Spirit of St. Louis Replica Flying to Florida

Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome will fly its replica Ryan NYP (New York-Paris) aircraft from its base in upstate New York to the Sun ‘n Fun campus in Lakeland, Florida starting Wednesday to begin the process of commemorating the centenary of Charles Lindbergh’s groundbreaking transatlantic flight in 1927. Unlike the original, which hangs in the Smithsonian, the faithful copy, complete with its 99-year-old Wright Whirlwind engine, will not be trying to set any records. “Lindbergh flew non-stop to Paris, 3600 miles in 33 and a half hours, Old Rhinebeck President David Trost said. “We’re planning a 1250-mile trip with several stops over 3-4 days.” And there will be no long stretches of solitude for the pilot. Two chase planes carrying a video crew, mechanic and spare parts will never be far away.

When it gets to Lakeland, the plane will go in the SNF museum where it will be on public display until next April when the annual show begins the U.S. air show season. The replica will have a full schedule of flying during the show, which will have a Lindbergh theme. “The Spirit of St. Louis represents a defining moment in aviation history,” said SNF CEO Gene Conrad. Having the opportunity to welcome a flying replica here ahead of SUN ’n FUN 2027 gives our community, aviation enthusiasts and future generations a chance to connect with that legacy in a meaningful way.”

The replica was built using original plans and specs and first flew in 2015. It’s a faithful copy down to the panel with a panel that duplicates the small cluster of instruments Lindbergh used to make the historic crossing. In addition to participating in events at its base, the plane has been to air shows and appeared in movies.

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