Spirit of St. Louis Replica in OKC Preparing for Historic Flight

Robert Ragozzino's dream to replicate Charles Lindbergh's historic transatlantic flight has taken more than a decade to reach this point, with a nearly completed aircraft preparing for a test flight this spring.

He plans to fly the aircraft from New York to Paris next year, landing in time for the Paris Air Show. It would be the first solo nonstop flight of this aircraft since Lindbergh's famous flight in 1927.

Ragozzino rolled into Oklahoma City last month, towing the Spirit of St. Louis 2 on a flatbed trailer to its newest home at Wiley Post Airport. With help from Associated Aero, a structural repair and airframe modification shop with a hangar at the airport, Ragozzino will put the final touches on the Spirit 2.

"Now we're back in Oklahoma City, and we're using Associated Aero, which is an FAA-certified repair station. We're in the final process of prepping for flight tests," Ragozzino said.

He took over the project in 2007 and moved the work from Colorado to his hometown of Norman. Because of funding constraints, the project eventually moved to California, where the bulk of construction happened.

The aircraft that now resides at Wiley Post is a stunning replica of Lindbergh's custom-built plane, its silvery fabric skin accented by the sharp architecture designed by Ryan Airlines nearly a century ago.

Historic flights

Ragozzino has made history before. In 2000, he became the first person to fly solo around the world in an open-cockpit biplane, beating the speed record logged by a two-person team 76 years earlier.

He was later inducted into the Oklahoma Aviation and Space Hall of Fame.

That flight taught him about the kind of risks he's taking now. But unlike his earlier flight, he won't make any stops between New York and Europe. There won't be many places he can stop.

"That gives me a unique perspective on how to ensure a safe flight, yet it also gives me a unique perspective on the possibility of being lost at sea," he said.

The way he described that possibility was very matter-of-fact. It slipped with ease into a description of the few modern amenities Ragozzino will install, which includes a satellite communications system to transmit high-resolution video.

"It's been one of our goals from the beginning, but the equipment has become light and compact enough to hide it within the airplane," he said. "This also allows the footage to all be captured in case the airplane and pilot are lost. The story of the struggle of the Spirit will be captured regardless of the fate of the aircraft."

Flight test

The first flight of the Spirit 2 is scheduled for March. Ragozzino still isn't sure where his plane will first take to the air. It could be at Edwards Air Force Base in California or even from an Oklahoma airport.

After the test flight to certify the aircraft as airworthy, it will take another 12 months of preparation and planning before Ragozzino sets off for Paris. He's timing the flight to coincide with the Paris Air Show, the world's largest air show and aerospace industry exhibition.

While other replicas have flown, his would be the only one capable of making the trip, which took Lindbergh 33 hours.

"The Spirit is the re-creation of the world's greatest and challenging aviation event. This story never ends," Ragozzino said.

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