1927 photo of Charles Lindbergh standing in front of his airplane, The Spirit of St. Louis. It was built by Ryan Airlines in San Diego from 2/28 to 4/28/27. Charles Lindbergh flew solo across the Atlantic and landed in Paris on 5/20/27. He flew over 3,600 miles in 33.5 hours. An aviation hero was born, and the Spirit attained legendary status. It was named in honor of Lindbergh's supporters in St. Louis, Missouri, who paid for the aircraft.