Lindbergh Boom

May 1927, Lindbergh completes one of aviation's greatest challenges with great publicity worldwide
1929 Wall Street Crash. A temporary, but abrupt halt to the income source for the Lindburgh Boom

The Lindbergh Boom (1927–1929) is a period of rapid interest in aviation following the awarding of the Orteig Prize to Charles Lindbergh for his 1927 non-stop solo transatlantic flight in the Spirit of St. Louis.[1][2][3] The Lindbergh Boom occurred during the interwar period between World War I and World War II, where aviation development was fueled by commercial interests rather than wartime necessity. During this period, dozens of companies were formed to create airlines, and aircraft for a new age in aviation. Many of the fledgling companies funded by stock went under as quick as they started as the stock that capitalized them plummeted in value following the Wall Street Crash of 1929. The Great Depression dried up the market for new aircraft, causing many aircraft companies to go into bankruptcy or get consolidated by larger entities. Air racing, record attempts, and barnstorming remained popular, as aviators tried to recapture the prizes and publicity of Lindbergh's Transatlantic flight.

The Lindbergh Boom

Publicity surrounding Lindbergh and his flight boosted the aviation industry and made a skeptical public take air travel seriously. Within a year of his flight, a quarter of Americans (an estimated thirty million) personally saw Lindbergh and the Spirit of St. Louis. Over the remainder of 1927 applications for pilot's licenses in the U.S. tripled, the number of licensed aircraft quadrupled, and U.S. Airline passengers grew between 1926 and 1929 by 3,000% from 5,782 to 173,405.[4]

Contributing factors

Lindbergh's flight was the peak of several other factors that lead to the boom. This included:

The Boom companies

[5]

Consolidation

Companies were consolidating Lindbergh Boom start-ups at a rapid rate. Some, like Curtiss-Wright, went on a buying spree before the market crash and struggled to maintain control afterward.[9] Others like the Detroit Aircraft Corporation were dissolved.[10]

See also

References

  1. Donald M. Pattillo. A History in the Making: 80 Turbulent Years in the American General Aviation Industry. p. 16.
  2. "Spirit of St. Louis". Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  3. Joe Christy. The illustrated handbook of aviation and aerospace facts. p. 123.
  4. Diamandis, Peter H. "Our Story: The X Prize Heritage." The X-Prize Foundation, 2004. Retrieved: April 26, 2008.
  5. Stan Finger (28 January 1985). "Many a Wichita aircraft firm crashed during the depression". The Witchita Eagle.
  6. "D'Annunzio on Air Board; American Aeronautical Concern Forms Three Subsidiaries". The New York Times. 20 December 1928.
  7. Skyways. January 1999. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. Jack Cox (September 1993). "Sun and Fun Grand Champion Davis D-1W". Sport Aviation.
  9. http://www.curtisswright.com/history.asp
  10. "INSTITUTION OF AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERS".
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