a lesser extent, his personal life) sometimes overshadows the fact that he was an important pioneer in aviation from the 1920s to the 1950s. His 1927 flight made him the first international celebrity in the age of mass media. One U.S. Air Force general remembers Lindbergh's critical view of his own legacy. In the late 1940s, Lindbergh visited U.S. Air Force bases to evaluate American air power (of which he was a staunch supporter) in relation to the emerging Cold War. During this trip, he remarked "I think my flight to Paris came too soon for the civilizations of the world. They were suddenly thrown together by air travel and they weren't quite ready for it."