A Pioneering Spirit

RETELLING GREAT MOMENTS in history doesn’t come easily – even for the most experienced writers. But this month’s Bonus Read recounts the challenges faced during aviator Charles Lindbergh’s solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean in May 1927. During the 33 hours and 30 minutes it took him to fly from New York to Paris, the 25-year-old Lindbergh faced extreme cold, poor visibility and fatigue – but not once lost his drive to succeed. In ‘Flight Over the Atlantic’ (page 102) writer Dan Hampton vividly portrays both how wonderful Lindbergh’s achievement was for aviation, but also the huge excitement and buzz it gave him personally. It’s what lies at the heart of all pioneering feats.

On the other end of the adventure scale, getting lost while on holiday is something most of us have experienced. ‘Where On Earth Am I?’ (page 52) takes getting lost to an entirely new level. This is the story of Noel Santillan, who travelled to Iceland, hired a car, then programmed its GPS to navigate him to his hotel 40 minutes away. He ended up 362 kilometres off course and in the middle of nowhere. But it’s also where his holiday started to get interesting. Thanks to the confused GPS, Santillan literally became a national obsession. This is one holiday experience he nor the people of Iceland are likely to forget.

Have you ever found yourself a long way from home only to discover something wonderfully unexpected? Share your story for our My Story pages. Turn to page 6 to contribute.

Happy reading!