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Charles Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an aviator and military officer who became famous after his historic Transatlantic flight from New York to Paris in 1927. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Lindbergh used his fame to promote the development of both commercial aviation and Air Mail services in the United States and the Americas. In his later years, Lindbergh also became a prolific prize-winning author, international explorer, inventor, and environmentalist.

Bertha Knight Landes (October 19, 1868 – November 29, 1943), who also appears in the film, was the first female mayor of a major American city, serving as mayor of Seattle, Washington from 1926 to 1928. Landes also became the first woman to serve as Moderator of Washington's Conference of Congregational and Christian Churches and was elected national president of the Soroptimists, a professional women's organization. She wrote many articles for national publications, often urging women to enter politics, their "natural sphere."

Following his historic solo Atlantic flight from New York to Paris in May 1927, Charles Lindbergh embarked on a three-month tour of the United States to encourage aviation-related research. Financed by the Daniel Guggenheim Fund for the Promotion of Aeronautics, Lindbergh began his tour at Mitchel Field, Long Island, New York on July 20, 1927, and concluded the trip at Mitchel Field on October 23,1927. The tour consumed over 260 hours of flying time, and covered roughly 22,000 miles. Over the course of eighty-two stops, Lindbergh gave 147 speeches, rode 1,290 miles in parades, and was seen in person by over 30 million Americans -- a quarter of the nation's then population.