Washington, D.C.: On solid ground

Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, one of the most treasured aircraft at the National Air and Space Museum, has been lowered to the floor for its first conservation treatment in 22 years. For decades, the single-engine aircraft has been suspended from the ceiling and seen from afar, but now visitors can get an up-close look at the historic plane and be able to better imagine what it must have been like to fly. For the next eight months, the aircraft will be in full view for the museum’s millions of visitors as conservators repair cracks in the fabric of its skin and search for other damage.

Details: airandspace.si.edu/

Associated Press

This story was originally published January 30, 2015 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Washington, D.C.: On solid ground."