The "Lindbergh Effect"

[barnbstormer]

Was doing some vintage air show research in old AVIATION and AERO DIGEST volumes, one cannot help but be amazed at the publicity effect that Lindbergh and his cross-Atlantic competitor had on Aviation. It is oddly demonstrated, here, by looking at a continuous run of of bound volumes of AVIATION magazine, from issue #1 in 1916-through to Oct 1946, on my library shelves. Look at the encircled two volumes for 1927 (leading up to, and exploiting the successful tran-Atlantic flight.) Compare the bound volumes for other years with the two HUGE vlumes for 1927..They are 4 inches thick EACH, and weigh 24 lbs for the pair! Nearly impossible to list a page count, as Most of the pages are un-numbered advertisement pages, getting on board with the public's new obsession fo aviation products and knowledge. The third volume, for 1918, is also a very large volume, reflecting the industrial move from military aviation into civil aviation, at that time.

[rreis]

In this age of "infographics" you stumbled upon a treasure. Nice way to look at things.

[Adam Kline]

Very interesting. It's amazing that in aviation first really mattered and in business--- not so much. Look at Tesla and Edison, IBM vs Apple and various other commercial endeavors were first was a thud and second was supreme. Hugh Herndon and Clyde Panborn crossed the Pacific Ocean a year or two after Lingbergh and no one even remembers them. Their feat was 2000 miles further and they didn't even have a decent map as the Japanese confiscated them. I remember in 1999 talking to one of the Tournament of Roses people about the theme for the Rose Parade for year 1999 the "Greatest Achievement of the 21 century" and the poll was for Lindbergh. I voted for Apollo 11. A feat still not matched in forty years. First really matters in flight.

Adam

[Stephan Wilkinson]

edited.