“The girl in brown who walks alone,” conqueror of the pesky chicken Domineecrips, and heroine of the skies, this young lady grew up to become one of the world’s most famous and influential persons through her ground-breaking achievements, including one that resulted in her death on July 2, 1937, twenty-two days shy of her 41st birthday. With an always-adventurous attitude, this woman grew from being the outcast of her high school peers, to the spotlight of the press. By daring to be different, this woman set the stage for several women to follow their dreams and also dare to be different. It is no doubt that Amelia Earhart is a name that will forever be etched into history. The biography by Shannon Garst, Amelia Earhart: Heroine of the Skies records the life of this American idol.
Born on July 24, 1897, in Atchison, Kansas, Amelia Earhart was different and creative from a very young age. At the age of four, Amelia created a trap to capture a pesky chicken she called Domineecrips. After having planted a garden with her sister, Muriel, Amelia was outraged to find Domineecrips and other neighbor chickens scratching at their seeds. Amelia devised a plan to capture Domineecrips. By attaching a string to a crate lid that could be moved up and down and placing a treasure of bread crumbs inside the create, Amelia was ready to capture the pesky chicken. Intrigued, Domineecrips walked right into the crate. Amelia, hiding behind a bush, closed the lid and thus the havoc-reeking chicken was captured! Amelia’s precious garden would be saved--or so she thought. Exhilarated, Amelia told her mother of her success, only to have her mother tell her that it is not nice to take things that do not belong to her. Knowing her mother was right, Amelia released Domineecrips.
This adventurous creativity would later flourish in Amelia as she would become ever intrigued by aviation. Having visited an air meet with her father, Amelia begged him to ask a young officer how long it takes to learn to fly, and for how much lessons cost. The price was outrageous, but that did not stop Amelia from pursuing her dream of flying. She had an urge she could not settle--she had to fly! With the money she earned from her two jobs, Amelia paid for her first flying lesson with Neta Snook, one of the first women to fly. She was surprised, however, that learning to fly does not start in the sky at all--it starts with learning about the plane itself. After weeks of aeronautic explanations, Amelia was ready to fly. However, she would not be doing the flying. She was to observe Neta Snook’s manipulations of the controls as she controlled the plane from the rear cockpit. With her next lesson, Amelia was able to control the plane herself. Eventually, the glorious day that she could fly solo had arrived. Upon landing, someone told her that she flew entirely wrong; that she was supposed to be ground shy until her tanks were nearly empty. After having become a full-fledged flyer, Amelia’s mother helped her buy her first plane. Amelia and her sister, who she called Pidge, spent summer vacation fixing up her plane to prepare it for excellent flying condition. It was at this time that Amelia broke her first record for women, soaring fourteen-thousand feet in an open cockpit.
Upon enrolling at Harvard University, Amelia joined a local chapter of the National Aeronautical Association as vice-president. At the time, she did not have any idea that this doing so would change her life forever. Being called out of class, Amelia received a call from Captain H. H. Railey as invite to meet at his office. Upon arrival, Railey explained to Amelia that if she were to pass inspections, she very well may be chosen to fly the Atlantic, a ground-breaking revolution of aviation history. After leaving for New York to be “looked over,” Amelia passed all the tests and was chosen to go along this magnificent adventure. On June 5, 1928, The Friendship and its crew soared into the sky toward the east. Of the crew was Amelia, mechanic Lou Gordon, pilot Bill Stultz, and Amelia’s to-become husband, George Putnam. On June 18, 1928, after a thirteen-day journey, The Friendship finally landed at Burry Port, Wales. The record was broken, and lives were changed forever, specifically Amelia’s, being that she was the first woman to fly the Atlantic. The two weeks following were full of activity. Amelia was bombarded by letters and telegraphs, rushed from one tea or dinner to the next, invited several times to speak, and even had the honor of dancing with the Prince of Wales. A month after beginning the journey, Amelia returned to New York Harbor to find to her surprise a large mass of humanity anxiously awaiting to see the world-famous woman. Amidst all of the excitement, Amelia wrote her first book, 20 Hrs. 40 Min. (the amount of time it took to complete the flight).
Amelia’s passion for adventure never faded. Flying the Atlantic was a mere prelude to what would become her greatest completed accomplishment. Amelia was determined to fly the Atlantic alone. Her husband and long-time friend, George Putnam, who always admired her passion for adventure, was now reluctant of her dangerous pursuit. However, once his wife’s mind was set, there was nothing that could stop her from pursuing her ambition. On May 20, 1932, Amelia began her solo mission. After encountering hazardous weather conditions, Amelia’s record-breaking flight was cut short due to a leaking reserve tank. She landed in a pasture in Londonderry, Ireland and thus her trip was over in fourteen hours and fifty-six minutes, breaking the transatlantic record. Again, Amelia was ambushed by the press, honors, and invitations. Still, the adventurous spirit that was concealed in her did not fade; she sought more.
Amelia Earhart’s next and final adventure had been simmering in the back of her mind for a long time. “Round-the-world flight” had a nice ring to her. Not long after acquiring a new plane from Purdue University as part-time teacher, the press was beginning to ask Amelia when she was going to fly around the world. She had been preparing for the flight in secret for some time. However, she did not give any hint to her plans. Only after after continuous questioning, and a well amount of time to plan, Amelia finally announced to newspaper reporters her plan to fly around the world. The flight began March 17, 1937, as Amelia, Captain Harry Manning, Paul Mantz, and Fred Noonan flew from Oakland to Honolulu. The next day, as her crew began their takeoff to Howland Island, a horrific accident occurred. As the plane sped down the runway, it tipped to the side and swept across the field until it came to a stop partly on its nose and partly on its side. None of the crew injured, but repairs took three months, as new equipment was added and the plane strengthened. During this time, Amelia decided to fly from east to west rather than west to east, as weather conditions in that direction were more favorable. On June 1st, 1937, Amelia and Fred Noonan began their second attempt at flying around the world. The entire trip was a success. Amelia was setting her great record ever. However, on July 2, 1937, disaster struck. As the Amelia’s flying laboratory flew from Howland Island among the Pacific route, unexplainable occurrences took place. Communications with the plane were difficult, and the crew of the Itasca struggled to understand Amelia’s voice over the radio. Finally, after receiving a troubling report from Amelia, a crewman reported that the plane had plunged into the sea just as she chocked out the last words in her report. Immediately, Secretary of the Navy Swanson ordered a search for Amelia and Fred Noonan. For weeks, ships cruised under the broiling sun and carrier-based planes skimmed over 100,000 square miles of ocean in search for the two, but never found a trace of the plane nor the pilots.
Behind her, Amelia left a legacy of inspiration and creativity. She motivated her and future generations of women to dare to be different and to follow their dreams. She promoted aviation and risked her life to do so. Her life will forever stand as a monument to glorious achievement.
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