In New York, the Longines Lindbergh Award will be presented for the first time today. Awarded are adventurers and pioneers who share the vision of Charles Lindbergh.
Charles Lindbergh's solo Trans-Atlantic flight from New York to Paris in 1927 is one of the most courageous and daring ventures in aviation. Over 90 years later, a passionate aviation team wants to repeat this outstanding achievement in a true-to-life replica of the Spirit of St. Louis.
On behalf of Longines (agency: WWP Creative, CD: Martin Grüner) tausend Rosen and director Harald Staudach have documented preparations for it. In several video clips, Robert Ragozzino, Pilot & Head of Aircraft Construction, as well as Spiros Bouas, Co-Founder & Adviser, talk about their motives and the background of their project Spirit of St. Louis # 2:
Robert Ragozzino: "The Lindbergh story is probably one of the biggest, courageous, bold and daring flights ever in aviation. To stay awake for 33 hours plus the 2 days before during preparation, it's almost impossible."
Spiros Bouas: "Reenacting Lindbergh's epic flight across the Atlantic in a replica plane was tremendously exciting for me. When I met the other people among the project and their enthusiasm and skill, it was contagious and I just had to do it."
What are the challenges and skills needed to build a plane from another century?
Robert Ragozzino: "In 1927, Lindbergh created a very simple airplane. It is essentially built by men whose grandfathers built stage coaches. We´ve had a real challenge in finding guys with those incredible, antique skill sets. To handcraft the Spirit of St. Louis # 2 - it just seems to be a lost art."
Spiros Bouas: "This is an exercise where you take small pieces and you put them together correctly and then you complete the whole correctly. It's very similar, I assume, to how you build a fine watch, where you´ve had this craftsmanship over a long period of time. This is not something you can copy."
Robert Ragozzino: "The most challenging part of building the Spirit is the whole thing. It is a flying work of art. You have to get back to the very basics, just the grass roots of flying."
Soon after his historic Trans-Atlantic solo flight Charles Lindbergh joined Longines to develop the iconic Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch - a milestone in watch making and navigation history.
Spiros Bouas:"Just imagine to climb into this small, crambed, uncomfortable, cold cockpit and fly across the ocean with no navigation equipment and just your skill and a compass. It's crazy. It must have inspired Lindbergh to come up with his great idea for his amazing watch Longines built."
Robert Ragozzino: "It is well known that Lindbergh and Longines had a close working relationship on developing this beautiful watch at that time."
Spiros Bouas: "When we were evaluating partners to join us in this adventure, we wanted a partner who was significant and historically important. What more of a natural partner could we have, than Charles Lindbergh´s personal choice?"
Juan-Carlos Capelli, Vice President & Head of International Marketing, Longines: "The historical Charles Lindbergh's first solo flight across the Atlantic in 1927 was timed by Longines. After this flight, Charles Lindbergh drew a sketch and sent it to Longines to create a new watch, which allows calculating the hour angle. We are really proud to be associated with the Spirit of St. Louis # 2, which will for the first time feature the watch designed by Charles Lindbergh and produced by Longines."
Juan-Carlos Capelli announces the creation of a Lindbergh Award by Longines, which will reward upcoming explorers who share Charles Lindbergh´s vision. The award will be presented for the first time in New York on May 21, 2018.
https://www.spiritofstlouis2.com/