Amelia's Real Last Landing

The Lockheed hit the sand, water and surf more smoothly than she had hoped. Almost a perfect landing if tearing off the wheels on initial impact and spinning around several times because a wing got caught in the sand can be called perfect. But perfect it was until the spinning stopped and somehow the door flew open and water started rushing in all before she saw the boulder in front of her and slammed into it with more speed than she thought she had maintained. Later she would remember feeling certain, seconds before the impact, that they had come to a complete stop. Clearly they had not.
In the middle of it all she thought, “So this is what a crash feels like,” and then decided to never under any circumstances call this a crash because she was about to walk away from it and that is called in any pilot’s book a good landing.
She would not walk away from this unbelievably successful landing, though, before calling out to him, “Wake up. Get out.”
No sound. Nothing. She climbed toward the back of the fuselage over the fuel tanks and pipes to unbuckle him and try to pull him toward the door. The fuselage was filling with water. 

from: http://butthisisdifferent.com

And Then Silence

This headline appeared seventy-five years ago today in the Post Standard of Syracuse, New York.  To the world she is missing and silent.
But not in But This Is Different http://butthisisdifferent.com

No More Days Left To Go

Seventy-five years ago today Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Electra took off from Lae, New Guinea, headed to Howland Island two thousand five hundred fifty six miles east northeast across the South Pacific Ocean.  The airplane was loaded with 1,100 gallons of gasoline -- enough for at least 27 hours of flying time.  They were never seen again except in But This Is Different http://butthisisdifferent.com.

The photograph is one of a few capturing the Lockheed Electra as it pulls away for its last take off.

Amelia Is Still On The Ground

On this date seventy-five years ago Amelia is still on the ground in Lae, New Guiena.  Amelia is anxious to get going and in But This Is Different http://butthisisdifferent.com Fred is drinking.  In her own words: “July 1st. ‘Denmark’s a prison,’ and Lae, attractive and unusual as it is, appears to two flyers just as confining, as the Electra is poised for our longest hop, the 2,556 miles to Howland Island in mid-Pacific. The monoplane is weighted with gasoline and oil to capacity. However, a wind blowing the wrong way and threatening clouds conspired to keep her on the ground today. In addition, Fred Noonan has been unable, because of radio difficulties, to set his chronometers. Any lack of knowledge of their fastness and slowness would defeat the accuracy of celestial navigation. Howland is such a small spot in the Pacific that every aid to locating it must be available. Fred and I have worked very hard in the last two days repacking the plane and eliminating everything unessential. We have even discarded as much personal property as we can decently get along without and henceforth propose to travel lighter than ever before. All Fred has is a small tin case which he picked up in Africa. I noted it still rattles, so it cannot be packed very full. Despite our restlessness and disappointment in not getting off this morning, we still retained enough enthusiasm to do some tame exploring of the near-by country.” —Amelia Earhart

The photograph taken July 1, 1937, of Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan appeared in the Wichita Eagle with the caption Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan are delayed another day at Lae, Territory of New Guniea.