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It's morning, May 20th, 1927, on a muddy runway in Long Island, New York.

Aviator Charles Lindbergh stands next to his plane the spirit of St. Louis.

He flashes a smile at the crowd as spectators and reporters who come to watch him begin his latest

feet, Charles has flown countless missions and has almost 2,000 hours of experience in the air.

But today he's about to attempt something no one else has successfully done before,

flying across the Atlantic Ocean.

After waving to the crowd, Charles climbs inside the belly of his plane and takes his seat in the

cockpit. As he checks the controls, Charles braces himself for what he knows will be a challenging

takeoff. His plane is heavy, weighed down by hundreds of gallons of gasoline.

At the far end of the short, muddy runway, there are telephone lines that his bulky plane will

have to clear. But Charles lives for these sorts of adventures, and he's ready to pull off his

most daring mission yet. Charles starts the engine and brings the plane to life.

Then he pulls back on the throttle, causing the spirit of St. Louis to pick up speed,

begin tearing down the runway. But just as the wheels begin to leave the ground,

the heavy plane comes bouncing back down.

Charles tries again, pulling back on the yoke. On his second attempt, the vessel lifts

off into the air, but he hasn't yet cleared the telephone wires.

Charles grits his teeth, forcing his plane into a steep climb.

As Charles urges his plane upward, the fuselage begins to shake.

...