weight. Worried that he would need permission to fly without them, he asked the opinion of Bill MacCracken, Asst. Secretary of Commerce for Aeronautics who came to his hangar. MacCracken’s reply: “Well, you probably won’t encounter much night traffic up there where you are going,” — and the rule was waived. Lindbergh was deluged with
interviews and appointments, but for the next few days he could be found pacing in the hangar and attending to details as mechanics made adjustments and fretted over each ounce of oil or gasoline. He writes of the two Whirlwind engine experts, Ed Mulligan and Kenneth Boedecker; “Mulligan has the cowlings off and is working efficiently and quietly on my airplane. Boedecker pulls off his coat and starts working too. I’m going to take out the six dry batteries, to save weight; the instrument board lights are too bright anyway and I can carry an extra flashlight in my pocket.” At Lindbergh’s request, Lederer was there too. Although the plane checked out, Lederer later revealed that he privately had little hope the Spirit could make the flight. Pulled from the Curtiss field to the Roosevelt runway, the Lone Eagle took off on May 20th. Lindbergh’s flight across the Atlantic Ocean to Paris, France, is well documented, in his own words, in fictional film, documentaries, and by many aviation historians (and now me!). Upon landing at Le Bourget field in Paris, Lindbergh and the Spirit were surrounded by thousands who rushed the field, endangering both plane and pilot. Lindbergh claims that his first words as he put his feet on the ground were, “Are they any mechanics here?” This would not have surprised his friend, Jerry Lederer. Among the hundreds of honors
and awards earned by Jerome Fox Lederer, perhaps the accolade he would appreciate most is the lasting
The original Mechanics Creed was written by Jerome Lederer and distributed by the Flight Safety Foundation, which he founded and directed following WWII. Although this short oath is well known, few know its origin. Lederer’s name did not appear as the author then nor under the current title, “Aviation Maintenance Creed.” Author’s collection.
gratitude and respect of the pilots and mechanics who have benefited from his passion for safety in aviation and space. “Many people,” concludes Bushnell, “in many generations worldwide, are alive today thanks to the creativity and continuous efforts of Jerry Lederer.”
For more about Jerome Lederer see, “The Flight Safety Digest” issue August/ September 2002:
https://flightsafety.org/ fsd/fsd_aug-sept02.pdf
Giacinta Bradley Koontz
is an aviation historian, magazine columnist and author who has received the
DAR History Medal and honorable mention from the New York Book Festival. She has appeared on the History Channel and in PBS documentaries. For more information, visit
www.GiaBKoontz.com.
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