Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Come Fly With Me

This July 2nd marks the 77th anniversary of one of the biggest unsolved mysteries of all time: the disappearance of Amelia Earhart, a pilot attempting to make history as the first woman to fly around the world. But while we remain primarily fascinated with her today due to the unanswered questions surrounding her disappearance, it's worth noting that she was considered a heroic figure long before her final flight.




Amelia Earhart spent her childhood sledding, climbing trees, and hunting rats with a .22 rifle. She also, from an early age, admired women who defied the conventions of the time, even putting together a scrapbook of newspaper clippings about women who had succeeded in male-dominated fields like film directing, law, management, and engineering.

At age 23, she took her first piloting lesson, and she purchased her very own, second-hand plane a scant six months later with money she's saved from her job as a social worker in Boston. She promptly used her new ride to set her first record: the first woman to fly to an altitude of 14,000 feet.

Earhart would set many other records, such as becoming the first woman (and the second person, ever, after Charles Lindbergh) to fly solo across the Atlantic ocean. Her dangerous, and daring, accomplishment resulted in President Herbert Hoover awarding her a gold medal from the National Geographic Society, while Congress made history by giving Earhart the Distinguished Flying Cross -- the first time the Cross had ever been awarded to a woman. Later, in 1935, she became the first person (of either gender) to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean, from Honolulu to California.




On the cusp of her 40th birthday, Earhart decided to try for one final record: to become the first woman to fly around the world. When she set off with navigator Fred Noonan on June 1, 1937, it was actually her second attempt to make the trip; the first, earlier that spring, had failed when her plane had undergone severe damage.

It was a highly dangerous trip to make in 1937. Still, by July, Earhart had only 7,000 miles remaining to complete the trip and set her record. But the next leg of the journey -- a 2,500-mile stretch from New Guinea to Howland Island -- was by far the hardest to navigate. Howland Island is only a mile and a half long and a half-mile wide, and frequently changing weather conditions add to the difficulty. Though the weather reports promised ideal conditions, the sky quickly turned cloudy, and navigator Noonan apparently lost his bearings. Earhart radioed for assistance from a U.S. Coast Guard cutter, stationed just offshore of the island, but her radio signal was breaking up. Earhart, Noonan, and the plane all ultimately disappeared.

A rescue attempt was launched. The U.S. government spent $4 million to search 250,000 square miles of ocean (the most extensive air and sea search in the history of the navy). Ultimately, no clue was found as to precisely what became of her, her navigator, or her plane.

To this day, no one can say with certainty what happened to Amelia Earhart. (Though theories abound ... and abound and abound.) While freshly-examined evidence points to the possibility that Earhart may have made it to a small island and survived for days or even weeks, the results are still inconclusive. (See our links below for more information.)

What is certain, however, is the Amelia Earhart will always be remembered for her courage, skill, intelligence, and decided love of adventure.




"Please know I am quite aware of the hazards. I want to do it because I want to do it. Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others."



Find Out More 

-- The Official Website of Amelia Earhart

Includes quotes, photos, and a timeline of Earhart's life.

-- Will We Ever ... Discover What Happened to Amelia Earhart? - from BBC.com

A look at the compelling, if not conclusive, evidence surrounding the mystery of Earhart's disappearance. Includes discussion on the artifacts that may point to Earhart surviving for weeks on a deserted island.

-- Amelia Earhart Reenactment Flight

Named after the legendary pilot (though she's of no relation), the 31-year-old Amelia Rose Earhart is attempting this summer to complete her namesake's goal of flying around the world. Track her progress here.



From the Catalog:

-- The Fun of It: Random Records of My Own Flying and of Women in Aviation by Amelia Earhart

-- 20 hrs, 40 min -- Our Flight in the Friendship: The American Girl, First Across the Atlantic by Air, Tells Her Story by Amelia Earhart

-- Amelia Earhart: The Mystery Solved by Elgen M. Long and Marie K. Long

-- Amelia Earhart: The Thrill of It by Susan Wels

-- Where's Amelia Earhart? [DVD] - a National Geographic special

-- Amelia [DVD] - a 2009 film starring Hilary Swank in the title role





-- Post by Ms. B

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