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THE ANNIVERSARY
We are just nine months away from an anniversary that must have seemed as spectacular to people a century ago as the 1969 moon landing—which many of us witnessed live—did to us:
The first non-stop flight from New York to Paris.
No stopovers. No chance to refuel. A single crossing of the Atlantic—"in one go."
When Charles Lindbergh landed in Paris on May 20–21, 1927, in his *Spirit of St. Louis*, it was far more than an outstanding feat of aviation. This flight became a phenomenal symbol of technological progress and transformed society’s attitude toward flying, aircraft, and travel.
Suddenly, a world without boundaries seemed possible.
An ocean that had previously served as a formidable natural barrier between continents could now be conquered by a human being in a powered aircraft. Europe and America were suddenly brought much closer together.
The Hannover-Laatzen Aviation Museum (Günter Leonhardt Collection) plans to highlight this epoch-making moment—and the events leading up to it—in 2027 with a dedicated THEME YEAR. We aim to bring the aviation history of the "Roaring Twenties" to life, giving space to the spirit that captivated people back then—and that today often makes us revel nostalgically in stories, films, and digital animations. Our motto:
RACE ACROSS THE ATLANTIC
Charles Lindbergh was by no means the first person to dream of crossing the Atlantic by plane. Our story begins back in 1919 with a $25,000 prize. The Orteig Prize
1919 – The Offer
Raymond Orteig, a successful New York hotelier, puts up a prize of $25,000 (equivalent to around $450,000 today) for the first non-stop flight between New York and Paris (or Paris and New York). At the time, the required distance of approximately 5,800 km was virtually beyond the capabilities of the aircraft then in existence.
1919–1924: "The prize is there, but no one goes for it"
This is, in fact, the interesting part. Although Alcock and Whitten Brown crossed the Atlantic non-stop in 1919, the New York–Paris route was on a completely different scale. By the time the initial deadline expired in 1924, no concrete attempt at the Orteig Prize had materialized.
1924/25 – The tide turns
Orteig extends the offer for another five years. By this time, aircraft technology has advanced to the point where the route no longer seems like a pipe dream. This marks the start of the actual race.
1925 – First concrete projects
Now, individuals seriously tackling the challenge begin to emerge. François Coli is a figure of particular interest; he had been planning a transatlantic flight since 1923 and, from 1925 onwards, took a concrete interest in the Orteig Prize alongside Paul Tarascon. However, the project did not progress further until 1926.
March 1926 – René Fonck
The former fighter ace (credited with 75 kills in World War I) publicly announces his New York–Paris flight. He plans to compete using the large Sikorsky S-35. With this announcement, the idea finally transforms into a concrete project.
We will pause our look back at events from a century ago at this point. However, the first attempt to carry out the record-breaking flight takes place later that same month. Our report on this will be available here on September 21, 2026!
