Ryan NYP Maiden Flight Takeoff in Ground Effect at Dutch Flats (April 28, 1927)

Long-distance airfield photograph of the Spirit of St. Louis airborne low in ground effect across Dutch Flats. — Ryan NYP Maiden Flight Takeoff in Ground Effect at Dutch Flats (April 28, 1927) · Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

An archival flight-test photograph capturing the Spirit of St. Louis airborne low over the dirt field of Dutch Flats during its maiden flight evaluations. Captured from a distance, the monoplane flies in ground effect just feet above the terrain with its landing gear clear of the runway, demonstrating immediate aerodynamic lift from Donald Hall's high-lift Clark Y wing profile. The background shows the dry scrub hills of San Diego surrounding the airfield.