Give the History Channel credit for one of the more unusual ideas in recent TV annals: The network will restage the most famous plane flight in history with the grandson of the most famous aviator at the controls.

Erik Lindbergh, 36-year-old grandson of Charles Lindbergh, will fly solo across the Atlantic in mid-May, and his trip will be part of a two-hour special that will air May 20, on the 75th anniversary of the flight from Long Island, N.Y., to Le Bourget Field in Paris.

Erik Lindbergh’s flight is expected to originate from Republic Airport in Farmingdale, N.Y.

Lindbergh “came to us and we started talking about a year and a half ago,” said Abbe Raven, History Channel executive vice president and general manager.

“This has been a dream of his to replicate the flight and he started talking to folks about supporting him. We immediately said, this is an incredible mission.”

Although not, perhaps, as incredible as the one 75 years ago.

Erik Lindbergh tailed by camera crew in another plane (and his cockpit will be equipped with “lipstick” cameras) will fly a Lancair Columbia 300, which Forbes magazine (in a review) described as “the Lexus of the air.”

Nevertheless, the aircraft has been dubbed the New Spirit of Saint Louis.