Page 39 - All About History - Issue 28-15

Heroes & Villains
AMELIA EARHART

Amelia meeting President Herbert
Hoover at the White House Allies

George P Putnam
A successful publisher and
publicist, George was one of
the organisers of Amelia’s first
Atlantic flight with Wilmer
Stultz and later promoted
her campaigns. He proposed
to Amelia six times until she
eventually agreed, and they
weremarriedin1931.Shedid
not take his name.
Neta Snook
Neta was the first female
pilot to run her own aviation
business, and was the person
who Amelia approached when
she first decided she wanted
flying lessons. Neta went on
to become the first woman
to enter a ‘men’s’ air race. She
later wrote an autobiography
called I Taught Amelia To Fly.
Eleanor Roosevelt
As her fame grew, Amelia
made friends with many
people in high offices,
including First Lady Eleanor
Roosevelt, and the two shared
a number of interests. After
taking her flying, Eleanor
Amelia cut her hair short applied for a student permit,
after a little girl told her she but never pursued her plans
didn’t look like an aviator
with long hair to learn to fly.
Lindbergh’s flight, 55 pilots in 18 planes attempted she finally succeeded in flying solo nonstop across (1,600 feet) wide. The USCGC Itasca was on station
to fly the Atlantic. Of the 55, eight were successful the Atlantic, becoming the first woman to do so. at Howland, assigned to guide them to the island.
and 14 died. Three out of the five women who In the years that followed, Amelia set many more But those on board the ship soon realised their
had participated were among the dead. The title speed and distance records, but still she was not radio transmissions were not being received;
of ‘first woman to fly the Atlantic’ remained up for satisfied. She wanted to achieve the ultimate in Earhart sent out several calls requesting bearings,
grabs, but getting it would be exceptionally risky. aviation feats: a round-the-world flight. In 1936, she and at 7.42am radioed: “We must be on you, but
Eventually, it was decided that Amelia began planning for what would not be the cannot see you – but gas is running low. Have been
was to simply accompany another first, but the longest round-the-world trip unable to reach you by radio. We are flying at 1,000
male pilot, Wilmer Stultz, on the at 29,000 miles (47,000 kilometres). feet.” Her last known transmission was at 8.43am.
voyage, with the added duty of A A Lockheed Electra 10E was built Within an hour of receiving the last message,
keeping the flight log. Upon lighthouse to her specifications and her the Itasca began a search, and was soon joined by
landing at Burry Port, Wales, navigators chosen: Captain the US Navy. But their efforts were in vain; on 19
on 17 June, she said: “Stultz called Earhart Harry Manning and Fred July, the search was officially called off. It had cost
did all the flying – had to. Lightwaserectedon Noonan. On 27 March 1937, the navy and coast guard a total of $4 million –
I was just baggage, like a Amelia and her crew flew the costliest search mission to that date – but the
sack of potatoes.” Despite Howland Island in the first leg from California technology and techniques were primitive, and
this, Amelia returned to the memory of Amelia to Hawaii. However, during neither the crew nor the plane were ever found.
US a national hero. takeoff from Hawaii, the plane Earhart was declared dead on 5 January 1939.
The press nicknamed her was damaged and the flight
‘Lady Lindy’ and her photograph cancelled. The Electra was shipped
was used to endorse women’s back to the mainland for repair.
clothing. She accepted a position as Two months later, Amelia and Fred
associate editor of Cosmopolitan magazine and attempted the journey again, this time flying
used it to promote public acceptance of aviation, west to east. On 29 June, after stopping in South
particularly female pilots. Her aviation endeavours America, Africa, India and Southeast Asia, they
continued; in August 1928 she became the first arrived in Lae, New Guinea, having completed
woman to fly solo across the North American 22,000 miles of the journey. On 2 July, they set Earhart’s record-breaking achievements and campaigns to
continent and back, and in 1931 she set a world off for the island of Howland, a sliver of land only encourage women’s education and employment make her
not only a hero of aviation, but also of gender equality
altitude record flying at 18,451 feet. On 20 May 1932, 2,000 metres (6,500 feet) long and 500 metres
39