Aviation History Month: Amelia Earhart's First Transatlantic Flight

Previously published in Examiner

November is aviation history month and what better to celebrate women's issues than to read about the most famous woman aviator in history.

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Amelia Earhart

The disappearance of Amelia Earhart in 1937 remains one of the biggest mysteries of all time.

Life and times of Amelia Earhart

Even though Amelia Earhart had come across hard times and sold her planes, she still remained interested in flying. She joined the American Aeronautical Society's Boston chapter and would soon become the Vice President of the Chapter. She was able to fly once again from Denison Airport and in return she helped finance its operations with a small investment. Amelia became the spokesperson for Kinner Airplanes placing ads everywhere. She was getting some publicity locally and was also promoting women aviators at the same time

Amelia Earhart's 1928 transatlantic flight

Charles Linghburgh made the flight in 1927. This spiked the interest of a woman pilot by the name of Amy . Phipps Guest who wanted to be the first woman to make the transatlantic solo flight. After giving it some thought, she felt the trip was too dangerous for her and she began to scout around for another woman who could do the job .

Capt. Hilton H. Railey, gave Amelia a call asking her if she would like to be that woman to make the first trip across the Atlantic.

Amelia would fly as a passenger who would also keep the flight log. The pilots would be male. T he promoters decided on Wilmer Shultz as the pilot and Louis Gordon as the copilot and mechanic. Amelia did not pilot the plane because she had no experience with this type of plane. The crew began their flight at Trepassey Harbour, Newfoundland, Canada in the Fokker Trimotor airplane and landed in Bury Port, Wales 20 hours and 40 minutes later. Amelia latter remarked that she was only "baggage" as she did not have the experience to fly the plane.

While in England she flew the plane belonging to Lady Mary Heath, and later purchased the plane and had it transported back home

The crew met with a ticker tape parade greeting on their return home. There was also a reception in their honour at the White House hosted by President Calvin Coolidge.

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelia_Earhart