Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome will fly its Ryan NYP replica 1,250 miles from New York’s Hudson Valley to Lakeland, Florida, where it will spend the winter before flying at SUN ’n FUN 2027 for the Lindbergh centennial.
One of the most accurate reproductions of the Spirit of St. Louis ever built is about to make the longest trip of its life. Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome plans to fly its Ryan NYP replica from the museum’s grass field in Red Hook, New York, to Lakeland, Florida. Departure is set for Wednesday, November 11, at 9 a.m., weather permitting.
The trip covers about 1,250 miles with several fuel stops over three to four days. Two modern chase airplanes will escort the Spirit, carrying a video crew, a mechanic and spares.
“This is an extraordinary opportunity to do outreach with the Spirit,” said Aerodrome President David Trost. “Lindbergh flew non-stop to Paris, 3,600 miles in 33 and a half hours. We’re planning a 1,250-mile trip with several stops over 3–4 days.”
Weather and pilot fatigue will set the pace. Like the original, the replica has no forward visibility, and the museum notes there are no panes in the side windows.
Why Fly It?
The museum chose to fly the airplane rather than truck it. The Spirit does not come apart easily, and moving old airplanes by road often damages them. Flying it is also the more fitting tribute.
After it arrives, the Spirit will be displayed at the Florida Air Museum on the SUN ’n FUN campus through the winter. At the 53rd SUN ’n FUN Aerospace Expo, April 6–11, 2027, it is expected to appear on static display and in flight, including planned evening flights near sunset over Paradise City. The show’s 2027 theme, “A World to SEA at 53,” marks the 100th anniversary of Lindbergh’s solo nonstop flight from Roosevelt Field, Long Island, to Le Bourget, Paris, on May 20–21, 1927.
“The Spirit of St. Louis represents a defining moment in aviation history,” said Gene Conrad, SUN ’n FUN’s CEO. “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.”
A Builder’s Replica
The airplane is a homebuilder’s story as much as a museum piece. Aerodrome founder Cole Palen found a Wright J-5 Whirlwind radial in the 1970s and began the project, but it stalled, and Palen died in 1993. His friend Ken Cassens, the Aerodrome’s master mechanic and a former Best Homebuilt winner at Oshkosh with his Starduster II, took it up again in 1996.
No factory drawings existed, because Ryan Airlines built the original on its San Diego shop floor in about 60 days. Cassens worked from the airplane itself. The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum gave him close access to the original for measurements, drawings and photographs, and it donated period instruments matching those in Lindbergh’s panel.
Cassens made the first flight on December 5, 2015, and the replica made its public debut on May 21, 2016, the 89th anniversary of Lindbergh’s arrival in Paris. It has since flown in Aerodrome air shows and film work.
The replica follows the original closely, with a 46-foot wing, a nine-cylinder Wright Whirlwind, no brakes and a tailskid that slows it on landing. The main differences are Dacron covering instead of doped cotton and a single 55-gallon fuel tank. Lindbergh left New York with 450 gallons and landed in Paris with about 85 to spare.
Following Along
Old Rhinebeck plans to post video of the trip on its Facebook page and Instagram account, and the museum’s Spirit of St. Louis page has background on the airplane, its history and the flight. SUN ’n FUN will post arrival updates as the airplane nears Lakeland.
