Lindbergh repeats epic solo flight

Erik Lindbergh arrives at Le Bourget airport, Paris

PARIS, France -- Erik Lindbergh has touched down in Paris 75 years after his grandfather made the historic first solo non-stop flight from New York to the French capital.

The younger Lindbergh made the trip in about 17 hours, landing at Le Bourget airport outside Paris at about 11.30 a.m. (0930 GMT) on Thursday.

Erik's journey in his single engine glass and carbon composite Lancair Columbia 300 -- dubbed the New Spirit of St. Louis -- took about half the time his grandfather Charles took.

Erik's $289,000 plane has an average cruise speed of 184 mph, compared with the 108 mph of the original Spirit of St. Louis, built for $10,580.

Charles Lindbergh's famous May 20-21, 1927 voyage took 33-and-a-half hours.

While Erik was able to use modern technology to guide him to the French shore -- a Global Positioning System navigation device -- Charles had to "hold a compass ... guessing at the wind."

Erik Lindbergh with a poster of his grandfather, Charles Lindbergh

This week's flight was planned to raise awareness of rheumatoid arthritis, which disabled 37-year-old Erik Lindbergh for 15 years before drug treatment helped to restore his mobility.

It is also hoped to promote the X Prize Foundation, a St. Louis-based non-profit group that is offering $10 million to the first private group that can build and launch a manned spacecraft into space, before repeating the feat within two weeks.

Erik had taken off from Republic Airport in Farmingdale, New York, at 12.15 p.m. (1615 GMT) on Wednesday.