Mona Kerby & Eileen McKeating

by Amelia Earhart: Courage in the Sky

  Telegrams, messages, gifts, and invitations arrived from all over the world. U.S. president Calvin Coolidge praised Amelia’s courage. The British government asked Amelia to speak. The Prince of Wales asked her to dance. Back home, 32 cities asked her to visit.

  Newspapers called her “Lady Lindy.” She looked like Charles Lindbergh, they reported. Just like him, with her quiet, modest, and sincere way, Amelia captured the hearts of the people. She tried to explain that she hadn’t done anything special. She praised the skills of Bill Stulz, the pilot. She had just gone along for the ride, she added.

  Amelia felt she didn’t deserve this attention. She made a decision. “The next time I fly anywhere,” she said, “I shall do it alone.”

  Amelia stayed ten days in England and sailed home. In a New York City parade, people lined the streets, throwing confetti and cheering for Amelia. From the very beginning, G.P. Putnam managed everything. Amelia was grateful for his help. The Friendship crew visited New York, Chicago, and Medford, Massachusetts, Amelia’s hometown at the time. After that, Amelia stayed at G.P.’s mansion and wrote her first book, 20 Hours and 40 Minutes.

  As soon as she finished, Amelia was off again. She decided to fly across the country, making stops along the way. Since there weren’t many airports, Amelia landed along highways, and in fields. Once in Pecos, Texas, she landed right in the middle of Main Street. When she returned to New York, Amelia learned that she had set a record. She became the first woman to make a solo (by herself) round-trip flight across the United States.

  G.P. set up speaking engagements for Amelia all over the country. She flew alone, speaking in the morning and flying to the next town in the afternoon. Rather than wear her leather jacket and helmet, Amelia dressed in skirts and hats. By looking like a “lady,” Amelia wanted to show that flying wasn’t just for men. Someday, she said, “Women will be free to live their lives as men are free.”

  Amelia made those words come true for herself. In the next few years, she continued to achieve. In August, 1929, she finished third in the first Women’s Air Derby, a race from California to Ohio. She and 98 women pilots formed a club called “The Ninety-Nines.” As an editor for the magazine Cosmopolitan, Amelia wrote articles on topics such as safety in flying, letting a daughter fly, and pilot training. On July 6, 1930, Amelia set a speed record by flying 181 m.p.h. She even flew an autogiro, one of the first helicopters, across the country. And Amelia wrote her second book, The Fun of It.

  Still, these achievements were simple compared to what she did on February 7, 1931. On that day, 33-year-old Amelia did something that truly scared her. She married.

  G.P. Putnam proposed 6 times. The last time, both of them were standing beside her plane. He asked; she patted his arm, nodded, and then crawled in her plane and took off.

  On her wedding day, Amelia wore an old brown suit. She gave G.P. a letter, asking him to “let me go in a year if we find no happiness together.” Amelia insisted on keeping her last name. They didn’t take a honeymoon.

  Without a word, G.P. accepted Amelia’s strange behavior. This must have been hard, because he was not a quiet, easygoing man. Twelve years older than Amelia, G.P. had already been married two times. He was attractive, talkative, and bossy. As one of the owners of a worldwide publishing company, G.P. was used to getting his way. He had money and power.

  But he was not famous. Perhaps this is one reason G.P. was attracted to Amelia. She was known all over the world. Amelia’s fame made life exciting for G.P.

  Sometimes G.P. made people mad. Reporters never liked to interview Amelia when he was around because he did the talking. And it seemed as if G.P. was always cooking up business deals to make some money from Amelia’s name. Amelia Earhart luggage and Amelia Earhart sports clothes became popular items.

  Amelia never did ask G.P. to “let her go.” She travelled constantly and wasn’t home much. She even took a job at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. She helped girls in finding jobs, or careers. It’s not enough to be someone’s wife, she told them.

  While their marriage might have seemed odd for the times, it worked for G.P. and Amelia. He gave Amelia freedom. What’s more, whenever she wanted to do something, G.P. helped her all the way.

  At breakfast one morning in the spring of 1932, Amelia happened to say that she would like to fly the Atlantic Ocean solo. By noon, G.P. had made the arrangements. Amelia met with experts in flying and weather forecasting. G.P. took care of publicity and raising money.

  Within a month, everything was ready. Amelia left from an airport in New Jersey, heading north for Newfoundland. Just as she did for her first trip across the Atlantic, Amelia chose the shortest route over the ocean.

  She left Newfoundland on May 20 at 7:12 in the evening, exactly 5 years after Lindbergh made his famous flight. She carried two cans of tomato juice, a comb, a toothbrush, and a 20-dollar bill. At 11:00 P.M., she hit a storm. The next 10 hours were tough.

  She could not see anything out of the cockpit. She had to trust the plane’s instruments. Then the altimeter broke, which measured how high the plane flew. A reserve tank of gas began to leak. Sparks of flame burst from an exhaust pipe. The entire plane shook. Ice formed on the wings and Amelia spun the plane. She almost hit the ocean.

  But she made it. The next morning, she landed safely in Ireland.

  In June, after Amelia was home, the National Geographic Society honored Amelia. They introduced her as the first woman to fly over the Atlantic, the first woman to fly it alone, and the first person in the world to cross it twice. She received the Society’s special Gold Medal. President Herbert Hoover, Supreme Court justices, senators, and congressmen were there. They all clapped for Amelia.

  With her usual modesty, Amelia replied, “My flight has added nothing to aviation. However, I hope that the flight has meant something to women in aviation.”

  People all over the world admired Amelia’s courage. By now, she was rich and could have easily retired. Instead, she continued to test herself in the air.

  In January, 1935, Amelia announced she would fly from Hawaii to California, some 2,400 miles across the Pacific Ocean. Ten men had died while attempting the crossing. So far, only one man had successfully completed the flight. Newspaper headlines announced that Amelia’s proposed flight was a publicity stunt. Amelia paid no attention.

  She was in the air for more than 15 hours, but this time the flight was easy. The weather was good. Her plane had the latest equipment. One invention was a two-way radio telephone. Thousands of people tuned in to hear Amelia talk with G.P., who was still in Hawaii. While Amelia flew, she listened to the music of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. She sipped hot chocolate under a starry sky.

  When she arrived the next day in Oakland, California, nearly 10,000 people greeted her. President Franklin D. Roosevelt sent her a letter. “You’ve scored again,” he wrote.

  No one had any idea what Amelia was planning to do next.

  7

  “Because I Want To”

  Reporters crowded around Amelia. Why do you want to fly around the world, they shouted at her.

  Amelia grinned, then chuckled. She was 38 years old. The reporters wrote that Amelia looked like a young girl with her freckled nose, short hair, and slim build.

  “Because I want to,” she said simply.

  In 1936, planes were becoming common. Already there were passenger planes seating 10 people and flying from coast to coast. Planes were even beginning to carry mail. Planes had crossed the oceans, explored the North and South Poles, and flown around the top of the world. But no one had ever dared to make the longest and most dangerous trip of all—a trip around the middle of the earth at the equator—25,000 miles of deserts, jungles, and ocean.

  Amelia stood before the news reporters. “I think I have just one more long flight in my system,” she said.

  The first step was getting the plane. Amelia used the money she earned from her speeches. G.P. made a deal to sell 25,000 envelopes
which read, Round * the * World * Flight * Amelia Earhart. Purdue University gave $40,000 toward the purchase of Amelia’s plane.

  The Lockheed Electra was the finest plane in the world. With a metal body, it could fly as fast as 210 m.p.h. and travel nonstop for 4,500 miles. In the cockpit, there were 100 dials and levers hooked up to the latest inventions. With a flip of a switch, the autopilot flew the plane. Just like a homing pigeon, the radio direction finder identified a radio “homing” signal and could fly the plane to that very spot. Also, there was a two-way telephone system. People called the Electra a “flying laboratory” because there were so many new inventions for Amelia to try.

  It took more than a year to get ready. On the morning of March 17, 1937, Amelia left California and headed for Hawaii. Three crew members went with her. Paul Mantz served as copilot. Captain Harry Manning worked the radio. Fred Noonan navigated, plotting their course on large maps and keeping them from getting lost. They arrived in Hawaii in 15 hours and 43 minutes. Amelia and her crew had set a new record.

  On March 20, the heavily loaded Electra prepared for takeoff. As it picked up speed and rose from the runway, the right wing dropped. Sparks flew; the Electra dropped on its belly and crashed. Luckily, no one was hurt, but the plane was badly damaged. It would have to be repaired.

  “Will you give up your flight now?” reporters asked. “Of course not,” Amelia replied. “I shall certainly try again.”

  And she did. The preparations started all over again—more money, more gasoline and supplies sent to countries where they expected to land, more test flying, more Amelia Earhart envelopes to sell. Amelia studied world maps and weather charts. This time, she would fly east rather than west. This time, there would be only one other crew member—Fred Noonan.

  Fred was considered to be one of the best navigators in the business. This was important because the plane’s homing device worked only within a few hundred miles of a radio beam. It was also important because Amelia was not a good navigator.

  To keep the plane on course, Fred studied the stars; he recorded the speed of the plane; he watched the time. Over land, he looked for landmarks. Over the ocean, however, there was nothing. Their lives depended on Fred’s navigation. Fred had lost one job because he was an alcoholic. He promised Amelia he would not drink. She believed him.

  In 1937, the Morse code was the best way of sending messages over long distances. Sent over the radio, each letter had its own signal, or beeping sound. Neither Fred nor Amelia knew the Morse code. Instead, Amelia used one of the new voice phones which did not always work. Amelia wasn’t worried. She also removed a 250-foot radio antenna. This would have increased her chances of being heard. But she needed the space, she explained.

  They left California on May 19, 1937. G.P. and a mechanic flew with them. This time they headed east and arrived in Miami on May 23. For a few days, Amelia worked on the plane and rested. G.P. asked Amelia to make the trip alone. He always wanted her flights to get lots of attention. Amelia said no.

  And for the second time, early on the morning of June 1, 1937, Amelia took off for her round-the-world trip. She never saw her husband again.

  For 32 days, every major newspaper in the world headlined Amelia’s flight. Aviatrix Lands in Puerto Rico Safely. Amelia Hops 750 Miles to Venezuela. Amelia Makes Atlantic Hop to African Coast. Earhart Crosses Sahara Desert. Amelia on Nonstop Hop to Calcutta. Amelia at Java: To Overhaul Plane. Sometimes, Amelia wrote the articles herself. A few times, Amelia and G.P. were able to talk by telephone. Their conversations were heard over the radio and later printed in the papers.

  In the days before TV, Amelia’s description of different lands and people enchanted the world. She described a bumpy camel ride. She wrote that the Red Sea was really blue. And Amelia reported that pilots in Pakistan were not allowed to wear false teeth because during rough rides they might choke on their teeth.

  Amelia and Fred left Lae, New Guinea, on July 3. Two more stops and they would be home.

  They faced the most difficult flight of their entire lives. They would have to spend 18 hours in the air, crossing 2,500 miles of ocean. Because the plane was so heavy, Amelia did not carry any extra fuel. Their target was tiny Howland Island—one mile long, a half-mile wide and a mere 20 feet above sea level. Fred could not make even one tiny mistake in his navigation. If he did, they would never find the island.

  For hours, they flew without any radio contact. They were too far away to be heard. The ship U.S.S. Itasca waited off the coast near Howland Island, ready to receive and send radio signals. As Amelia neared the island, she could have used her radio direction finder and flown straight to the airstrip. But she didn’t turn it on. She never knew that the ship was sending her the homing beam.

  At 2:45 in the morning, the Itasca heard Amelia say, “Cloudy and overcast.” They called Amelia. She didn’t answer.

  At 6:45, Amelia pleaded, “Please take a bearing on us.” She wanted them to find her plane and tell her which direction to fly. She whistled into the microphone, but the sound was too weak for the men to figure out where she was.

  The Itasca called Amelia on the radio at 7:18, 7:19, 7:25, 7:26, and 7:30. She never answered.

  At 7:42, Amelia’s voice was high and scared. “We must be on you,” she said, “but cannot see you. But gas is running low. Been unable to reach you by radio.”

  The Itasca repeated the Morse code sound for the letter A, dot, dash, or di dah, di dah, di dah.

  Even though Amelia could not send a message in Morse code, she did know the code for the first letter in her name. She called out, “We are receiving your signals.”

  At 8:45, the Itasca heard Amelia again. She explained that they were flying back and forth, from north to south. “We are running north and south,” she said. That was the end. No one ever heard from Amelia Earhart again.

  For two weeks, the United States Navy searched for Amelia and Fred. Planes and ships crossed over 250,000 square miles of ocean and islands. The Electra was never found.

  The disappearance of Amelia Earhart shocked the world. People could not believe she was dead. Rumors spread. She was on a spy mission for the U.S. government. She was captured by the Japanese. She changed her name and became a housewife in New Jersey.

  More than likely, Amelia drowned, but no one really knows what happened. It’s still a mystery—and perhaps that’s one reason the story of Amelia Earhart lives on. People remember her accomplishments, her courage, her personal example of a woman’s greatness.

  Years earlier, before another flight, Amelia had written G.P.: “Please know that 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.”

  ABOUT THIS BOOK

  When I was in high school, one of my boyfriends took me for my first plane ride. We did spins and loops. Like birds, we soared in the air. I knew what Amelia meant when she said she flew for “the fun of it.” As I wrote this book, I wanted you to feel the thrill of flying while you sat safely on the ground.

  The week before I finished the last chapter, my father-in-law sent me an article from the Abilene (Texas) Reporter-News about Amelia Earhart. In September 1989, 52 years after she disappeared, a group of people searched the islands surrounding Howland, hoping to find Amelia’s plane. They didn’t find anything.

  More than likely, the mystery will never be solved. Even so, the mystery of her death is not as important as her life. As a little girl, Amelia loved to read adventure stories. Boys were the heroes. Just once, she wished for an adventure story about a girl. Amelia Earhart wrote that adventure story with her own life.

  —M.K.

 

 

 
ends