Our mission is to honor the past, inspire the present, and innovate for the future by maintaining
the New Spirit of St. Louis as a symbol of
exploration and resilience and sharing its story with the world to inspire a new generation through educational programs and public outreach.
THE HISTORY OF LANCAIR COLUMBIA 300, N142LC, SERIAL #40003
- Built in 1998, N142LC was the third aircraft built in Lancair's initial production test and type certification program and the first officially designated as a Columbia 300. (The first two, serial #s 40001 and 40002, were destroyed during the testing program.)
- The aircraft logged more than 900 hours as the Columbia 300 flying prototype.
- In December 2001, the aircraft returned to the factory to be retrofitted with an auxiliary fuel tank and a custom Lancair 400 wing designed to carry the additional fuel needed for Erik Lindbergh's planned flight across the Atlantic.
- First flight of this unique hybrid occurred on March 24, 2002, with Lancair's production test pilot, Ed Frye, at the controls. After the two-hour flight, he remarked that it "handled Like a stock Columbia” and the Teledyne Continental Motors Platinum version IO-550N engine "ran extremely smooth."
- After a few additional test flights, Erik Lindbergh, Charles' grandson, completed his transatlantic flight from New York to Paris on May 2, 2002, the 75th anniversary of Charles Lindbergh's historic Trans-Atlantic flight.
- The flight took 17 hours and 7 minutes, roughly half the time as Erik's Grandfather's original 33-1/2-hour flight.
- Soon afterwards, the Lancair Company removed the large ferry fuel tank and refitted the aircraft with a complete, factory production interior.
- Over the next three years, the aircraft made flights around the country promoting the Lindbergh Foundation, the Ansari X-Prize, and the Arthritis Foundation.
- In January 2008, Lancair donated the aircraft to the Saint Louis Science Center and it was quickly secreted away into a private aircraft storage hangar. Although there were various plans for flying and displaying the aircraft, none came to fruition.
- The aircraft remained out of sight, gathering dust in the back corner of a hangar for the next 14 years.
- In July 2021, the Science Center decided it was time to pass the aircraft on to a new owner who would use it to promote aerospace education, and ownership transferred to AeroCareers, NFP on May 17, 2022.
- Over the next 21 months, AeroCareers completed an extensive aircraft restoration fraught with many challenges, assisted by Big River Aviation, LLC.
- After more than 16-years on the ground, the New Spirit of St. Louis spread its wings again and lifted smoothly into the air on February 1st, 2024.
- After first flight, the aircraft underwent upgrades to its avionics suite by Elite Avionics that included installation of
ADS-B capabilities while maintaining its original historic appearance.
- Throughout 2024, the aircraft appeared at several local aviation exhibitions and thrilled many youth during EAA Young Eagle flights
On February 1, 2024,
the New Spirit of St. Louis returned to the air!
It is now being operated by AeroCareers, NFP in support of aerospace education.Look for it at air shows, fly-ins and Young Eagle events.
