Many of the Oral Histories from our collection focus on T.C. Ryan and his companies, who was incredibly important in early aviation in San Diego.  He founded the first scheduled airline in the area, founded the company that built the Spirit of St. Louis for Lindbergh, and was CEO of Ryan Aeronautical, a company that built some of the most innovative aircraft in America.   In this interview, T.C. Ryan talks about the "Joy of Flying" and some first-hand account of the early days of Ryan Airlines.   And here is another insightful interview with Ryan.

T.C. Ryan in the 1960s. 

Ryan was considered one of the "Giants of Aviation" and in this Oral history, he is joined by 3 other legends of the industry: Alan Lockheed, Donald Douglas, and John Northrop.   And here Ryan and Donald Douglas have a one-on-one conversation (recording hard to hear).

T.C. Ryan (3rd from right) enjoying his time with other industry leaders, including Reuben Fleet and Jack Northrop.

T.C. Ryan started building aircraft in San Diego in the 1920s, and gained a reputation for producing reliable models such as the Ryan M-1.  This reputation attracted a young man named Charles Lindbergh who was determined to fly across the Atlantic Ocean solo.  Although T.C. Ryan had sold the company to B. Franklin Mahoney by the time Lindbergh came to town, many of Ryan's former employees would build his famous Spirit of St. Louis.  We have several oral histories telling the story of Lindbergh in San Diego and how the Spirit was built.  In this oral history, the technical advisor for the Spirit of St. Louis, discusses how it was designed and built in such a short time. 

Some of the builders of the Spirit, including Ed Morrow, help Lindbergh put the wing on the fuselage for the first time.

Other builders of the Spirit tell their stories in this interview, and here, Donald Hall, the designer of the Spirit, discusses his involvement.  A women's perspective on Charles Lindbergh and the Spirit is presented in this interview with Mrs. Borthwick.

Mrs. Borthwick and Charles Lindbergh.

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