RFT 400: Erik Lindbergh

From CharlesLindbergh.com:

Erik Lindbergh, a commercial pilot and certified flight instructor, is the grandson of Charles and Anne Lindbergh and son of Jon Lindbergh and Barbara Robbins. As 2002 marks the 75th anniversary of his grandfather's Spirit of St. Louis transatlantic flight, Erik Lindbergh will recreate this 1927 milestone, illustrating the human spirit's ability to dream, innovate and achieve one's goals against many odds.

Though he leads an active lifestyle, Erik also suffers from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a progressive autoimmune disease marked by pain, tenderness, and inflammation of the joints, that nearly caused him to give up his passion for aviation when he was diagnosed at the young age of 21. RA crippled Erik for 15 years and only recently has he been active again. During his worst years with RA, Erik was forced to use a cane due to the severe pain that made it almost impossible for him to walk. Today, with the help of a breakthrough biotech drug, Enbrel�, Erik has his life back and is in pursuit of his dreams. Using his experience with RA, he now serves as a spokesperson for the Arthritis Foundation, working to educate others about RA.

A graduate of Emery Aviation College where he received his Aeronautical Science degree, Erik serves as a Trustee and Vice President of the X PRIZE Foundation, a non-profit organization that stimulates the creation of a new generation of launch vehicles designed to carry passengers into space. The X PRIZE is fashioned after the Orteig Prize, the aviation incentive prize won by Charles Lindbergh's transatlantic flight in 1927, which created the now $250 billion aviation industry.

Erik is also a Director of the Lindbergh Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering his grandparents belief in creating a balance between technological advancement and environmental preservation. The Foundation promotes gives grants, does educational programs and gives the Lindbergh award each year for work dedicated to "Balance" concept.

Erik is also the Executive Chairman of Verdegoaero.com.

Aside from aviation, Erik is an artist and owner of Lindbergh Woodworks, which creates unique furniture and wood sculptures. He is known for his sculptures of rustic planets, spacecraft and aircraft within the community of astronomy and aviation.