TIGHAR
Amelia Earhart Search Forum => General discussion => Topic started by: Don Dollinger on November 23, 2010, 08:03:03 AM
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Very interested in everything AE and FN. Have looked at all the theories and believe that the one that makes the most sense is TIGHARs. Have been lurking for quite sometime and think I may be able to add to some of these forums.
A little about myself, I am retired from the USAF and currently work for the State of Nebraska as a IT Analyst. While I was in the Air Force I spent most of my years overseas England, Korea, Panama (with many temporary duty assignments to places like Japan, Phillipines, Diego Garcia, Suriname, Japan, etc). I know a little about uninhabited tropical islands especially after my assignment to Panama. There are many uninhabited islands right off the coast of varying sizes as well as quite a few inhabitated only by Kunan Indians and we would often boat to these (off both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Panama). We would arrive with nothing more then a tent, water, first aid kit, diving gear, fishing gear, and foodstuffs and spend a few days diving and fishing. Obviously I have never been to Niko but I do believe that one tropical island would have much in common with another and am very cognizant of what would it takes to survive on one of these isles as well as some of the hazards that prevail.
LTM
Don Dollinger
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Hi Don!
Glad you've joined us. I to am a lurker but have managed to make a few posts of which some I hope are useful.
I have no back ground in aviation and until coming across TIGHAR and their work knew next to nothing about AE and her round the world flight.
I’ve always been interested in mysteries such as the sinking of the Titanic and the great explorers of the 19th and early 20th century. It was during the expedition to discover the fate of the Everest explorers Mallory and Irvine (similar in its scientific analysis and research) that something in the back of my mind remembered a tale of an American Lady flier who had disappeared in the Pacific and may have been found. Google did the rest and now I’m hooked.
I live in the north of England and work in a high school looking after the buildings and computers. My profile picture shows me posing during a field hockey game of which I am an umpire in the North West of England.
I also have a small link to the whole mystery as I was born and grew up in the Town of Bideford and Devon where the Norwich City was last registered.
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So I don't know how you all work but most places I visit like that there is a introduction thread. I didn't see one so I started this one, I hope that is OK. I am here because of Fox News, well the piece they did on your Finger, Bone fragments. I then find out there was a 2 hour piece on Discovery (that I missed :(). I am from New York, Long Island and have been a big fan of (mostly Sea Borne) mystery's. The biggest one I have actually done some work on was the Cyclops. Nothing ever really amounting to anything, just private research. I am stunned at the work you have done here and the plausibility of your hypothesis. It is astounding to think they were right there this entire time (if true).
I have also spent some time as a Living Historian (Re-enacter to the rest of the world). Most of my work her was with the Airborne in WWII. I have always been a sucker for a good mystery. Land, Sea or air borne mystery. Besides the Cyclops I have often wondered about "Flight 19" and if anyone here had any history or interest in that subject.
I'll be the first to admit I have a bunch of reading here and learning to catch up on. But if there is anything this Computer Tech can offer in the way of Research, exploring or anything let me know. Great work so far, now I am off to get a coffee, cigar and do some reading.
Thank you for the work on all of this.
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Yes it would be nice to have a "memebr introduce yourself thread" Maybe Marty could anchor one somewhere prominant?
There was one here, right at the foot of the forum
https://tighar.org/smf/index.php/topic,222.0.html
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Yes it would be nice to have a "member introduce yourself thread" Maybe Marty could anchor one somewhere prominent?
I've renamed this topic and made it "sticky," FWIW.
If that works, great; if not, we can try something else.
Folks who have never introduced themselves or who wish to re-introduce themselves may, of course, feel free to do so in this new thread.
I'm a Jesuit priest teaching Introduction to Religious Studies ("Lose Your Faith 101") and topics in systematic theology at a small Jesuit college in Buffalo, NY. I've been involved with TIGHAR for about ten years or so. I have the privilege of serving on the Earhart Project Advisory Committee (http://tighar.org/wiki/EPAC). With (Sgt., retired) Roger Kelley, I went to Suva, Fiji, in 2003 to look for Amelia's bones. (http://tighar.org/wiki/Bones_II) I serve as root administrator on the website under the direction of Pat Thrasher, Webmistress and Fac Totum of TIGHAR.
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Wow, first post and I already got a Pin. It is nice to meet you, well virtually! I've been doing computer work for 20 years now and amateur research on projects for 3 or 4. Some of that work was on WWII events. One that I was part of should be coming to the History Channel soon. It was on the Brecourt Manor Assault made famous in Band of Brothers. You can find their website here: http://brecourtmanor.net/.
I look forward to seeing this project develop and hopefully conclude here in the near future.
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Well as i've had some input on this i'll repeat myself (sorry)
I have no back ground in aviation and until coming across TIGHAR and their work knew next to nothing about AE and her round the world flight.
I’ve always been interested in mysteries such as the sinking of the Titanic and the great explorers of the 19th and early 20th century. It was during the expedition to discover the fate of the Everest explorers Mallory and Irvine (similar in its scientific analysis and research) that something in the back of my mind remembered a tale of an American Lady flier who had disappeared in the Pacific and may have been found. Google did the rest and now I’m hooked.
I live in the north of England and work in a high school looking after the buildings and computers. My profile picture shows me posing during a field hockey game of which I am an umpire in the North West of England.
I also have a small link to the whole mystery as I was born and grew up in the Town of Bideford and Devon where the Norwich City was last registered.
If you feel comfortable then introduce yourself. Just remember that this is an open foram so anything you write can be seen by anyone online so only disclose what you are comfortable to do so.
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Another new forum member checking in. :)
My name is Phil O'Keefe. I am an audio engineer and music industry journalist. I am the associate editor at www.harmony-central.com and serve as a site admin and forum moderator over there too. I live and work in southern California; primarily from my own studio - www.ssrstudio.com
I'm also a bit of a amateur history and aviation buff. I decided to register over here due to some questions and thoughts I have regarding the search for Amelia on Gardner / Nikumaroro.
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Well, I've been here quite a while, but I guess I'll introduce myself:
I'm Ashley. I live in Arizona, and I'm currently a part-time college student working on majoring in either Education (Secondary Education American History Teacher) or Anthropology (Forensic). I've been fascinated with Amelia for quite some time; she's an inspiring woman. :) I honestly don't remember how I first heard about TIGHAR, but upon reading the Niku hypothesis, it seems very reasonable (as I've always believed the crash and sink theory). I'm really impressed of what all of you have turned up so far; as far as evidence goes, it's very convincing.
Should you wish to contact me besides here, my email is baby_june1745@yahoo.com.
Well, that's me! ;D
LTM,
~Ashley
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I've been a Tighar member for about 3 years, but I don't think that I've ever formally introduced myself so here it goes:
For the past 30 years or so I've worked as an engineer in San Diego CA. Initially in aerospace, then wireless telecommunications and most recently in the video broadcast and compression field. I'm a certified Diver and have dove in the tropics and had an opportunity to spend about a month on a dive trip in various islands in Fiji. I've always been an aviation buff, WW2 warbirds were my passion as a child. I think I read about every book about WW2 fighter aces that had ever been written by the time I graduated from middle school. Not surprisingly then that I read about Tighar's early work with the Swamp Ghost and later with the first Earhart announcements. It wasn't until I found the Tighar Website in about 2007 (thanks Marty!) that I had a chance to read more about Tighar and join.
I'm not that knowledgeable about Earhart herself, and I'm mostly intrigued about the disappearance and the fine research that Ric and crew have done. Like a lot of the other people here, I'm intrigued by mysteries and I have read Ric's book, Ballard's book on the Titanic and also the book by those who found Mallory. I believe that Tighar is on the cusp of a major discovery that will be just as epic if not more so than the others. It's an interesting story to follow, particularly so because it hasn't been completely written yet. The real reward however is in the journey rather than in the destination. If the smoking gun is never found, I will still have found this to be one of the most interesting stories that I have followed.
LTM,
Mark Petersen #2850
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It wasn't until I found the Tighar Website in about 2007 (thanks Marty!) that I had a chance to read more about Tighar and join.
I appreciate the kind thoughts, but the thanks are due to TIGHAR members, researchers, and benefactors, who make everything we do possible, and most especially to Pat Thrasher who labored alone on the TIGHAR website for many years laying the foundation of what you see today. It was reading the material that she and Ric had assembled that got me involved--just like you, except that I stumbled across the website a few years earlier. :)
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I'll jump on the bandwagon and introduce myself as well. I'm Friend Weller (yes, that's my real name) and I'm an associate member of TIGHAR and a big fan of exploration utilizing the cutting edge of technology. Whether it be Franklin and the the Northwest Passage, Shackleton and the South Pole, Mallory at Everest or Ballard and the Titanic, mysteries like this fascinate me. I find the Earhart/Noonan mystery especially intriguing. I'm the chief engineer at Utah Public Radio and have had the pleasure of interviewing Ric in an hour-long interview which was heard all across the state of Utah. I also teach a class in radio which covers the impact radio can have. While many find the analysis of the 1938 War of the Worlds broadcast interesting, I find the backstory behind the post-disappearance radio reports even more riveting, especially the account of the log made by Betty Klenck. I enjoyed the recent Discovery Channel show (watched it twice!) and I check the website daily. When I spoke with Ric, I commented that he's "got the smoke from the smoking gun, just not the smoking gun itself" (I think he liked that analogy!). I look forward to the day when we'll have that 'smoking gun' giving closure to one of the great mysteries of the 20th century.
LTM,
Friend, TIGHAR #3086
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It wasn't until I found the Tighar Website in about 2007 (thanks Marty!) that I had a chance to read more about Tighar and join.
I appreciate the kind thoughts, but the thanks are due to TIGHAR members, researchers, and benefactors, who make everything we do possible, and most especially to Pat Thrasher who labored alone on the TIGHAR website for many years laying the foundation of what you see today. It was reading the material that she and Ric had assembled that got me involved--just like you, except that I stumbled across the website a few years earlier. :)
Thanks Marty for putting credit where credit is due. I didn't realize that Pat put together the early website (thanks Pat!). One thing that I've really liked about Tighar is the team work involved. Tighar has amassed an amazing amount of information on the AE/FN disappearance and this could never have happened without the selfless dedication of an impressive group of members under the unpretentious tutelage of folks like Ric and Pat.
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I didn't realize that Pat put together the early website (thanks Pat!). ...
No past tenses for Pat, please!
She is still the Webmistress and adds new material every week or so. ;)
I'm the root administrator on the server and specialize in the wiki (http://tighar.org/wiki/Ameliapedia), the News software (http://tighar.org/news) (not the content), and this selfsame Forum.
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Oh that clears it up. Hmm.. Webmistress, just doesn't sound dignified though :D
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Hi all,
might as well get the first post out of the way ;D
a bit about me; I'm 21 and from Wellington, New Zealand.
studying at Victoria University(BA in Public Policy and Politics)
I've always been fascinated by mysteries/disapearances of people, boats, whatever.
I guess not knowing what happened or knowing very little about any subject has led me to search out the information.
As you know beginning at one point inevitably leads to another etc etc.
The Earhart disappearance has always had my interest, once you have an inquisitive nature, it can become a slight obsession/hobby ;D
anyway I hope to participate in the discussion arena and learn more about what TIGHAR are doing, and indeed any other historical events brought up
Cheers
Nick
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i've already post this but it can't hurt to do it again.
Hi all,
might as well get the first post out of the way Grin(2nd post now :))
a bit about me; I'm 21 and from Wellington, New Zealand.
studying at Victoria University(BA in Public Policy and Politics)
I've always been fascinated by mysteries/disapearances of people, boats, whatever.
I guess not knowing what happened or knowing very little about any subject has led me to search out the information.
As you know beginning at one point inevitably leads to another etc etc.
The Earhart disappearance has always had my interest, once you have an inquisitive nature, it can become a slight obsession/hobby Grin
anyway I hope to participate in the discussion arena and learn more about what TIGHAR are doing, and indeed any other historical events brought up
Cheers
Nick
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Hi folks!
Sheila Shigley, casual devotee of the subject since childhood; linguist by trade. I have a particular interest in the radio transmissions/receptions, both professional and those reported by amateurs, and any clues buried in the language of the reported communications (for example why is the number "3" so prevalent in Betty Klenck's transcription; what/whom could "Marie" refer to, etc.)
Just found this forum - looking forward to more reading!
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what/whom could "Marie" refer to?
Fred Noonan married Mary Bea Martinelli of Oakland, California in 1937.
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A little about myself, I am retired from the USAF and currently work for the State of Nebraska as a IT Analyst. While I was in the Air Force I spent most of my years overseas England, Korea, Panama (with many temporary duty assignments to places like Japan, Phillipines, Diego Garcia, Suriname, Japan, etc). I know a little about uninhabited tropical islands especially after my assignment to Panama. There are many uninhabited islands right off the coast of varying sizes as well as quite a few inhabitated only by the native Kunan Indians and we would often boat to these (off both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Panama). We would arrive with nothing more then a tent, water, first aid kit, diving gear (I am also a certified diver), fishing gear, and foodstuffs and spend a few days diving and fishing. Obviously I have never been to Niko but I do believe that one unihabited tropical island would have much in common with another and am very cognizant of what would it takes to survive on one of these isles as well as some of the hazards that prevail.
LTM Don
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Hello to all, Just joined the site today. Have been a fan of TIGHAR for some time, and am really interested in the progress being made in the search for AE. I am an ex-Coast Guardsman who had the good fortune to be stationed in the Pacific and had the opportunity to go through most of the Pacific Trust Territories ( this was the early 70s). I am a Mixed Gas/ Saturation diver and a certified recompression chamber operator. I am an avid flyer and have managed to earn a commercial pilot's certificate. I live in the great state of Oregon.
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Hello Folks
As there seems not to be an official introduction section, I thought I would do so here.
My name is Antonia, from the UK. I have been interested in AE for many years.
I have a Science background and love wreck diving.
I have read with great interest the information on this site, including the FAQ's.
I wonder if I may ask a question? or two?
Do you know what direction the wind was blowing on the island and its force in the days and weeks
after landing?
Did the Electra have an inflatable life raft, did they take it?
Kind regards
Antonia
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As there seems not to be an official introduction section, I thought I would do so here.
Yes, that is what this thread is for.
I wonder if I may ask a question? or two?
I'll answer here, even though the answers will be buried under "New Member Introduction" as the subject line.
Do you know what direction the wind was blowing on the island and its force in the days and weeks
after landing?
Not with any accuracy. The prevailing winds are "easterlies." But westerly storms are possible and can be quite devastating. TIGHAR has seen very significant changes since it first visited Niku in 1989.
Did the Electra have an inflatable life raft, did they take it?
TIGHAR thinks that the Electra probably did not have a life raft. (http://tighar.org/wiki/Life_raft)
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Thanks for that information Marty.
I shall continue to study all the information on Tighar's pages, Fascinating !
Kind regards
Antonia
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I am retired and living in north San Diego County. I spent over 30 years in local government, principally developing and implementing strategic plans for citywide and regional information systems. Whatever success that I experienced in that process was often largely attributable to working collaboratively with others to achieve a desirable end result. As the proverb says, "in the multitude of counselors there is accomplishment." (Pr.15:22b)
The AE story has always been of interest to me and explanations that I heard were unsatisfying. When recent newsmedia reports lead me to TIGHAR, I have found your work and process to be fascinating. Your conclusions are reasonable and you present sound justifications for reaching them, without overhyping the work to date. It is impressive how you include a multitude of counselors from a multitude of disciplines in this process and work collaboratively to achieve a desirable result.
Best wishes to TIGHAR,
Ron Spang
Vista, CA
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I am an operations research analyst with the Navy at Patuxent River, MD. So I work in naval aviation for a living.
I found out about TIGHAR very recently as a result of reading about their discoveries on yahoo. In one of the articles they mentioned that the leader of the research, Gillespie, had written a book. So I purchased "Finding Amelia" and "Amelia Earhart's Shoes" and that got me hooked.
One of the things I found particularly convincing was reading about the statistical procedures they used to analyze the bones. I have an M.S. in statistics and remember learning about those very techniques, so I knew exactly what they were doing. It was fascinating to see a procedure that I learned in school applied to this particular problem. (The example we learned about in school was to take measurements on a bug and classify which species it was from--not nearly as fascinating as taking measurements of bones and trying to see if they were consistent with AE).
I have always greatly admired AE. I am an instrument-rated private pilot, so I also enjoy reading articles about aircraft accidents and understanding what went wrong. When JFK Jr. crashed, I analyzed that extensively because I used to fly a lot over that area and knew it well. The reason I got an instrument rating was to avoid a situation like Kennedy's. But that's another story.
I agree completely with the navigators who said that the logical thing for AE and FN to do would have been to stay on the line (heading south) that they knew would intersect an island. Why would anybody fly until they crash-landed into water if you know there are islands in the vicinity?
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new member
my humble opinion
ae had a fleeting existence on Niku
seven site unlikely a planned habitation
perhaps ae wandered the island in desperation and died at the seven site with her survival gear (her pocketbook ?)
since ae's "visit" there has been 25 years of habitation (1938-1963) with as many as 100 residents.
campfires garbage and general detritis of living are likely everywhere ...separating ae's wisp from all that is challenging at best
cant help but smile when i think of 25 coast guard boys with nothing to do over here...
and native girls with nothing to do over there...
kept them apart for a year and a half ??
niku 7 concentrating on the plane seems dead on
after 75 years searching for remnants of 7,000 pounds of plane seems like the best bet
stating the obvious ...
if ae was on niku then the electra is near niku
and the information it would yield trumps all !
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Hi all,
I'm new here, joined the forum today. My name is Oskar, I'm 54 years old and I am from Austria. Therefore my English is a little bit limited! Please excuse this!
Since I was a child, I am very interested in history of aviation. I'm not an AE-fan, but I know about here since I am able to think. Some years ago, I was interested more and more in the Earhart-mystery. Read 14 books about her disappearance, including "Finding Amelia" of course! Ric, thank you very much for all the investigation you and your team have done. I am very, very impressed of your working-style, but I confess I'm not quite sure if TIGHAR is right. I cannot believe the Electra was washed off the shore within 7 days, making Lambrecht nothing to see. ("Signs of recent habitation?" That's not very much, if we remember that the "Norwich City" stranded there...)
I hope the lab will tell us you are right. I would be very pleased!
Regards
Oskar Haberlandt
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Greetings from Ohio.
I posted an introduction elsewhere, then find this thread. Just my luck. At any rate, here is what I wrote there as well:
I'm a long time aviation enthusiast, particularly those aircraft of WWII. Thus, the site is one that fits my interests in that regard.
I actually stumbled on the site quite by accident some time back as I was looking for some information for my daughter, who was doing a project on Amelia Earhart. Prior to that time, I was vaguely aware of "alternative theories" to the standard "ran out of fuel, crashed in the ocean." theory. After reviewing the evidence presented on the site I was highly impressed with the efforts to use good scientific and forensic investigative techniques in furthering the research on subject.
I'm a lawyer by profession, with a part-time job as a medic in the Army National Guard. I am not sure I can be particularly insightful or helpful, but if I believe I have anything to add, I will certainly do so.
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I've been reading the forum for some time now, but just joined TIGHAR today. I grew up hearing my mother's stories about AE (she was a child when AE disappeared). I'm an educator, and I have also been doing genealogical research for many years. I am particularly interested in the post-loss radio messages--and especially in finding out if there are more records of credible messages out there.
Cindy Kennedy
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Hi-
My name is Mark, and I am currently living between Hawaii, Dallas and Prague for work. My parents ran a flight
school and FBO when I was growing up, so I was an airport brat. I have always been interesting in the Earhart
story and finding out what really happened.
I saw the write-ups on TIGHAR in the press reports on the most recent expedition....which led me to the site. As
a new member, I am reviewing all of the great work that has been done to date and looking for ways that I may
be able to help the cause.
Mark
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Hello. I'm glad to have just joined. :) I'm a semi-retired college teacher, living in Fort Worth, Texas with a hobby of photography - especially infrared photography. I love to see myth-shrouded mysteries (e.g., siege of the Alamo, Custer's Last Stand, sinking of the Titanic) laid bare through solid historical research.
Signing on for an exciting ride through the Earhart riddle.
Bruce
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Lessee, WESTPAC brownshoe sailor, Naval Flight Officer [P-3 TACCO, EC-24A NAV/EWO] who’s used a Kollsman sextant and aviated down in the spume, golden age aviation historian, flight test engineer, distant relative of Amelia’s, that’s it in a nutshell…
And I love an unfolding, if enduringly persistent, mystery.
(http://i955.photobucket.com/albums/ae39/krowerke/Ames%20and%20Freddy/LockheedL-10ENR16020.jpg)
jim
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I have been a TIGHAR member since 2003 (#2583R). I'm a structural engineer; I live in
Montana Wyoming. I first heard of the Earhart/Noonan disappearance when I was a boy of about 10. It amazed me that these two people and a plane could just disappear without a trace. It was many years later when I learned that people (and things) don't just disappear without a trace. They leave evidence behind. They leave traces. I turned 50 a few months ago; it is my sincere hope to see this mystery conclusively and convincingly solved in my lifetime.
I am in awe of the massive amount of information and data that TIGHAR has pulled together over the years. There are many people involved here. I don't want to praise one at the expense of others, because all are contributors in their own way; Tom King, Marty Moleski, Walt Holm, Randy Jacobsen, Ron Bright, Alan Caldwell, Bob Brandenburg, Andrew McKenna, Hue Miller, the list goes on and on. Having said that, Ric Gillespie is, in my opinion, the most knowledgeable person on the planet on the topic at hand here. I think this mystery will be solved, and it will be done in large part because of Ric's efforts. I really enjoy reading Ric's writing.
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Hello All! I suppose this is where we meet an' greet. My name is Brad and I am a retired heavy industrial mechanic. I specialized in pumps, power transmission (gear trains) and various other mechanical things. While I don't have a Dr. in front of my name, I do have a brain. Well, at least I remember having one.... now if I can just remember where I put it.....
I have been interested in all things aviation since I was a boy, and before the FAA told me I can't be a pilot, I was working toward my private license. After visiting here for over a year, I'm hooked. I hope that maybe I can contribute something sometime....
Gums
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Hello to everyone,
My name is Irv Donald and I live and work near Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. I am 56 years old and am neither a pilot nor scientist nor engineer. I am co owner of a manufacturing company that makes custom ATM's and kiosks. Both the hardware and software. Happily married with wife, three kids and a dog. I am an avid photographer who also submits monthly to our two local community newspapers.
I have been interested in aviation all my life with the highlight being a 90 minute flight in a Lancaster bomber out of Hamilton airport two years ago. I regularly attend local air shows.
I have followed TIGHAR events and forums for the past year and am fascinated by the theories and evidence searches that have transpired over the years. I am extremely impressed with the TIGHAR membership for their dedication and thought provoking theories as well as the processes used to dissect and analyze each nuance of this mystery. I believe the mystery, as we know it, may be solved given enough time and money but, as evidenced by historical press releases, sometimes the path goes cold quickly. I look forward to reading, and contributing in my own way, in the period of time prior to the solution being found, and the analysis afterwards. Thanks for such a great site.
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Very interesting observation: "I look forward to reading, and contributing in my own way, in the period of time prior to the solution being found, and the analysis afterwards. Thanks for such a great site."
A solution will probably be found but the analysis that will follow will not be pretty! There are way too many contrary theories out there to let it go with a mere finding that seems to provide a solution to one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Ted Campbell
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Hi Ted
I do believe strongly that TIGHAR has done an excellent job of fact finding and an equally excellent job of debunking many of the myths surrounding the disappearance of AE and FN. Many newcomers have this excellent website as a research tool whereby they can ponder a detail or question and find a very well thought out and reasonable answer or explanation. I personally think it has to be the TIGHAR version of events. It would be interesting to take this case into a court of law with judge and jury and see if the jury would be convinced with the current evidence. However, as is true with most mysteries when they are finally solved, a host of so called experts, fame seekers, fence sitters and a whole lotta people you never heard of before will try to grab some of the glory. New stories will emerge. More rumors, scuttlebutt and other theories will be heard that suggest how AE and FN struggled to survive. Ric and TIGHAR will be proven right when they find the one piece of evidence that no one can deny. But then the stories will fly. Will the navy of 1937 be given a black eye for their poor search techniques? Will the alternate theorists stand up and admit they were wrong? Or, sadly, will it just be RIc and his TIGHARS who care? How many will say "Amelia who?"
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Hi guys
Just joined the site today. Have been reading the TIGHAR site for some time. This site is really interesting, theres a lot of information. I live in the United Kingdom. I spent many years in retail. This is one of those things that just bugs you, every time you think you've got an answer, you end up with more questions, I've got some theories, hopefully you'll be able to tell me what you think.
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Just noticed this thread so I will jump in.
I have been following Tighar for a couple of years now. Found it simply surfing the net googling Amelia Earhart. Now living the Metro Atlanta area, when I was a boy I flew with my Father in a J-3 Cub out of a grass field in Mississippi. Later, in Atlanta, gaining my license in '71, I then went on to multi-engine and instrument ratings. Flying was a huge part of my life, strictly private and personal business, and it was so much in our blood and a great common denominator with my Father.
I have always been interested in the Amelia Earhart mystery. I never bought Steven Wright's (comedian) explanation that she was alive and well and in a holding pattern over LAX. So when I discovered Tighar's interest and educational website, it was (is) fantastic. I visit it regularly.
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Hello
New member #3215
I was first introduced to TIGHAR due to my interest in White Bird (Nungesser-Coli). I am a retired airline pilot but in my younger days made numerous pond crossings in small twin engine airplanes. We had no HF radios, only VORs and ADF. We'd track a radial off Stornway Scotland for 30 miles or so and then you were on your own until you picked up something on the other end. I can only imagine the anxiety of those early pond fliers. Most of the time, even with our "hitech" navaids we were very apprehensive. AE's mystery also fasinates me having logged thousands of hours in Beech-18s. Though not up to par with the Lockheed L-10, it was "same stuff..slightly smaller package".
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Paul John,
The "Twin Beech", as we used to all it, brought the 'ground loop' to an art form. You sir, were a real pilot if you flew those alot....and survived it.
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Hello,
I notice there are many engineers here, and I am yet another joining the ranks. I am an aerospace engineer specializing in flight simulation and aerodynamics.
I first became interested in this subject about 4 years ago when I coauthored an article giving an overview of the various Earhart disappearance theories at http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/conspiracy/q0299.shtml (http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/conspiracy/q0299.shtml). We made a conscious decision to present each scenario fairly and not bias the reader toward any particular one. I've read several books (Finding Amelia, most recently) and continued visiting the TIGHAR site periodically to see what new information has turned up.
I'll be honest that I've not been convinced by any of the theories and think there isn't enough evidence to prove or refute any of them (although Irene Bolam stretches credulity, IMHO). Nevertheless, a landing on Gardner Island seems like one of the more likely outcomes, and I applaud the thoroughness and dedication of TIGHAR in its investigation. I am also impressed that people here seem open minded as opposed to some others out there who are convinced only their theory is the right one and immediately discount any contradictory facts.
My job leaves me little free time and I likely won't be able to participate often. However, I hope to learn and contribute what I can. I may ask some tough questions, but they aren't intended to attack, only to challenge assumptions and clear up misconceptions.
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Semi retired insurance and financial services guy here. Have lurked on this website for a couple of years.
I have been an aviation buff since I can remember; my dad having flown PBY missions in WWII. Lived at Patuxnet Naval Air Test Center.
My idea of a date with my soon to be wife was a visit to an airport, Wash. Nat. or BWI to watch planes come and go.
Finally at age 38 did what I always wanted and got my private SEL license. Owned a 172-RG for a while.
Anyway, how can an aviation buff not be interested in AE? I have some questions and thoughts after reading just about everything posted on this site.
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HI:
I am new member also... Hope This is a OK way to say Hi to all..
I did not want to post a new member Topic next thing you know we got 377 New Member Topic posted just on one thread..
Thank You greatly Don Dollinger for use of your new member topic ...
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i am new here. i have been to the site atleast once before but didn't notice the forums until two days ago. i have been reading on the site since then. almost non stop. i learned alot of stuff i didnt know before. especially about the wreck of the Norwich City. i found that very interesting. i am a fan of archeology caves and underwater exploration. i did study pychology in college.
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Been lurking for a long time...bought all the books. One of the mysteries i have always followed and studied. Served in the Navy, mostly in Guam but also a few other island areas. None of which was Niku though. I believe in the tighar program, keep chaseing it!
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I'm yet another engineer, and pilot, and ham radio operator. Like most airplane nuts growing up in the 60's I was fascinated by anything that flew, and pursued an aerospace career. I now work as a Test Engineer at General Dynamics, where I try to solve technical mysteries. There's an obvious (to me) connection to AE/FN's disappearance. Understanding HOW they got lost isn't even a mystery, but looking for clues of what they did next, and trying to put the pieces together into a coherant, reasonable story is fascinating.
JohnO
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Greetings, I've been enjoying the forum for a while now. I am an electronics (by degree) and software (by vocation) engineer with around 25 years experience, and a 20 year ham radio operator.
I actually came across all this while planning a ham radio island activation. So now I am fascinated.
I want to do an on the ground radio simulatin and test. I have discussed it with some others in my circle, and they are ready. In fact, we have all the equipment, expertise, and are discussing plans to do something. Such a simulation and test could provide a great analytical benchmark to compare against. We'd just have to find a way to get transportation out there, which seems like a really significant challenge.
:)
Regards,
David KB5YLG
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I'm another engineer, with 25 year in the auto industry, with a focus on computer simulations of vehicle performance. I had a pilots license but gave it up when flying in England's restricted airspace began to seem more like hard work than enjoying the freedom of the skies. I also discovered scuba diving and my budget did not stretch to traveling to the dive spots round the world and flying.
I'm now retired and live in Pensacola FL and my hobbies include developing the physical data for historic race cars and planes in computer simulations, and I discovered TIGHAR when looking for data on planes in the 1934 England to Australia air race.
Richard Cooke
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I have been interested in Tighars work for a while now and have so impressed with all your work that I have decided to take the plunge and join. Ex-military (parachute regiment), degree educated, oil industry, aerospace and now research, until April then, retirement!
I am really fascinated in the search for the truth and by everyones efforts, contributions and input in trying to unravel this mystery. My own personal area of 'expertise' is in the study of physical 'evidence' rather than theoretical. So I will leave all the navigation and flight theories to the professionals. I used to jump out of planes, I don't know how they got us to where we had to go :)
Hopefully when I retire I can then spend some time raising funds for the work ahead, you're nearly there.
Jeff
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I have always been nutty about airplanes, throwing balsa gliders from the porch in 1945 at the age of 3, later
building stick and tissue models, moving on to gas and electric power RCs, got my pilots licence in 1983.
I worked for The Boeing Company for about 10 years, then US Customs for another 35. Retired now and
perfecting laziness.
I have been perusing the TIGHAR website for about 3 years now and enjoy reading the posts to the forums.
TIGHAR's website is the first place I go after I turn on the computer..
While I am somewhat skeptical of TIGHAR's Earhart hypothesis, it is as good as any at this point.(can't be
proven one way or the other)
I decided to quit freeloading and joined up today. Maybe one day I will have something constructive to
contribute.
Randy Reid
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Welcome Randy! While you may feel as though you have "nothing" to contribute- we all have our minds to use in thought and research, and new minds bring new perspectives! Thank you for joining TIGHAR.
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Hi folks - I've been a long time lurker and occasional poster around here and have been sufficiently excited by the ROV stills thread to finally get off my duff and join! I know, I know, it's about time. Suffice it to say I have high hopes that this is going be an exciting year for TIGHAR and the Earhart project, and I'm ecstatic to finally be a part of it.
Born and raised Connecticut Yankee I transplanted to the Western Reserve in the early 90s. My background is in music (doctorate) and I'm currently working as a librarian at a small midwestern liberal arts College near Cleveland.
Anyway, I'm glad to finally come out of the shadows, and with any luck, someday I'll be able to make a meaningful contribution to the dialog.
'til then (dare I say LTM?)
Tim collins
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Aloha everyone -
This is my inaugural post, but I've been reading along avidly for awhile now, especially with regard to the ROV video. Amazing!!
Just wanted to say hi and introduce myself, I live in Oahu and work in Pearl Harbor, actually about 500 yards from the ground-loop site. I've been interested in the AE mystery forever, so moving here last year and getting a job on Ford Island was pretty cool.
I'm not a pilot, or diver (yet), or engineer...just an administrative assistant with insatiable curiosity and faith that one day (dare I say maybe soon?) TIGHAR will find the smoking gun (or Very pistol :))
if anyone knows of any research or something I can track down here in Hawaii, please let me know - I'd love to help!
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Aloha everyone -
This is my inaugural post, but I've been reading along avidly for awhile now, especially with regard to the ROV video. Amazing!!
Just wanted to say hi and introduce myself, I live in Oahu and work in Pearl Harbor, actually about 500 yards from the ground-loop site. I've been interested in the AE mystery forever, so moving here last year and getting a job on Ford Island was pretty cool.
I'm not a pilot, or diver (yet), or engineer...just an administrative assistant with insatiable curiosity and faith that one day (dare I say maybe soon?) TIGHAR will find the smoking gun (or Very pistol :))
if anyone knows of any research or something I can track down here in Hawaii, please let me know - I'd love to help!
Welcome aboard Lisa. 'just an admin assistant', where would we be without admin assistants! Don't undestate your role. Don't worry I'm sure some research will come your way pretty soon given your location and possibly? access to US Navy archives? :)
Jeff
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I guess I might as well introduce myself also. I am a retired pilot, paratrooper and systems analyst. Flew both airplanes and helicopters in the Army and as a civilian until Agent Orange induced lung cancer ended my flying days in 1997. I then worked for another 12 years as a systems analyst until retirement.
My dad was a navigator/radio operator on PB2Y's in WWII and I have been a flying "nut" for as long as I can remember having been born on a Naval Air Station. Dad spent all his time flying in the Pacific during the war. I spent several hundred hours flying over the Gulf of Mexico so I can relate to the problems of flying over open water.
I have spent several months reading the information that TIGHAR has posted but still have a long way to go to finish it all. I really am amazed at all they have done and really appreciate it.
They have convinced me. I became a member of TIGHAR this month.
Many thanks to Ric, Marty and all the others that have spent so much time working on this project.
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Many thanks to Ric, Marty and all the others that have spent so much time working on this project.
You're welcome, Clarence. Thanks for your service to the nation.
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Thanks for the thanks and just call me Woody. That's what my friends do.
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Hi folks,
I'm a relative newcomer to the Earhart legacy & mystery. I got interested in a round-about way while researching another project. That other project is a Japanese animated series called Super Dimension Fortress Macross. It first aired in 1982 in Japan, and then later in 1985 in the US under the title Robotech. The series creators were avid aviation enthusiasts and their passion carried over into the series with character designs and story themes. The one in particular involves a foreign/alien female spy name Milia. She's defeated and marries an earth man. Then becomes a bit of a Tokyo Rose. It's interesting to see the Earhart-as-a-spy theme playing out in a pop-culture series from Japan. Anyway, it was a something from Japan that drew me to Earhart. Since then, I've accumulated a small library of the various books published, read a lot on-line, watched documentaries/movies/etc, and followed TIGHAR's efforts with enough interest to become a member.
Jaeson Koszarsky
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Welcome to the Forum. Good to have you!
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Ron Musco of Windsor, Connecticut. I'm located a couple of miles from the Bradley Air Museum in Windsor Locks and have had an application there to be a guide or work in their massive library. My interests being a railroad historian and WW2 aviation. I belong to the American Aviation Historical Society since the mid 60s and have every issue of After the Battle and many of their hard bound books. I've been looking for a tour that hits military aircraft museums in England, France, and Germany but have had no luck. I'm looking forward to details of the June syposium in Arlington.
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Hey Ron - Welcome aboard! Small world - I grew up in South Windsor and my day worked for Hamilton Standard. Been to the the old Bradley Air Museum (aka now the England Air Museum) several times - are you old enough to remember when it was basicall next to the runways at Bradly Field? When the tornado hit? Anyway Glad to see someone here from my old stomping grounds, it made my day actually. Enjoy your stay.
t
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So how long does it generally take to receive membership materials?
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I worked at Hamilton Standard for 43 years in the Electronics Dept. Engineering Lab. One of the engineering aides, Don Murray, was instrumental in gathering the aircraft when the Museum started alongside Route 75. When they brought in the C-124 Globemaster I told him it was too big to maintain outdoors and he laughed. I spent from 1956 to 1970 at the Trolley Museum in East Windsor laying track and restoring cars as well as operating cars for the public so I know how maintaining something outside in New England goes. However, the 1979 tornado solved the problem of the C-124 as the winds went right up Route 75 and through the outdoor display.
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So how long does it generally take to receive membership materials?
If you have merely registered with the Forum, you won't receive any "membership materials."
If you have paid annual dues for TIGHAR membership, some kind of confirmation should come swiftly.
If the latter is the problem, you may want to contact Pat Thrasher (http://tighar.org/contact.html) directly.
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Thanks Marty -
I'll contact Pat directly.
t
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Wouldn't you know, no sooner did I ask the question that I went home to find the materials in the mailbox! Makes me wonder what other questions I should ask!
Signed, newly minted TIGHAR # 3309,
Tim Collins
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G'day all. My name is Jim and I'm new here. I have always been fascinated by aviation since I can remember, and as a child in school was always getting in trouble for drawing airplanes instead of doing my assignments. I grew up in an aviation/horse family my father was a pilot in WW1, and step father a QB and avid pilot. Later in life I fell in love with a beautiful flight instructor and started taking flying lessons... Imaging that! :) Her name was Heidi. Unfortunately she was the victim of an aircraft accident, practicing aerobatics; it is believed her instructor had a heart attack and locked up the controls, flying both of them into the ground. This didn't stop me from flying, or going on to attending a college where I got a degree as a professional pilot, also earning multi and instrument ratings. I went on from there to work as a ferry pilot racking up 24 single engine flights over Cuba among many other interesting adventures, and owning several aircraft at different times in my life.
Over the years I have learned many interesting skills and acquired some interesting hobbies including: K-9 handling and training, (just missed going to 911 with my dog), hunting, camping, construction work, scuba, cooking, writer/author ("West With the Night", my favorite book), black belt in Tae Kwon Do. I hold a Doctorate in Chiropractic (it's what I love as much as flying), and look forward to my next airplane and more flying adventures. I am a terrible proof reader, and spelling is not a natural activity for me, thank God for spell check, so I ask humbly for your forgiveness in advance, for the many errors in both I will make. Hopefully, it is not a reflection of my ability to think.
I have been interested in bring Amelia home since I knew who she was, and was even more convinced this would happen when Mr. Ballard found the Titanic. I felt it would only be a matter of time until someone would find the famous Electra, and bring Amelia home again too. Having followed the Nikumaroro hypothesis for a while, and learning of the many pieces of circumstantial evidence beginning to mount up, I can only hope the time is near for us to know what really happened to Amelia on her way home.
Have to run right now, but look forward to reading and discussing all things aviation and especially EA, with people of common interest.
Best to all,
Jim
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Dr. Jim---from another that spell--Welcome Aboard!. This is a very exciting time to join the forum, and join TIGHAR. Hopefully yo ucan make it to tht symposium in DC and get the very latest on the search for FINDING AMELIA---and the Electra.
Good to have you with us.
Tom
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Hi all, my name is Paul, from near Chicago, IL. I have a BS in chemistry and just retired from my job of 33+ years as an analytical chemist in a police crime laboratory where I tested drugs....no, I did not smoke any!! I have been following TIGHAR's work for quite some time, have reviewed your theories about AE disappearance, evaluated your evidence from a scientific standpoint, and I am convinced you all are on the right track! And finally I got around to at least joining the forum. I have a great interest in genealogy and have spent many an hour in various archives, libraries, etc. So if you ever are in need of someone with a lot of time on their hands to look through files and stuff, just holler!
Keep up the good work......Paul
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Welcome to the Forum guys
Hope you's enjoy ur time on the Forums, and join in discussions :)
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Long time lurker, year-long member, and newly registered poster introducing himself and making a test post. Happy to join the fray and hopefully add to the thoughtful discourse.
Warm regards,
JB
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Hello everyone!
I've been a lurker on the TIGHAR site for a few years and finally decided to join the community. My name is Trey Huett, I work as a Project Manager for a very large telecommunications company and live in Montgomery, AL. I don't have an aviation background, but, am working toward getting my pilot license by late next year. I have participated in an Archaeological dig while in college (a Creek Indian site near Wetumpka, AL) and have a passion for history in general.
Thanks! :)
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Hello! My name is Leon White and I live in Los Angeles. Many years ago I wrote a paper on AE for school (more like a thesis these days). I interviewed some of the people mentioned in Goerner's book in person. One included a lady who was apparently Amelia's 'secretary.' I recall her looking very much like Amelia, but shorter. After meeting one of them, the rest of the group seemed to have been alerted to me - a bit strange.
I'm not a scientist or archieologist - just a long time Amelia fan and into WWII warbirds and history.
I've surveyed all the forum topics and dived deep into a few, like the video thread.
The effort put forth by TIGHAR is astounding, and the research by forum members unbelievable. My thanks to everyone involved.
I hope I'll be able to help out.
Leon
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My name is John Delsing, however everyone calls me Johnny D. My BIO is short: I live in Anoka Mn., ex paratrooper ( 101st abn ), 30 years at Honeywell Aerospace, and a retired site supervisor with Habitat for Humanity. I have been a proud silent member for a couple years. With so much talent in this group I have not felt the need to speak out. I do now as I have developed ny own AE hypothesis. I realize many will disagree but if I may;
The Delsing Hypothesis
If AE and FN did land at Gardner, they were dead by the time of Lambretch's flight. Neither AE or FN ever visited, let alone 'settled' the 7 site. The 7 site was settled by; A) the Norwich crew, B) the coast guard, C) the settlers, D) some other group, or E) some or all of the above. The 7 site has been a terrible distraction to finding AE, in terms of time, resources, money, and the uncountable false leads that it has generated. Any 'clues' to be found will be very close to her landing spot. thank you, johnny d.
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My name is John Delsing, however everyone calls me Johnny D.
Welcome, Johnny!
I won't talk about your hypothesis here. This is a place for introductions, not long, convoluted threads about competing theories. Browse around the forum. If you don't see an obvious thread to talk about the Seven Site, you may start a new one. (Hint: try using one of the handy search features (http://tighar.org/news/help/82-how-do-i-search-tigharorg) to bone up on Seven Site issues--pun intended, you may laugh now.)
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Hello
New guy here. Retired navy Senior Chief - TMCS(SS). Great site..
Thank you
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Welcome Sr. Chief Kirk-
Thank you for your service---we have an interesting cast of characters here and a very interesting project. Join In!
Tom--Son of a USMC Marine CWO-4 "Gunner", EOD
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Hi Folks - Time to step out of the shadows and introduce myself. My name is Mary Ellen Sutherland - I am a long time lurker who was finally compelled into joining TIGHAR after that Grand Slam Press Conference in March. No technical or aviation background, just an appreciation of the mystery and TIGHAR's efforts to resolve it. I am looking forward to attending Earhart 75 and seeing some of you there - Best, Mary Ellen
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Been lurking for sometime. Had many a thread I wanted to comment on and decided to jump on board.
JC
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Mary and JC!
Go for it, dip your toes in and say what you think, it's not that bad :P
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welcome Mary Ellen and JC---jump right in!
Mary Ellen ---looking forward to meeting you in DC---I feel that Ric is going to have alot of information. Many of the names you see here will be there. Going to be educational!
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Another new face here. Looking forward to exchanging ideas and doing some spirited arm waving.
For the first while I expect I will have way more questions than answers but will contribute as I can.
Tom Bryant
"Isn't it amazing to see the flexibility of the academic mind once presented with an irrefutable proof."
(Taken from my keynote address to the first Alberta Diamond Symposium - AFTER we had to beat the academics with actual diamonds found)
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Tom, Science advances one funeral at a time.
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Although I am not a paid member of Tighar, yet, I did attend the D.C. Conference and I dropped a bundle with my purchases of Tighar products, including the large poster at the auction showing a photo of Amelia Earhart along with drawings of her plane and its dimensions. This poster was to the right immediately after entering the break room. I have been in a retired status for awhile which has been deleterious to me, I'm afraid. I have work experience that includes working in a National Weather Service Forecast Office, a cartographer for the federal government, geological work with an oil company, an accountant primarily with the federal government. Other positions but I've mentioned the significant ones. As far as what motivates me, it's the desire to be productive. I left one of my jobs, in part, because I felt I was not contributing. I've been into Amelia Earhart for several years. I'd like to find her as soon as possible.
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Glad to have you among us Jeffrey! Gosh we have alot of Jeff's here. Glad you made it to the symposium, and for your contributions at the auction.
Feel free to jump right in!!
Tom
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Thank you very much, Tom! Yes, another Jeff.
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Geetings all, my name is Dave Potratz.
I am delighted to become a new member at this poignant time. I must admit I've been fervently following the astonishing Earhart saga via TIGHAR for more than a year-and-a-half now. This was my first feasible opportunity to “pony up” (props to Monty Fowler for the timely nudge. Who’s next?), at least in a modest way.
Marty & Ric encourage members to thoughtfully express themselves, so I'm gonna, with appreciation.
By profession I am an Announcer/Network Operator for Wisconsin Public Radio. I also work sometimes as a Videographer and a Sound Guy.
Though I've not the credentials of the many notable members of this august society, my personal, if tangentially relevant, experiences include 3-weeks ground support with the Astronomy Payload Science Team for Space Shuttle Endeavour STS-67. Also, I had the distinct privilege of producing a video documentary of a University of Wisconsin/NASA suborbital rocket launch with a telescope payload.
Alas, I am not a pilot. However, I am an avid PC Flight Simulator enthusiast. As such, I have “flown” a “virtual” Lockheed Electra, but not the 10E Special variant. Not a bad ship…virtually speaking. Hey, when you can’t fly the real thing, you do what you can. :)
Oh, I am also currently constructing a 1/53 scale model of the Lost Electra...paying special attention to the landing gear.
My enthusiasm for the TIGHAR Niku Hypothesis lies at the nexus of my lifelong interest in Aviation/Spaceflight, History, and a dash of Archaeology, all of which for me embody the best of the human spirit: the pursuit and revelation of the (previously) unknown. I can think of no better example than the TIGHAR Earhart Project. If there is an organization that is now closer to the apex of this noble search, then I am unaware.
I'll add another of my personal interests to the above: the attempt to understand what I accept as the universal maxim of the human need to explore, the will to push back boundaries, discover the “undiscovered country,” sometimes with untoward and tragic end. Again, the endeavor to “find Amelia” satisfies the reverence for, and the hypothetical testing of, that maxim. In the process, as we honor the life (and death) of an unequivocal aviation icon, we satisfy a basic human instinct: to know.
And if I may press this personal muse just a bit further, (and with homage to Robert Browning) I believe that the epic story of the Last Flight of Emilia Earhart is illustrative of Classic Tragedy, i.e., like Icarus, our tragic heroin was ultimately guilty of perhaps the ultimate human frailty: Her reach exceeded her grasp.
The exception is that, unlike Icarus, I do not believe Amelia Earhart & Fred Noonan fell into the sea and drowned.
I humbly supporting the search.
Thanks for the “air-time”.
LTM,
Dave
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David
Welcome to the Forum, great to see you get "active" after a long incubation period. :-)
Enjoy the fray, think your posts through, do some homework, and don't take replies personally and you'll enjoy the Forum.
Andrew
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Welcome Dave from someone else without all those credentials! We too share some interests--space flight, etc. This group of members is diverse, so alot of opinions out there. Join in----its fun!
Tom
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Welcome John forum member 666 :o
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Thankfully an intro thread. I'm "Bill". And, coincidentally, reside around the corner from TIGHAR's offices in DE. and, coincidentally, originated near Oswego, NY - Richard Gillespie's alma mater.
Discovered your group by accident today - your "Devastator Project" while researching Douglas Aircraft. My experience - driving Douglas Skyraider out of Thailand and Laos for USAF/Air America.
Here's a coupla contacts you may already have:
1.) Since 2004 - trying to locate my A-1E. Found Dan Hagedorn, Archives Research Team Leader and Adjunct Curator for the National Aerospace Museum - DC. {HagedornD@si.edu}. He has, on a combination of 16mm and 35mm microfilm, aircraft history cards and status reports of military aircraft in active service between 1911 and 1986.
2.) While visiting Bernie Fisher's MOH A-1E at the National USAF Museum I met Marvin Cross - curator and historian for the Viet Nam section. {mlcross@woh.rr.com}. Lotsa information and a super guy.
Anyway for military/combat aircraft research ............
Amelia and Fred are still alive and living in Blue Ball, PA., converted to the Amish religion and produced 17 children all named "Electra". Now that that mystery is solved, can y'all get back to the Devastator Project? Huh? Please?
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Now that that mystery is solved, can y'all get back to the Devastator Project? Huh? Please?
There may be some progress being made behind the scenes. I heard something at the Symposium which suggested that the project is not entirely dead in the water.
Pun intended. You may laugh now. 8)
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Hello, I am John Hart. Entered the AF during the Walton years so they named me Johnboy. Fought it like hell so it stuck. 31 years and counting in USAF (8 regular and 23 as full-time Reserve). Pilot with mostly F-16 time but also briefly flew the F-4 (~3200 total hours). But now in my 50s I fly a D4D (desk 4 drawer). Expect to retire in 2014 and get to go on adventures such as TIGHAR as I am an avid history buff (majored in Mil History at USAF Academy). I will mostly follow the well developed threads here and would only expect to add when I think I might have something useful. I have flown many hours overwater both at very low altitude and high so I know a little about environmentals although I was going significantly faster than 130 KIAS and using INS and later GPS for Nav, not a sextant. I am extensively read in 20th century history and Dr. Ballard must have had the same tooth fairy as me as I was always fascinated with the prospect of what Titanic, Bismarck, Yorktown, et al look like today on the sea bottom. But of course I never had the wherewithal to pursue that interest even if you could find me in a tiny submersible (or even a big one at that...give me air all around if something goes wrong!). The mystery of AE ties together that nautical and aviation interest as no other can do and I am fascinated by the effort. I have read a lot of the website but barely touched the surface so I apologize up front if I ever jump in to add something already considered and discarded.
Wondering the meaning of LTM...
JB
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Wondering the meaning of LTM...
Wonder no more, John. Click here (http://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/EarhartFAQs.html) to read the very first FAQ item ("Love To Mother") that answers that oft-asked question.
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Thanks, it was a little question and some historical "filler" too. For those who would understand why Halsey would be upset at "the world wonders...". There is much more I will wonder about and hopefully you will indulge my questions even though the information can be found elsewhere on your site. I have been on many forums like this one and the volume of things to read exceeds my timeframe for browsing. My wife is already concerned but I admit your registration page forewarned me. LTM as the world wonders.
JB
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I have been on many forums like this one and the volume of things to read exceeds my timeframe for browsing. My wife is already concerned but I admit your registration page forewarned me.
Well, John, it is a daunting task if one just browses indiscriminately (although that can be fun, too). But happily we have a wonderful list of the principal material (http://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Archives/Archivessubject.html) under broad categories.
If you're a Wikipedia kind of guy, we've got that too: Ameliapedia (http://tighar.org/wiki/Ameliapedia). You know the old saying: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." ;)
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Hey John, and welcome from the peanut gallery! Best seat in the house for all things TIGHAR, AE, and sometimes history. Certainly, and by all means, join in the fun. Many members here, alot of expertise, and even some of that wishes we had expertise ;D.
Your aviation expertise will be very welcome here.
Tell your wife its ok-- we dont bite----YET!
Tom--
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My wife is already concerned but I admit your registration page forewarned me. LTM as the world wonders.
Throw your wife off the track by logging off the Internet and reading some very excellent compilations of the material that's on the TIGHAR website, in the form of two books -- click on the links below for extended summaries of them both. Available where fine books are sold -- even in many public libraries.
1. Amelia Earhart's Shoes (http://tighar.org/wiki/Shoes), written by a quartet of TIGHARs. It's a very easy-to-read book that tells both Amelia's story and TIGHAR's work on the Niku Hypothesis, with lots of humorous anecdotes and asides about TIGHAR's expeditions to Nikumaroro. Be sure to get the 2004 edition, which is extensively updated from the original 2001 edition.
2. Finding Amelia, The True Story of the Earhart Disappearance (http://tighar.org/wiki/Finding_Amelia), written by Ric Gillespie. It's a very scholarly presentation of the facts of Amelia's flight, published by the US Naval Institute Press.
Only after you've become steeped in the entire story, scratching your head wondering about many loose threads, would I think you could fully appreciate the great story-telling in a recent novel by Tom King: Thirteen Bones (http://tighar.org/wiki/Thirteen_Bones).
I bought all three books in December 2010, after having read the first two out of a library, and re-read those first two immediately. But I waited until last month to dive into Thirteen Bones -- and I'm glad I did wait, for while it's a good read, working to absorb a lot about the factual material from the Forum and the website helped me admire and enjoy the fictional mortar that Tom used to provide answers to various nagging questions.
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John,
bite the bullett like me and just admit you've got another women in your life! (+ a bloke and a big silver plane and a pacific attol + some guys in the states)
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Greetings all!
My name is James and I live in Christchurch, New Zealand. My hobbies include photography and (of course) aviation (which leads to aviation photography).
I have been lurking around here for awhile now, reading countless amounts of pages of information (I've become somewhat addicted) and have finally fallen victim to this forum. I am eagerly keeping up to date with the current expedition and each day I look forward to seeing the daily reports they post.
I look forward to reading more about the Amelia Earhart mystery and joining in on topics in this forum.
Cheers!
James.
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Welcome to the forum James. You are, obviously, going to fit right in with the rest of us.
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I'm a lawyer, a former naval officer, a lifelong fan of aircraft, and a history nut.
Like many others, I first encountered the mystery of Amelia Earhart while growing up, and always assumed that she ran out of fuel and crashed and sank. After all, the Pacific Ocean is a pretty big place.
I attended the United States Naval Academy from 1990 to 1994. In the spring of 1993, my father visited the Academy to attend a Naval Institute seminar. As a member of the Naval Institute, he had attended the seminar both to visit me, and to attend some other portion of the seminar that is now lost to my memory (probably not important anyway ;)). Somehow, the presentation that TIGHAR was giving spread by word of mouth like wildfire through the yard. During a break in classes, I was able to locate my father and his Naval Institute friends, who had somehow wandered into TIGHAR's presentation and debate. This was the first I had heard of TIGHAR and what was then called the Gardner Island hypothesis. I had already taken the Academy's course on celestial navigation, and had sailed with the Command Seamanship Training Squadron. I was also majoring in history. The presentation by TIGHAR was fascinating. Later during the seminar, I attended a dinner in Dahlgren Hall. The dinner was abuzz with talk of TIGHAR's presentation. All of the Naval Institute members that I spoke with that evening were impressed with Mr. Gillespie's presentation and the revelation of facts that many were either unaware of, or assumed lost to the ages.
I graduated in 1994, and went to serve in the engineering department on the USS Duluth (LPD 6). I transferred to the reserves in 1998, and worked as a historical aircraft restorer for the San Diego Aerospace Museum for several months, while waiting to go to law school. While at the museum, I encountered many volunteers who were again discussing TIGHAR, and the things that they had found on Nikumaroro. Some museum members were big fans of TIGHAR, and others were staunch critics. We would have heated debates over lunch, and it was impressive listening to the various opinions and knowledge from people involved in the history of aviation.
I now practice law in Los Angeles, but one of my big distractions for years has been following TIGHAR on the internet, and reading many forum posts. It is wonderful to have this forum, and catch up on the things that I had first encountered so many years ago.
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Welcome to the Forum Anthony. I'm not sure we need another lawyer--on the other hand, with all of your qualifications, maybe you can "challenge" Gary LaPook. Most of us aren't smart enough to question what he says ;). Go for it.
Again, welcome! Glad to have you. :D
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Thanks Woody. No one really needs another lawyer ;D. But I know a lot about the U.S. Navy, as it existed then and as it exists now. I could also help break down what Mr. LaPook posts regarding navigation, at least from a surface perspective. (I have no experience with air navigation, other than discussions with friends and classmates who are pilots.) That would help forum readers understand the technical points he makes.
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Thanks Woody.... I could also help break down what Mr. LaPook posts regarding navigation, at least from a surface perspective. (I have no experience with air navigation, other than discussions with friends and classmates who are pilots.) That would help forum readers understand the technical points he makes.
That would be a big help. Sometimes his explanations are far over our heads and we don't comprehend all he is saying.
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Thanks Woody.... I could also help break down what Mr. LaPook posts regarding navigation, at least from a surface perspective. (I have no experience with air navigation, other than discussions with friends and classmates who are pilots.) That would help forum readers understand the technical points he makes.
That would be a big help. Sometimes his explanations are far over our heads and we don't comprehend all he is saying.
You can prove anything using statistics Woody, 83% of people know that, 16% didn't and 1% didn't understand the question, see.. ;D
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Jeff, "see" what? I thought there would be a link there. Did I not understand the question or are you agreeing with me? ???
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Welome James & Anthony! All of you guys are wayyyyyyy ahead of me----. Join the fun--- alot of really great people on here, alot of great minds.
Tom
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I am brand new to this forum and still stumbling around trying to find my way.
First, I am a lover of anything that flies and fondly remember attending the very first Reno Air Races when I was a teenager. My late husband (died 30 years ago in plane crash) was a pilot, skydiver, and had an avionics business. These days I am busy introducing our grandchildren to the world of aviation.
I am a Professional Genealogist and my expertise is in just the sort of research needed to find DNA reference samples for Fred Noonan. Not knowing exactly how to volunteer, I send off a couple of emails that have so far gone unanswered. I have found various information all over the website and forum but I doubt that I have found it all. Is there a go-to person for Noonan family research?
Linda Lorda
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Welcome Linda! great to have new members here. Alot of excitement right now. Feel free to jump right in---the waters fine!
Tom
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Greetings one and all! I am Richard Morris, GM at Sound Metrics near Seattle, Washington. We make imaging sonars that help investigate dark or turbid waters - where video or eyesight cannot. We have just developed a new model with greater definition/resolution. Something to keep in mind if/when an underwater search is conducted off Nikumaroro. A video showing some capabilities can be seen here:
http://www.soundmetrics.com/products/aris-sonars
You can check out our company at www.soundmetrics.com. I am not on here to sell anything! Please don't think that for a second. I've been fascinated with the EA story for decades (did I tell you I'm old :-). However, there may come a time when we could provide TIGHAR with a piece of high tech equipment to help search, if an on-site investigation is ever planned. I have not read all there is on the forum so I don't know yet how deep an underwater search might be, but our ROV tethered sonar can go down 1000 feet and our Diver Held model can go down 300 feet (that's with an OLED mask mounted display). We do have a model that can go 10,000 feet but we'd have to talk serious about that scenario...:-) Wouldn't it be cool if we could help further this research. We have loaned equipment to National Geographic, Discovery Channel and others to pursue archaeological searches. Our sonars to not "see" silt buried artifacts, but they can definitely image objects that might otherwise go undetected because of poor light or visibility. With knowledge of the software, we can differentiate between rock, plastic, glass and metal. The video link above shows the cockpit of a Navy PB2Y at the bottom of Lake Washington.
I look forward to more reading on the site and ongoing posts. FYI, I am not one of the research nerds who brought our sonars out of the Applied Physics Lab at the University of Washington - so don't expect any exceptional expertise on my part (but I can tap into it!). My background is manufacturing, product development and business.
LTM (love that sentiment!)
Rich
Richard Morris
Sound Metrics Corp
Bellevue, WA
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I've been following the forum for years, but haven't taken the time to make many posts and introduce myself. I am a mechanical engineer by degree and work in the aerospace industry in Wichita, KS I am also a pilot and flight instructor.
I appreciate TIGHAR's methodical approach to solving the AE mystery and love how the forum works to involve everyone in the process.
I also appreciate how people with different backgrounds and professions bring different approaches to solving problems. Pilots, engineers, accident investigators, navigators, foresensic scientists, law enforcement officers , geaneologists, and lawyers all have different methods and burdens of proof to getting to the bottom of an issue. This mystery is proving that it's going to take everyone's best effort to solve the mystery.
This must be the place !!!
LTM,
Todd
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Welcome Mr. Attebery! One lawyer is too many lawyers. There's an old joke that the only thing two lawyers can agree on is what a third lawyer did wrong. ;D I like to see the wide variety of disciplines and the intelligent discussion. The banter between the archaeologists is fascinating. I wonder what they will argue about thousands of years from now when they dig up my trash and bones!
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Hi folks,
My name is Rafael Krasnodebski (I blame the parents) who's a British Pole ... or Polish Brit, who works as a management consultant in Central & Eastern Europe. "So what?" I hear you cry .... and you'd be right. More relevant may be that I'm a history graduate who specialised in historiography and primary source research and subsequently got into the wonderfully geeksville world of digging up old aeroplanes (that's what we call 'em) after a strange 'phone call I received back in 1990 whilst living in London. This bloke phoned me up and asked if I was related to a certain Sq. Lr. Krasnodebski of 303 squadron who deposited his Mk1 Hurricane into Croydon golf course in September 1940 after annoying a certain foreign gentleman who just happened to be flying an Me 109 in the local vicinity. I answered "yes, he was my great uncle". To which the strange man on the phone replied "Well, we've found his aeroplane and would you like to come and help us dig it up? The rest, as they say, is history. After working on a couple more WW2 digs in the UK, my employer moved me to Eastern Europe. That and the demands of a family who insist on being kept in a manner to which they are unaccustomed put paid to my plane wreck digging .. until now. Despite being involved in the European wreck digging fraternity, I had never heard of Tighar until recently ... all those wasted years, but all's well that ends well. Wonderful job, great people, love it.
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Ok, welcome aboard Raf.
Croydon eh? that's where I got married all those years ago, what a romantic location :(
Feel free to contribute to the forum. I'm sure bringing your experience in historic aircraft recovery will come in handy. It's a learning curve for sure and I'm still at the bottom of it but, what a ride.
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Pleasure to have you Raf,
I gather PwC is a broad type of industry consultancy ?
Incredible experience with your great uncle's aeroplane, what other digs do you get involved with ?
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Brian Ainslie....wandered here courtesy of Google's artwork for the anniversary. I've spent the past several days (at work!) alternating between reading and skimming that VAST amount of info on the site.
About me: 35, husband and father. Degree in History. I do think Oswald shot Kennedy by himself. :)
A few random thoughts:
1. The evidence does seem to support, when taken in total, that both the plane and AE were on the island (Niko).
2. It is clear that no single item "proves" the theory. However, the case would certainly pass a civil trial level of critique (preponderance of evidence). But beyond a reasonable doubt? Perhaps....reasonable minds can see all sides of this intriguing theory.
3. I have read several posts about the castaways, the plane landing site, and the survivors of the NC and I think there is a gap there. Andrew McKenna seems to think in the same manner as I do (by that I mean I follow his logic and find myself nodding at it the most). Dead or alive by the time of the Navy flight several days later (the Colorado plane), I can't imagine that, at minimum, there would have been some obvious, visible marker. If they had the means to stay alive long enough to send the radio signals and find/bring/travel the various items that have been found to the island, surely they would have devised some simple method of notifying airborne searchers of their existence. I apologize if there is already a chain somewhere about this. As others have recently mentioned, it is nearly impossible to sort through all this stuff, especially when such a topic covers so many potential threads.
4. In the threads I have read, tolerance for other's opinions seems to be hit or miss. The overall tone of the research, however, seems fairly balanced to this "neutral" party.
5. Keep up the good work! This is a fascinating subject and has given me goose bumps at times!
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Welcome to the Forum Brian. You have joined at a very significant time and, you have obviously had a look around the site already. There is as you say, a vast amount of information which, you can easily access via the forum, Tighar home page, Ameliapedia etc..
My take on point 3 and, there is a thread 'The Lambrecht search' is that, would they not be expecting a ship, the Itasca maybe, to be the first to 'rescue' them, not an air search? No ships in the area at that time with SAR planes, they came later. Did the overflight come as a total surprise to them? Only my take on the subject of course, not gospel, not written in stone.
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Welcome Brian
Of all the Forum posters, you had to pick on me? :-)
Thanks for the endorsement! Maybe I am thinking straight. Actually, one reason I sound like I know what I'm talking about is only because I've been out there three times. Brings a lot of reality to my speculation.
Enjoy the fray.
Andrew
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Hi all - Thanks for the welcome.
Good points Jeff. Reading through a lengthy thread about the overflight, etc, I think one point that few (if any) folks made was regarding a signal. Reasonable people can debate the ability of the searchers to find the survivors under varying circumstances, but a clear signal, even if designed to be seen by a ship at see would also likely be seen from an airplane. Further, wouldn't one need to make multiple signals for a ship as it could be coming from any number of directions? Maybe that is a point in favor of moving to the Seven Site....but, again, if they had that ability to explore, it does seem odd that there wasn't a signal that didn't rely on human intervention (lighting a fire, being awake, getting out of the jungle, etc.).
Someone made the point that if the survivor(s) did miss the Navy flight, they would have been sure to leave a signal behind to prevent a future "miss". That logic (assuming they/she/he were/was physically able) is pretty clear. It does seem improbable that such a signal woul dnot have then been discovered by later vistors to the island.
Not trying to debate issue myself as I have limited knowledge/exposure to this topic, but thuoght perhaps other minds would like to take this ball and run with it? Should I post this in another thread (or a new one)?
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Valid point Brian. I would put it into the Colorado/ Lambrecht search thread and let it run.
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Hello all,
I'm an armchair devotee of TIGHAR's approach to the Earhart-Noonan mystery, and a longtime "lurker" on these forum pages and the Earhart Project site in general.
I have no training or expertise in aviation, archaeology, SAR, radio propagation, island ecology or any of the other disciplines that go into this quest. My profession is writing - originally as a newspaper reporter, and for the last many years in PR and marketing.
What I appreciate about this community is its ability to combine passion and curiosity on the one hand with rigor and objectivity on the other. I hope the contributions I make to this discussion will uphold that standard.
Thanks
LTM
Jim Doughty
Chapel Hill, N.C.
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Jim Doughty
Chapel Hill, N.C.
Welcome, Jim!
My Mom and one of my sisters live in Fearington Village, Pittsboro, not far from Chapel Hill. :)
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Welcome Jim----
feel free to write to your hearts content! I too have relatives living in Chapel Hill/Cary, area.
Great thing about TIGHAR, is that you dont have to have a scientific profession to be involved. Curiousity, passion, and being able to spell :o helps!
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Jim,
Hello and welcome from the Triad
.....tb
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Hullo all. I go by Kateri or KC and I currently live in Suffolk, VA. I'm retired Navy Helicopter Search & Rescue/Logistics crewchief as of '08. Did quite a few flights between Puerto Rico and Flordia in a Sea King using only TACAN which in my 20's was quite thrilling. Later I crewed an even more exciting hop from Bahrain to the Seychelles via Kenya in a King Air. Past the halfway point between Kenya and Victoria Island we kept losing all nav aides but for sporadic ADF. Fortunately we were able to eventually contact their tower and get vectors. That was chilling but we made it there and back so I can grin about it. When not flying I worked as a structural mechanic doing metal fabrication on aircraft or working on the hydraulics, flight controls or tires. Nowadays I work as a 3D Modeler/Animator and 2D Graphic artist.
Just found TIGHAR yesterday and have been snooping around with my usual skepticism to see if this was valid or another hoax as is so prevalent on the internet. I've dabbled in this and that scientific pursuit as a hobby over the years and I was pleased to see how well and carefully things are done here. I've never read up on Earhart much though I was familiar with the disappearance that has never been solved. I've liked things well enough that I'm hoping I can find some way to contribute to the research somehow. I've read the wish list at least further down the forum to see if there is something to begin mulling over. I'll be getting a membership soon. Thx and keep up the good work.
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Hey KC---welcome to the wonderful world of TIGHAR! Lots of great people, some of us are even into airplanes! ;D Great to have you here.
Tom
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Hi Everyone! I'm a newbie and a long-time devotee of Amelia Earhart (I did A papers on her in 3rd and 5th grade)! Unfortunately, I have no skills to bring to the search--I used to be a professional pool player (playing under my maiden name Gloria Walker), so unless Amelia and Fred had a pool table in the back on a gyroscope, I can only add my thoughts and perspective to the search! I gave up pool, because of the travel involved, to be home with my kids and am now a teacher. I live in West Chester, PA, not far from Wilmington, DE (I have a brother living in Arden, DE, in Wilmington area). I love, love, love reading through the TIGHAR website and am admittedly addicted! If I decide to go back to pool and can 'hustle' some big money I'll donate it all to TIGHAR (haha).
I see many forum members repeating things already discussed, so how best can I search to find out if there has been a discussion about something like where might that missing tooth be that was among the 13 bones sent--Gallagher said there were 5, Hoodless reported only 4.
Thanks all!
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Hi Everyone! I'm a newbie and a long-time devotee of Amelia Earhart (I did and A papers on her in 3rd and 5th grade)! Unfortunately, I have no skills to bring to the search--I used to be a professional pool player (playing under my maiden name Gloria Walker), so unless Amelia and Fred had a pool table in the back on a gyroscope, I can only add my thoughts and perspective to the search! I gave up pool, because of the travel involved, to be home with my kids and am now a teacher. I live in West Chester, PA, not far from Wilmington, DE (I have a brother living in Arden, DE, in Wilmington area). I love, love, love reading through the TIGHAR website and am admittedly addicted! If I decide to go back to pool and can 'hustle' some big money I'll donate it all to TIGHAR (haha).
I see many forum members repeating things already discussed, so how best can I search to find out if there has been a discussion about something like where might that missing tooth be that was among the 13 bones sent--Gallagher said there were 5, Hoodless reported only 4.
Thanks all!
Welcome to forum's Gloria
Your the first person to bring that up about the missing tooth, that went A.W.O.L in transit from Gallagher to Fiji, No doubt one of the forum admin will provide you with a link to mentioned topic, I have been meaning to ask about this, But learned quickly that any question possible to ask Tighar, Has probably been discussed else were on forum, BUT dont let that deter you, :)
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Thanks Richie!
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I see many forum members repeating things already discussed, so how best can I search to find out if there has been a discussion about something like where might that missing tooth be that was among the 13 bones sent--Gallagher said there were 5, Hoodless reported only 4.
Welcome, Gloria.
Here are about a dozen methods for searching for material on the website (http://tighar.org/news/help/82-how-do-i-search-tigharorg).
There hasn't been a discussion of the missing tooth on this version of the Forum (since 2009).
I don't remember any extended discussion on the old Forum (conducted via e-mail).
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Thanks, Marty!
Gloria
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Welcome Gloria. Everyone has something to contribute here, so feel free!!!
Tom
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[quote][/quote]Everyone has something to contribute here, so feel free!!!
Thanks, Tom!
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Hi name is Peter, from Ireland/UK now married and living in Tokyo. Aviation fan, more PC flight simulators than I can count. Very interested in EA. Speciality is photography (B&W) and image editing. In love with this sight.
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Hi name is Peter, from Ireland/UK now married and living in Tokyo. Aviation fan, more PC flight simulators than I can count. Very interested in EA. Speciality is photography (B&W) and image editing. In love with this sight.
Welcome aboard Peter,
Since you are into image editing, let me give you a little project to work on. What do you make of this image?
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Thanks for the welcome. Before going any further, I would like to state that I am a believer in that EA did land on the island and I like others I am waiting for the definitive proof to unveil itself.
Unfortunately I am not involved in Forensic imaging like Jeff Glickman is, nor do I have access to the techniques and equipment that Photek have. I was involved in imaging for print, which takes in historical images that need repair or rebuilding.
I have played with this image many times, and have to say that I am not 100% sold on this being the landing gear. While I can see what could be a fender cross member, and what could possible be called the worm gear. I don't see the tyre. At least not an inflated one and this would be the one component that would be required to keep this object upright in this orientation. If the tyre was burst the only way I could see this being the landing gear was if it was still attached to a hefty piece of the Electra, like parts of the engine mounting and an air filled part of the wing floating or lodged just below the surface. There does appear to be a shadow of something long extending to the left of the image just under the water. That being the case, a bulky object of that size should have been visible to any search aircraft flying over it. It was not seen. So could it have been attached to the rest of the plane and suddenly broke free due to wave motion and turbulence on the reef face? Could the remaining air in the wing fuel tanks have given the object enough buoyancy to break the surface , before once again sinking out of sight. Don't know.
It is an interesting object. Worthy of more research, but I just don't see it yet as the smoking gun. I hope it does show up in the video tonight. The landing gear is not made of aluminum and should remain fairly intact. Keeping my fingers crossed.
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Hi. New Member. My name is Jim Snidow. I grew up fascinated by Aviation. I lived close to John Wayne Airport and remember the Museum of the Air (Paul Mantz and Frank Tallman) fondly as a kid. With a deep interest in WWII aviation, visiting places like the NASM, Chino Hills, and peering into the lines of planes of Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson over the years have made me interested in the archeology of the crashes and over the past few years, amazed at what Pat Macha has done with finding wrecks in Southern California as well as others who have found the bits and pieces if to find a reason of what went wrong. I read about a few families who've had small mementos returned and those bits of what some might call debris ( I'm thinking of a stewardess's wings being returned) this was something they earned and treasured. I've always wondered what happened to AE and FN largely thanks to "In Search of" and ole Mr. Spock himself- Leonard Nimoy. I've read a few books and tried to think hmm what really happened. After getting hooked and reading the forum- I think it's more than likely Tighar is right and to see so many who think Tighar is off base, I wonder how long have they been working this puzzle. I've dragged family and friends to many air museums over the years, great one nearby in Santa Rosa (I've moved to Northern California now) and recently I took a ride in a 1926 Travel Air biplane at a local airport day and it was 15 mins of wind in my face that I will never forget, a feeling of riding the wind on a kite- breathtaking. After riding jets and I think other than prop commuter planes, the smallest plane I'd flown in was a Norman Tri-Islander and that was kind of crazy as a kid, but a Bi-plane as an adult only has made me want to fly more.
I've just re-read AE: What really happened at howland and I think it even mentions why landing in the Phoenix islands would make sense. Now what still gets me as a kid in 1985 when KAL 007 was shot down- the "conspiracy theory" is that KAL was spying. I read two books about KAL 007 and it seems that maybe they did "accidental overflights" as no one would shoot down a peaceful commercial airliner right. isn't this the same idea of why if Amelia did say overfly Truk- why would she want to fly back toward Japanese held islands? Because no one would shoot a legendary female aviator. If I read this book about "what really happened" is it possible because of dead batteries (accident) maybe Amelia missed Howland and went for Nikumauroro or the nearest piece of land. going to watch the show tonight. very excited. To everyone at TIGHAR...thank you for your hard work and phooey to those who can't imagine. I do a weekly radio show in Ukiah, California doing Reggae music (in which Im pretty sure that there are no songs about AE- however- It did get me interested maybe someone did a song about her in Calypso...hmmm my musical search begins) One song in Reggae that seems appropriate for the search for what happened to AE & FN- Johnny Nash's "More Questions than Answers"- I am hoping our answer is coming soon.
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Hi! I'm a new member but have been following the AE research on TIGHAR for years now. Don't think I have any relevant skills for the search unfortunately (I work in the medical field) other than being intensely interested in it and loving research.
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Hello everyone. Happy to be invited to this forum. I am pleasantly retired and living in the Tampa Bay area.
I've always been a history nut and find the Earhart disappearance fascinating. It's nice to see people here are a lot more knowledgeable of this subject than myself. I will listen for awhile until I get my facts up to date and post a comment now and then.
Thanks, Ed
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Hi Everyone,
Just wanted to chime in and say how fascinating it is to be following TIGHAR's work. I find mysteries like the Earhart disappearance fascinating. I also find it incredible how close she came, after Howland it was Hawaii, fame and glory and retirement. It's such a tragic story. I am an accountant with a local charity, so I don't have much to add to the science other then my uneducated opinions. I do appreciate how difficult it is to run a non-profit organization, I wish I were able to contribute to TIGHAR's activities with cash. My first goal is to buy Tom King's book, Thirteen Bones.
I've read pretty much every single document on the TIGHAR web site and Ameliapedia and most of what is on the forums (bravo for making so much information public, not many other organizations would do the same). While the hypothesis has not been proven, I certainly think the available evidence adds up to a convincing argument in favour of the hypothesis. I remember the scientific method very clearly from school and I congratulate TIGHAR for following it so rigorously. It's a shame that the media and so many others don't understand the scientific method and how hypotheses are proven. TIGHAR has done amazing work on what seems like a show string budget!
In my reading I sometimes feel that some strong evidence has been diminished in favour of others. The plexi-glass, for instance, seems to be a very strong piece of evidence that supports the evidence but it seems like more attention has been paid to the piece of ALCLAD.
I look forward to continuing to follow TIGHAR's work! The video from Niku VII was incredible to watch and I hope more will be released. TIGHAR's work on the Niku hypothesis should be used as a textbook example of the scientific method, whether or not the hypothesis is actually proven or not.
LTM (I hope I don't have to be a member to use this. :P )
Nathan.
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I hope I don't have to be a member to use this. :P
In this incarnation of the Forum, at the present time, you do not have to pay dues in order to participate.
Welcome!
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Thanks Marty - I was specifically referring to the "LTM" but anyways.
I hope I can add something to the discussion and I do hope circumstances allow me to contribute in the future. Many small donations can add up quickly and TIGHAR needs all the $$$ we can give to launch Niku VIII and get that smoking gun!
Nathan.
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Hi everyone. Great to be here. My name is Owen and I am a 31-year old who currently lives in Sydney, Australia (although I grew up in Southeast Asia)
My interest in Amelia Earhart began about 20 years ago, when I was 9 years old and attending a British school in Southeast Asia. My teacher devoted a whole term to us studying the topic of aviation and each of us were required to examine a particular aspect of aviation and to do an in-depth school project on our chosen topic. I chose to do my school project on aviation and it was here that I was first introduced to Amelia Earhart. Even then, as a nine-year old, the fact that she had disappeared and no one knew what had happened to her fascinated me. I retained a passing interest in the subject and thought about it from time to time as I was growing up and kept an eye on new developments in the hope that some new insights into the mystery would become available. I remember watching "Unsolved Mysteries" in syndication about Amelia Earhart and her being captured by the Japanese and being very skeptical -which is still true to this day
I think I first heard of TIGHAR's theory about Amelia Earhart when I was still quite young -I think I remember reading in a World Book encyclopaedia Year Book from around 1989-1992 (can't recall the exact year) about what the new theory about her was. Maybe I'm getting confused. But I've loosely followed the latest announcements and theories from TIGHAR over the last decade or so and have watched one or two documentaries about what you all have been up to. I had no real opinion one way or the other about the credibility of the theory that you were putting forward until I read Ric Gillespie's excellent book
My overall assessment of TIGHAR's hypothesis is that it is very compelling and that TIGHAR has put forward a number of compelling arguments and pieces of evidence to convince me that there is a strong distinct possibility -maybe even probability- of it having happened. The evidence that has been found and some of the anecdotal testimonies of events from that time definitely raises some very legitimate
Unfortunately I have no technical skills I can contribute and financial circumstances are tight but I have nevertheless made a donation to TIGHAR because of my profound admiration and respect for Amelia Earhart and my empathy and sympathy for both her and Fred Noonan whatever they went through at the end. And also because I greatly admire TIGHAR's efforts and believe that they have shown that they deserve the resources to follow through on their hypothesis, whether it is proven or disproved. To that end, I wish you all the best of luck and I look forward to posting and reading here
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Hello all.... I'm Andy Rosner; 60 years old this month (OMG!) living in Santa Ana, CA. No background in aviation, but a deep appreciation of design; whether we're talking about aircraft, musical instruments, buildings, furniture, etc., etc. Visited the Hercules (you're not supposed to call it Spruce Goose) many times when it was in Long Beach.
By trade, I'm a product manager in consumer electronics; and have been part of the teams which have developed products like laserdisc, projection TV's, and on and on.
I recall being aware of Amelia at a young age and (since I'm a sucker for a history and biographies), was always keenly interested in new information. Naturally, I read "The Search for Amelia Earhart" when it came out, and since learning of TIGHAR, have been glued to the seat at my PC, reading every update, etc. Let me just say this to Ric and the rest of the team: THIS IS KILLING ME! I CAN'T TAKE MUCH MORE! (OK, OK; a donation is coming)! Of course, what I (and allot of other people) will do after we all know for sure is a big question!
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Hello all, My name is Jimmie Tyler. I am fixing to turn 32 years old, and I live in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. I have spent countless hours on TIGHAR's web sight researching all of the information TIGHAR has supplied for the public. It is absolutely one of my favorite things to do over the last year, or so. I have just recently donated to the Earhart project, for the first time, and I plan on doing so as much as I can in the future. The main reason why I joined the forum, was to learn more. There is so much information on this fantastic forum. My wife, jokingly says that, Amelia is my girlfriend!! I want to contribute as much as I can to the cause. Rather it be financially, or performing my own research, that may help to answer key questions. It's a small world, and the possibilities are unlimited by exploring different avenues, and using resources around you, to help answer and solve problems. I thank all of you for your hard work and dedication on this mystery. You all have brought me so much joy in reading about Amelia Earhart.. Thanks a million!!!!! Jim...
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...more PC flight simulators than I can count.
Hey, Peter, welcome from another PC Flight Sim enthusiast!
Couple Qs for you, if you don't mind:
- What's your favorite Sim? (Mine MSFSX).
- Have you simmed the AE Lae/Howland flight yet? My DR attempt in a sim Lockheed Electra (with admittedly UN-scientific flight parameters) brought me just North of Baker Island in approx 18 hrs. I then "flew" DR "on the Line" 157 from South of Baker toward Gardner/Niku position for a simulated three hours, but failed to see Gardner/Niku. I then made a wide turn left (my offset) back North. Within about five-ten minutes...THERE was Gardner!! I was mildly shocked!
FUN!
(O.K., now all of the many most-respected REAL pilots here may roll their eyes) ::)
LTM,
dp
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Hi, I am new to the forum, will make my membership payment on pay day in a few days.
I was asked in March to speak about Amelia Earhart and other lost explorer's. That grew into a potential book about mysteries, but Amelia fascinated me, she has for years. The support I got during my research from Ric, the Website and Pat was overwhelming. So I am taking the crazy plunge and signing up for field school as soon as I sell either my son or husband. So if anyone need a 20 year old 6' 3" ogre to eat you out of house and home let me know!
Kristina Sackett
(yes before you can ask the Louis L'amour novels:)
Oh and I' m also a Civil War re-enactor with the 20th Maine Out here in Oregon.
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This is an exciting forum with so much information. I look forward to learning more about the on-going projects! To introduce myself, I have written three aviation history books, two of which contain information on Amelia. Those are Pancho: The Biography of Florence Lowe Barnes and Flying Carpets, Flying Wings: The Biography of Moye W. Stephens. Moye related to me that he had discussed his around-the-world flight with Amelia previous to departing on hers. At present I have several pieces of Amelia's early luggage and wondered if anyone had any information of her endorsements for the luggage other than what is already printed in several bios.
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I guess I don't understand since Amelia was such an important person why didn't the Navy send landing parties to the islands in the vicinity? Why did they ignor the reported radio signals.
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I guess I don't understand since Amelia was such an important person why didn't the Navy send landing parties to the islands in the vicinity? Why did they ignor the reported radio signals.
Welcome, Richard.
There's a lot of information on this site, as I hope you will have discovered. There's quite a lot of information.
But if you haven't explored, I suggest a good place to begin might be the Forum FAQ document (https://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/EarhartFAQs.html). Your first question has an entry there that's right in line with what you've asked. It's entitled "Why didn’t the Navy put searchers ashore on Nikumaroro in 1937?". And by the time USS Colorado reached the Phoenix Islands, radio signals had ceased (and enough signals had been confirmed as hoaxes by then to cast serious doubts among the searchers that any of them were legitimate).
Weaving a coherent path through the scads of documents on the TIGHAR website is aided by several roadmaps in addition to that FAQ document. Maybe you've seen one or two of them -- they differ in intent and depth of detail. But I can recommend what I'd call the Roadmap for the Initially Curious (https://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/AEdescr.html). Another I call the Roadmap for Those Who Love Details (https://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Archives/Archivessubject.html). For those who love the Wikipedia paradigm, there's the Ameliapedia (http://tighar.org/wiki/Ameliapedia). Those are all there to compensate for the lack of a "reference librarian on duty 24/7". It's pretty much a self-service situation.
And if you just like to curl up with a good book about the topic, the TIGHAR Store has Finding Amelia (http://tighar.org/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=64), a great read for those who love Detective Joe Friday (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Friday) ("Just the facts, ma'am.").
For those who become dues-paying members of TIGHAR, there's the periodical TIGHAR Tracks that occasionally finds its way to our mailboxes, but old issues of TIGHAR Tracks (http://tighar.org/wiki/TIGHAR_Tracks) (lots of them, 25 years worth in fact, up through the end of 2010) are just a click away. I hope you have l-o-t-s of free time. :)
Enjoy!
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Welcome to the forum Andrea. Be sure to participate so we can get some of the female perspective. We do need more of that but be sure you have a thick skin. Some comments here can be a little tough.
We have an "old" Spad pilot from the Vietnam era on the forum and you might want to converse with him. His name is Bill Roe, a part time Floridian I believe, but not very active lately. You might try a personal message to him.
Again, welcome to the forum and join in the discussions as you can.
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I just cannot know if Mr. Mellon is being a comedian or really serious in the things he says. I laugh then think that I don't know his stuff like he does so I better just keep quiet.
Andrea, again Welcome!
And the answer to your question is serious. The FAA still permits me to fly, so I guess my eyesight is not all that bad. And I guess my skin is thick enough, too, because I'm still here to kick around. But I sincerely invite you, and everyone else on the Forum, to contribute what you can, and then we will all benefit.
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Mr. Herndon thank you. I haven't really found anything to comment on yet because I don't know too much about bones and that stuff.
I searched out Mr. Roe and read some of his stuff but I'm having a hard time sending him a message. I think my Grampa would like to talk to him. Oh boy, I'd like to talk to him. Have you seen some of the stuff those old Spad pilots did? Does anybody know how to get him to message us?
Mr. Mellon, I am sorry I even questioned you about you seeing that stuff and the things you say here. My boyfriend thinks I have ruined any chance of flying for your company if the opportunity ever comes up. I wouldn't move anyway. I live in a great fly-in community. So I hope you forgive me.
Andrea
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Andrea, look at the topic bar at the top of the page and click on "MY MESSAGES". I sent you a Personal Message about Bill Roe.
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Mr. Mellon, I am sorry I even questioned you about you seeing that stuff and the things you say here. My boyfriend thinks I have ruined any chance of flying for your company if the opportunity ever comes up. I wouldn't move anyway. I live in a great fly-in community. So I hope you forgive me.
Andrea
Andrea, you have possibly not yet learned yet about CRM - cockpit resource management, the FAA mantra for crews of 2. It stands for "challenge-respond-modify" as a means to overcome PIC overcommplacency.
That is what this Forum needs. Don't be timid challenging opinions you encounter. Your opinion might be novel and CORRECT.
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I have been with TIGHAR since 1999 (I was asked how I got involved at the Department of State shindig in 2011 and I am completely blank....must have been Ric's magic). Anyway, I've been privileged to be on the TIGHAR Board since about 2007 and my wife Janis (who is also a member) and I went on Niku VI in 2010 on the good ship VvS1.
I have focussed on the genealogy of Gerald Bernard Gallagher and his family looking for clues as to what happened to Gallagher's personal effects, last thought to be in Fiji in early August 1945. Through this research, we definitively identified the "Miss Clancy" at Clanmere listed as the consignee for Gallagher's effects, found out what and where Clanmere was, and had a pleasant two day visit with the daughter of "Miss Clancy".
Current activity is focussed on a long shot effort to find out what happened to the sextant listed as being in Gallagher's effects on Niku in late September 1941 and which evidently was given by Dr. McPhearson to the Captain of the Viti, Commander James Patrick Mullins, who died in February 1999 in Flintshire East, Clywd, Wales. I evidently am the only one who thinks it odd that an empty sextant box was found at one end of Niku at the 7 site and a sextant without a box was found at the other end in the village.
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Hi Gang.. my name is Bill de Creeft and upon joining the Forum it was suggested I post my reply to him on here as a quick way to introduce myself, so...I'll be 81 in May so I'm not proficient with forums but i have great interest in the project so this gets me started. As a five year old child in Santa Barbara I went down to the beach with my mother and she told me that big ship out there was the Lexington and that it was "leaving to go look for Amelia Earhart" and I've been fascinated ever since!
Retired from almost 50 years and 20,000 plus of flying floatplanes in Alaska (Goose, Beaver and Otter ,etc.)... see www.alaskaseaplanes.com ...As a company we put 16,000 hours on the beaver and I sat in the Otter for 24 years.
If you go to this site you'll see me flying the 1929 Travel Air Transport Monoplane I owned for 40 years and restored in 2002...look along the left side and click on 'floatplanes' for a nice video of it flying over the glaciers...
I finally sold the T-Air and got a couple of annuities, paid my bills and retired (that is success in the aviation business (!?!)...
I recently sent Jeff Glickman some pictures of radial engins that had been weathered in the surf for years just for any help they might be but not "through channels'' because I hadn't joined...So here i am: I hope they got there and will be some help !
I see some stuff that interests me...as we all do ...maybe hub, rods and a tuning fork shape that looks like a landing gear fork (I used to have a Twin Beech)...in the underwater pics so I'm awaiting further developments.maybe saw some koroseal from around the brake lines or engine hoses
I am sure the assumptions on the forum are correct, but, like you all, would like to see it check out...
I have found lost people and dragged in relics and dealt with salt water operations for many years...I have no money these days but am greatly interested and will help any way I can...I "fly the beach" at about 300 feet all the time on google and "hi def noaa radar" (iphone) and i think we would have found those people back then...about the time the nessie pic was taken.
I am hooked on this whole deal !!
Bill de Creeft
Homer, Alaska
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Hi Bill. Welcome to the forum. I flew the Beaver while I was in the Army back in the 1970's. Great flying aircraft and I loved to fly it. Never saw an Aeronca Sedan on floats before. Interesting picture.
Again, welcome to the forum and I hope you enjoy your time here.
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Thanks Woody...
Near the bottom of the opening page of my website theres a picture of the Beaver on floats coming out of McNeil River on a rough day you might like.
(Good Days gone by...)
Hope this use of the forum is not bad protocol...I'm learning my way around.ßß
Bill
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Bill, if you will go to the topic FAQs and problem solving (http://tighar.org/smf/index.php/board,1.0.html) most of your questions about the TIGHAR Forum will probably be answered. (clicking on the blue letters will take you there)
Be prepared to do a lot of reading. ;)
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What a great idea!! How can I go about selling my ex-husband to come up with the money for the Pre-Expedition school??? :-*
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Hello,
I've been following Tighar since I read abot the freckle cream jar. I consider the castaway found by Gallagher, the freckle cream jar, the post-loss radio receptions, and Betty's Notebook to be the most impressive pieces of evidence for the 'Niku Hypothesis'. I've read a lot on the site but I can see there's still a lot more for me to read and learn about. Looking forward to learning more!
Ben
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Dave Patterson here. Been interested in the electra disappearance since 1955 when I read about it in grade school. Commercial pilot, race pilot, aircraft builder & rebuilder, skydiver and Harley rider. Licensed pilot since 1971.
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Hello. My name is Alex. I'm from Romania. I am student at politehnica university of bucharest. It's a pleasure to meet you all
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I have been a TIGHAR member (3911R) now for almost a year and thought it was time to introduce myself. My name is Steve Gunderson, 68 years old, retired and living with my wife in Silverdale, Washington. I retired early from civil service in 1995 with 28 years service, I then went to work for several different defense contractors over the following 17 years. All totaled I have spent 45 years supporting the US Navy in a variety of areas including surface ships and submarines of all classes.
Although I have been aware of Amelia Earhart and her disappearance for many years I only became aware of TIGHAR and the effort to locate her and/or the aircraft last year. I was working for General Dynamics, Electric Boat division and had been assigned to manage a project at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in June of 2012. One evening I was watching the local news on TV and saw a story on the TIGHAR expedition which was preparing to leave Honolulu. I Googled 'TIGHAR', followed the daily postings and the rest, as they say, is history. I've been hooked ever since.
Keep up the great work, I can hardly wait to see what happens next!
Steve G
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Hello All,
My name is Kenzie and I'm a 19 year old undergraduate student in New York. I've been fascinated with Amelia Earhart since I was very young. I remember finding out that possible bones matching the description of Amelia had been "misplaced", (that left me quite bewildered for some time- that such crucial evidence could be simply misplaced). I first heard about TIGHAR briefly in the novel "East to the Dawn: The Life of Amelia Earhart, and decided to google the name, which led me here. I've been browsing the forums for quite some time now to educate myself on the research, and I find myself reading the posts for hours. Being that I'm probably one of the youngest members on here, I do not have any relevant skills for the search, however I will continue to keep updated with the forum, and hopefully in further years I can provide some sort of insight! Thank you all for your hard work, and feel free to message me with any further theories involving the Fiji bone search.
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A good friend of mine was a contributing member up until his passing several years ago. I’m retired living on a limited income and wish I had the finances to contribute a sizable amount of money to the exploration. I plan to send a bit of money in the future when possible.
The mystery of Amelia has drawn my attention for some time. Like everyone I would sincerely like to have it solved and hope that with the next journey and study something will be found.
Pap
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Hello all.just thought i'd say hello & comment that it looks like you have put alot into this site.i have always been interested in history & historical figures.i cant wait to see what you find in the future.maybe someday i can afford to go through the classes & learn more.keep up the good work
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I've been lurking the forums for a year now... I'm a 46 year-old IT programmer who remembers the "In Search Of" Amelia Earhart episode. I've been fascinated ever since, I just wish the TIGHAR hypothesis had been around back in the 1970s (I know that in 1937 some had suspected the flight had ended in the Phoenix Group, but this got buried until the 1980s).
Joined recently as a TIGHAR sponsor. The next expedition can't come soon enough for me.
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A good friend of mine was a contributing member up until his passing several years ago. I’m retired living on a limited income and wish I had the finances to contribute a sizable amount of money to the exploration. I plan to send a bit of money in the future when possible.
The mystery of Amelia has drawn my attention for some time. Like everyone I would sincerely like to have it solved and hope that with the next journey and study something will be found.
Pap
May I help sign "Pap" up as a TIGHAR sponsor? If so, how can this be done?
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A good friend of mine was a contributing member up until his passing several years ago. I’m retired living on a limited income and wish I had the finances to contribute a sizable amount of money to the exploration. ...
May I help sign "Pap" up as a TIGHAR sponsor? If so, how can this be done?
Here is the "Contact Us" page (http://tighar.org/contact.html) for the website. I'm sure you can work it out with Pat Thrasher. :)
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Hi, my name is Steve and I am from New Mexico, USA. I have been an aviation enthusiast since the mid-80s and have often wondered what happened to AE and FN. I stumbled upon this website long ago and have lurked for who knows how long - years. I never registered because I felt I brought nothing of value to this site other than being someone that reads as much as I can.
I recently visited the Hill AFB Museum and the Museum of Flight. I told the docents I met there about TIGHAR and their exhibitions. There seemed to be a lot of interest about the site by them afterwards and wanted to URL. Let's hope that they join in the search and enable TIGHAR to ultimately solve the mystery of AE and FN. After this is resolved, maybe TIGHAR will take up the hunt for Nungesser or Jack Weeks/A-12 disappearance over the Pacific but doubt that one. Who knows what the future has in-store however.
I hope that we find conclusive proof about AE and FN. From what I have seen so far in regards to the objects "found" as stated by other members of this site, I believe it is another case of the Natalie Holloway skeleton found on the bottom of the Caribbean Sea...
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Hi, Folks
My name is Dave; I have lurked on this website for many years, having joining TIGHAR several years ago, when I could afford dues. I am probably one of the oldest members here, a retired electrical engineer who learned about vacuum tube electronics in college. As such I claim little to offer the discussion but enthusiasm.
I am de-lurking at a time which I see as both the brightest and perhaps the darkest for the Earhart project. I can only wish Ric and TIGHAR the best, the ability to continue the exploration, and to celebration success.
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Hi Dave--welcome. :)
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Posted by: Dave Ross Wilkinson« on: June 19, 2013, 05:41:34 PM »
As such I claim little to offer the discussion but enthusiasm.
Enthusiasm is good! Welcome!
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Hello,
here comes another de-lurker; my name is Christine, I’m German, 45, married with two kids, have a PhD in Japanese Studies and now work in Business Administration.
I first started lurking on this website in 2009 after reading a short article in one of the German national dailies about Amelia Earhart and the possibility of genetic material having been found at the “7” site, and found it addictive. Things being as they are (ahem), this seemed a suitable time to finally join TIGHAR and register on the forum.
I’m enormously impressed both with the meticulous research that is being done here and the way the principles of scientific research are adhered to. Also, everyone’s ideas are taken seriously and it doesn’t matter who someone is, it matters what they have to say. (Over here one might be able to get a public grant for this kind of research but one wouldn’t have a forum with Richie to spot a sonar anomaly that the professionals missed). I also like the way Ric and everyone else have handled dissenting opinions on this forum, public criticism and legal assaults. Finally, I like your special sense of humour!
Unfortunately, I don’t see much that I can contribute to the search for Amelia Earhart besides my membership fee. I minored in Modern History so do have some background in historical research, but I’m probably just on the wrong side of the Atlantic for this to be of any use.
I have an ulterior motive in joining: I hope that if the Electra is found, Ric and all the others here shall be able to turn their attention to “L’Oiseau Blanc”, and go about investigating “Project Midnight Ghost” with the same enthusiasm and care.
Christine
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I have an ulterior motive in joining: I hope that if the Electra is found, Ric and all the others here shall be able to turn their attention to “L’Oiseau Blanc”, and go about investigating “Project Midnight Ghost” with the same enthusiasm and care.
I think I'm in love.
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Hi everyone,
My name is Wayne and I have been a longtime lurker on TIGHAR. I enjoy reading about aviation archaeology on the 'net but Project Earhart has my undivided attention. I have a B.A. in US History and work in the aviation industry.
I want to send my sincere admiration and kudos to the TIGHAR team and community for all of the hard work that has been done so far in this particular project. I am especially excited about the tin box photo find of late as well as the sonar anomaly. I can't wait to see what is next. With that said, I hope I can contribute modest assistance and an eagle eye to upcoming and ongoing research around here. Thanks for having me.
Wayne
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Wayne wrote:
I hope I can contribute modest assistance and an eagle eye to upcoming and ongoing research around here.
Welcome Wayne! Eagle eyes are always welcome ::)
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I've neglected to post on the new member forum, so permit me to correct that mistake... Like so many of you I've been a longtime stalker, and I'm sorry about that. Should have joined long ago. TIGHAR's efforts are at the confluence of so many of my private obsessions: great mysteries, history of all sorts, all things aviation and military. But it's the integrity of the work and adherence to the scientific method that impress and draw me most.
It's so ironic that on the heels of my new Researcher Membership comes this whacky legal action that fundamentally questions the very integrity that attracted me. (Boy, can I pick 'em! :) There are folks of keen minds and good hearts here. TIGHAR will prevail.
Congratulations to Ric and all. It's a pleasure to help in any small way I can...
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I'm with Christine! I have to admit that, as interesting as the AE disappearance is, the "White Bird" is a bit more fascinating to me. If I lived in Maine I'd probably be spending a lot of time in swamps looking for that thing!
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Welcome Wayne, Christine, and Mark!
I agree the L’Oiseau Blanc mystery is very interesting as well. Would love to see that one solved.
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Thanks Christine. I too am a recent lurker, now an addict of this forum. This is my first post. When I was younger, the issue of whether Amelia Earhart’s plane or fate was ever discovered was not important to me. I was drawn to this site only after reading about the lawsuit in the media. I wondered why someone would sue when an answer seems so close at hand.
I was then struck when viewing the recently discovered sonar image of a long, slender, perhaps human-made object approximating the size of her plane. I remembered that a close friend had given me a model of her plane many years ago, as a symbol of a woman’s courage. Looking at the sonar image, speculating it might be the fuselage, I think I see the same outline of the model plane I was given.
Today I see a different definition of courage than a woman who was flying around the globe, ok, with perhaps questionable planning and skill. As I have become almost obsessively interested in the work TIGHAR has done, and have explored the various theories of Amelia’s disappearance in recent weeks, like most of you I am convinced she and Noonan landed on the reef at Niku. It makes sense that she continued to radio for help and eventually migrated to shore, dying some days or weeks later after veering between the creativity it would take to subsist even for a few days on that waterless atoll, and the despair of knowing what her final destination would be. For me, her courage was in the inner journey she might have taken to accept her circumstances, and her own frailty.
To be dealt a completely different hand than the one she thought she had—regardless of how we judge her preparedness or lack of it, or who dropped the ball(s)--and face the fact that she would likely die alone and suffering on this atoll, would take a kind of courage few of us have. This is the lesson I take from her great adventure. I imagine that Amelia came to understand her part in what went wrong on her flight, to recognize her own “get-home-itis,” as someone on this forum characterized the thing that finally killed her. I appreciate the account of Dr. Gallagher. That this kind man may have cataloged her bones with the care and attention he is said to have paid, is a fitting memorial.
I am grateful to TIGHAR for the process that has brought the search this far. It's a reality show, a democratic process with all the best, and worst, of human human heroics, frailty and ego--and that's just the forum members! May cooperation prevail to illuminate an ultimate understanding.
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Hi everyone. My name is Jeff Shaffer and I am pleased to have recently joined TIGHAR. I'm still reading Ric's book Finding Amelia. Upon discovering the existance of the NIKU VII expedition last summer, I followed it from start to finish, and feel very sure that the imagery data will prove out.
Also, I wonder if this is a proper place to express my support for the bent pitot tube issue. I was an imagery/air photo interpreter in the U.S.A.F. and with all due respect to the professional talents at Photek, I saw something different. Again, good to meet everyone!
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Hi everyone. My name is Jeff Shaffer and I am pleased to have recently joined TIGHAR. I'm still reading Ric's book Finding Amelia. Upon discovering the existance of the NIKU VII expedition last summer, I followed it from start to finish, and feel very sure that the imagery data will prove out.
Also, I wonder if this is a proper place to express my support for the bent pitot tube issue. I was an imagery/air photo interpreter in the U.S.A.F. and with all due respect to the professional talents at Photek, I saw something different. Again, good to meet everyone!
Feel free to start a new thread if you think you have anything to add Jeff
http://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Archives/Research/Bulletins/26_Antenna2/26_Antenna2.html (http://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Archives/Research/Bulletins/26_Antenna2/26_Antenna2.html)
Jeff
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Welcome, Lisa. I appreciated your post and your interesting take on Amelia.
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Welcome Lisa and Jeff S.
I love how many interesting people are on this forum. Thanks for joining and sharing your thoughts.
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Hello Everyone!
For years this has been my go to site for anything Amelia Earhart related. Believe it or not, I've only recently realized I could actually join the forum and participate in discussions. For some reason, I was under the impression it was a closed group of 'expedition' people and their ideas :)
Anyway, now that I know this isn't a closed group, I'm very excited to become part of the discussions. I'm retired Air Force (Cryptographic Systems). My husband is active duty and we are currently assigned to Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.
Being in Illinois has brought me full circle. I've worked in Turkey, Italy, Germany, England, Texas, and New Mexico. I'm originally from Moline, Illinois. Somehow, I always thought I'd wander the world forever, but reality intervened and it looks like this is where we'll spend our retirement years.
Many years ago, I read Ric's theory on the post-loss radio signals and I was hooked. I've lived the expeditions through the descriptions of those fortunate enough to go. I eagerly scrutinized every photo and artifact posted on this site. I have to admit, I have yet to see much of anything in the underwater photos, but the Cook photo is indeed tantalizing.
Like many of you, I wish I could competely fund further expeditions and get this matter settled once and for all. However, I will join and donate what we can afford (at least until I win the lottery or come into that as of yet, unknown inheritance).
Along the lines of fund raising, I wanted to ask if TIGHAR does any fund raising at air shows or other related events? Do you set up a booth for informational purposes or to sell souvenirs and such? If so, I would like to offer sweat equity and help man those booths, get the word out, solicit donations or whatever.
Meanwhile, thank you for the professional, courteous, well-maintained website. I appreciate being able to join and look forward to many interesting discussions.
LTM who still wanders,
Stacy Galloway
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I appreciate being able to join and look forward to many interesting discussions.
Welcome Stacy. I look forward to your posts! (Here's to winning that lottery :)
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Ric,
Wow, way to many women signing up on the site. You better get Pat involved in female PR. Welcome aboard Gloria.
Ted Campbell
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Welcome Stacy! Thank you for joining. It is nice to see more women on here (no offense to all the wonderful, intelligent men that make up the majority of the forum posters). ;)
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Cool! I'm ... intelligent?
*runs off to spread the news*
LTM, who never overestimates that native stuff,
Monty Fowler, TIGHAR No. 2189 CER
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Thank you everyone for the warm welcome :) I look forward to many interesting discussions and insights!
LTM who's having a lovely day,
Stacy
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The 39 in 39mars is for my '39 ford pickup. I have degrees in aerospace engineering and a minor in anthropology. Those things add up to a general interest in the '30s/'40s, aircraft and archaeology which is why I am here.
Have been anxiously awaiting/checking for the new photos and so have seen a lot of the forum traffic. Just wanted to be able to add a couple of things
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New here...just stopping by to say hello...I'm a wife, a mom, a watercolor artist, and a huge Amelia fan! :)
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Good Evening Ladies, Gents, Friends, and Countrymen,
I am a new reader of the Tighar site and forum... I have to say I am quickly becoming obsessed. The theory of Tighar about Gardner is very fascinating, and I am thoroughly enjoying the discourse. Since the recent announcement of the rediscovered photos, I find myself checking in throughout the day in hopes of a big announcement. I hope of course that one of the photos will reveal wreckage just below the surface-- perhaps not visible from the beach upon surveying, but seen clearly from the air. I have been reading over the vast amout of material on the site, acquiring an education about all sorts of things-- from vintage freckle cream jars to side scan sonar. At any rate, I just wanted to introduce myself, say hello, and mention how much I am enjoying learning about all of this. And I hope to see a major break in this mystery sometime soon.
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Hi Scott, Marie and Steve. Allow me to say welcome to the forum. I, myself am new here and hope you will find it as compelling as I have. There is a wealth of experience and knowledge about the aircraft and Amelia to be found here. May you find yourselves absorbed in the discoveries that have been made, and of those to come...
Jeff Shaffer Tighar#4168
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Welcome to Scott, Marie and Steve!
@Scott--I am anxiously waiting the new photos, too!
@Marie--Your picture, is that one of your own watercolors? Beautiful!
@Steve--It is so easy to get obsessed here!
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I have been on a while, but just want to say "Hi" also to newer members...Welcome to a fascinating group!
I too am laying low, waiting for word on the New Pictures !!
That's it; ...just as a bird sings in the morning, I guess !?!
Bill
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Hi all. I'm another Amelia wonderer, and am really happy to be here. I've held a long fascination with Amelia that started with a simple biography in grade school and has lasted through the years. I've been through a lot of "theories" but this one resonates with me, and I've spent what seems like hundreds of hours poring over the vast information and photos on this site (but not enough hours yet to post anything lest Martin firmly redirect me!)
I'm a CPA, so if anybody needs some money counted or financial statements interpreted then I'm here for the team :) . I have sluething skills in genealogy and libraries, having been raised by a librarian mother. Happy to meet you all and see all the progress to find Ameilia.
LTM,
Sandra
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Ok guys, this is getting spooky - way too many women signing in. Just kidding gals welcome aboard.
Ted Campbell
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Welcome Home Sandra !!! :D
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Been a member for a little while and must have neglected to do this.
I'm a ham radio op for 40 some odd years, operating mostly CW (morse). My first visit to the website I started reading the radio info and all the hairs on my neck stood up. Well, at least several. Think I was up til 2 in the morning. The radio research here is first class and I'm learning new stuff. Thanks to this group.
Also: to support my radio habit I work as a physician. Did a tour in the Navy as a flight surgeon, back in the day, assigned to the Marines at MCAS Yuma. The flight surgeon course is taught at Pensacola and included accident investigation training. Got a good exposure to aviation working with top notch marine pilots and even some flight training along the way. The TIGHAR mission appeals to me on multiple levels. And unsolved historical mysteries cause an itch I just have to scratch! So I joined and will stay on board until "mission accomplished".
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Welcome to Scott, Marie and Steve!
@Scott--I am anxiously waiting the new photos, too!
@Marie--Your picture, is that one of your own watercolors? Beautiful!
@Steve--It is so easy to get obsessed here!
Hi, Gloria - yes, its my watercolor impression of Amelia...thanks so much!
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Hi, Gloria - yes, its my watercolor impression of Amelia...thanks so much!
Thanks for sharing this picture! Love it!
Welcome Sandra. I, too, have been an Amelia fan since grade school!
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Hi Greg,
Welcome. :)
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Glad you're here Greg. Aircraft enthusiasts are great people!
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I've lurked here for a while and joined TIGHAR about a week or two ago.
My training is in science (environmental toxicology to be specific), and that's the field in which I have my day job. I also do freelance fiction writing on the side.
Having no expertise in aircraft, I never expected to have a reason to post here, but the scientist side of me was able to contribute a few minor comments over on the thread about the mercury-jar analysis. So I thought I might as well formally introduce myself.
I'm here because the Niku hypothesis seems to make a lot of sense, from what I understand. I don't know if there will ever be a "smoking gun" find that settles the question definitively--although that would be nice. Maybe it will continue to be a series of smaller pieces of evidence that add up to, "this is what probably happened." Either way, the inquiry and debate here are very interesting!
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Welcome Jennifer, I too am mostly a reader of the forums. From what I've gathered, what comes of the sonar anomaly will hopefully be the "smoking gun" Tighar is looking for. Close analysis of the supposed landing gear debris field might also have a chance of answering the question.
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I've been lurking way, way too long, and I'm sure that I'll continue to lurk, because I have no particular relevant expertise, except a love of archeology, and of mysteries in the process of being solved, and a fascination with how it's being done. After all, Phillipa Langley found Richard in that parking lot, didn't she? And based on a whole lot less evidence that TIGHAR's amassed re:Niku. So, I'll continue lurk in fascination, even though I can't afford to officially join.
However, I also have a monumental....distaste....for petty lawsuits filed just because someone can afford to pay exorbitant legal bills. So I've sent everything I have available in the Paypal account, and you may use it as you find most helpful--even if it's just to restock the coffee pot.
Back to lurking now. :)
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Welcome Jennifer and Sheryl! Good to see two more women here. ;)
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Hi there!
I'm Chris. I've been reading this forum pretty intently since the news of the Bevington photo first surfaced last year. My father was a pilot and took me up often in an old 1930's TCraft taildragger. I've taken some lessons though never gotten my license, but have always been fascinated by the Earhart mystery and am fascinated by all the Pacific atolls out there. I owned an old stout sailboat in the Great Lakes that I had planned to sail the Pacific and explore islands until I got married and had kids :) Now I am on a new adventure.
I live in Boise, Idaho now, some ways South of the recent expeditions. I'll drop my opinions and questions here and there. I run a software operation and have access to plenty of powerful computers. I've done a lot of image processing and automated image analysis work in my days. I'm interested to apply some of that to the imagery obtained in the work here on the forum.
Looking forward to talking with you all!
Chris
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Welcome Greg, Jennifer, Sheryl and Chris!
I look forward to your posts!
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Hi Chris! Welcome to the forum officially. :)
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Hi Chris
Any chance you can give me some pointers on the following software, I followed the instructions on box "think they were just how to open box though" haha
Global System Science, http://dew.globalsystemsscience.org/software
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Hello!
I've been reading and studying up on this site for over two years (I think that's called lurking). I am a 42 year old Professional Land Surveyor with a big interest in history and archeology. This process has been so fascinating to me and I give tremendous kudos to all of TIGHAR for what they've accomplished. I happen to believe Richie's anomaly is the plane and I would love to see that it's found by next summer.
Brad
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Welcome Brad am sure there are plenty of forum threads for you to get involved in and help further the hypothesis :), Tighar's anomaly is just that "an anomaly" you only have to see the outcome of the wing shaped sonar target which turned out to be Norwich City debris to know that Things don't come easy to Tighar, We seem to have to fight for any bit off evidence we can gather that can possibly be connected to Amelia.
The Tighar sonar anomaly is just too good to be Amelia's plane, That's why on last expedition Tighar went around anomaly instead of over it
Thanks Richie
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Well, we'll see. It's in the correct spot geographically speaking. Hopefully we'll find out soon enough.
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Hi Brad, welcome! :)
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I decided to join today as a sponsor to help fund what ever project needed it. I started flying in 1937 in a Curtis jenny about the time AE was lost and have been following the search for many years now. I would like to see us find AE and Fred before my time is up, so on with the hunt.
Jack
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Wow that's great Jack! Welcome! Glad to have you here.
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Welcome Jack!! All hats off to you!!!
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Welcome Brad and Jack!
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I too am a lurker here. I proudly have a certificate showing that I contributed to Niku VII. I will also be contributing to Niku VIII. It isn't much compared to the cost of the expeditions. But at least I help as I can. ;) I have been lurking here for years and have enjoyed every moment. Thanks to Ric and all for their work and for letting people like me share in your adventures.
I actually came here while following aircraft recovery stories. But, when I read of the work done here on Amelia Earhart, I was totally hooked. The wife and I say thanks.
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Okay, I guess it's about time to put my money where my interest lies, and join up...Done!
I don't know what there is to tell you all about me, except that I'm a retired laser physicist, congenital skeptic, filthy-fingernailed homesteader, and wannabe great-grandfather.
Oh, yeah...and I like a good mystery, which is what sucked me into this..
Cheers,
Steve
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Welcome to the group Steven!
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Oh, yeah...and I like a good mystery, which is what sucked me into this..
Same here. Welcome! ;D
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Hello, I am guessing I am doing this right, I have a hard time with all things threaded. I nothing about aviation other than I don't like to fly on jets, but I love a mystery in real life. I just recently found this site and have been reading pages of stuff about AE and her failed trip. I will do my best not to sound to ignorant although until reading about the most recent joiner of the site I had never heard of a laser physicist, I am just a machine mechanic. If I have posted this incorrectly I apologize in advance.
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Welcome Steve's, There is always room for more of us.
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Hey there everyone !
My name is Martin Peters, i have just joined this Forum but followed TIGHARs work loosely for a couple of years already.
I am a medical doctor, live in good ole Germany and in all technical aspects a layman but anyway an airplane aficionado .
I ll still sifting through the forums concerning and trying to grasp whats there. Hope i can sometimes give some helpful input (or ask some dumb questions). Maybe i can now and then add a medical perspective, well, anyway I hope i can add to your effort !
Martin
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Welcome aboard, Martin - glad you joined!
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Hi all
Like many others I am a 'long time lurker'. Not a pilot, not an engineer, not anything technical. Used to be a mountaineer, now an international school teacher. Familiar (as much as I can) with the ins and outs of the issue, what really got my goat just the other day and got me off my backside to join was an incredibly ignorant (I'm being polite) article by a so called skeptic debunking the TIGHAR theory.
Hats off to ya.
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Hello!
I am a very, VERY long time lurker on this forum. I have followed TIGHARs work since I was 9 years old but I am a yellow bellied coward when it comes to finally jumping in to post. Taking the leap now so go easy on me.
I have followed the Niku expeditions very closely over the years and Im only hopping on now to express how excited I am for the next expedition and saddened that TIGHAR is having difficulty raising the last of the funds to get there. I have donated what I can and shared the link to the funding website with every pilot and aviation enthusiast I know.... Im a flight dispatcher who has worked for 3 different airlines so I hope that my colleagues will help to spread the word.
Apologize for haunting the boards so long without chiming in. While I have plenty of skills when it comes to commercial aviation, I dont know what, if anything, I can contribute to TIGHAR other that I type fast and can spend extended periods of time at the computer without my leg falling asleep. I worshipped Earhart when I was a little girl....drove my parents absolutely crazy with trips to the library. She inspired a love of aviation that has stayed with me all of my life. Maybe I can be a cheerleader or something?
September 9th will be my 32nd birthday. Cant think of a more wonderful present than opening a newspaper and reading that her mystery has finally been solved.
Ok, you may now commence with the hazing. I object to anything that involves crabs or feathers though. Cheers!
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23 years of watching... wow! Welcome aboard, Krystal, glad to have you speaking up!
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Thanks, Jeff! Glad to finally be here.
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No crabs. No feathers. No hazing. Welcome aboard Krystal and thank you for your donation!
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Hello everyone!
I just wanted to introduce myself. I just joined TIGHAR at the researcher level, but I've been following TIGHAR's efforts since the first expedition. Speaking solely for myself, the preponderance of the evidence that has been amassed has convinced me that Niku is where AE and FN landed.
As for myself, there isn't a lot that I bring to the table, at least relative to most of the members. There are a lot of impressive resumes out there. I am in the process of restoring two PA 22 150 Tri-Pacers and have been a licensed pilot since January of 1979. I have just under 27 years of experience in insurance investigations. I'm looking for ways to help bring the investigation to a conclusion.
Looking forward to working with all of you!
Kindest regards,
Jim Kirkendall
Fort Worth, TX
N5876D
N6009D
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Welcome, Jim - glad to have you aboard. Sounds like you bring some good experience with your career and work on the Tri-Pacers, sounds like a cool project.
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Hello all, CJ here from Houston, Texas. My father was ex Air Force so I grew up with a love of history and all things aviation related. I was always that kid who could point at a plane and name it as it flew over. I just learned about TIGHAR while reading an article about the sidescan sonar image, so I checked out the site and couldn't join fast enough! I have always been fascinated with the disappearance of the Electra and am excited to see that this may finally be solved. What really peaked my interest was reading about the use of an ROV in the search. I currently work as a ROV Pilot/Supervisor in the Gulf of Mexico and am writing this from an oil rig 130 miles off the coast of Louisiana. I will definately be following the progress and am interested in the field school (whenever the next may be).
Wishing yall the best of luck,
CJ
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Welcome, CJ. You'll love field school. I learned more than I could ever possibly want to know that, yes, it IS possible to screen lumps of mud, in the rain, at College Park in 2005.
LTM,
Monty Fowler, TIGHAR No. 2189 ECSP
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Welcome to the circus, Dan ... oh, wait, I mean, The well-structured, always-focused research endeavor.
LTM,
Monty Fowler, TIGHAR No. 2189 ECSP
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Glad to have you aboard, Dan. That's a great set of credentials too.
Col. Bill Mangus exemplifies the best of our work I think - I certainly agree with your observation.
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I started to go back into the history of the sheet metal artifact
found but there was 70 some pages and I was overwhelmed.
Welcome, Bill!
I've read every post in that thread, and I am overwhelmed, too.
Here are some materials from TIGHAR's website that you should read when you get a chance:
- "The Window, the Patch, & the Artifact: Is TIGHAR Artifact 2-2-V-1 a piece of wreckage from Amelia Earhart’s aircraft?", published 28 October 2014. (http://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Archives/Research/Bulletins/73_StepbyStep/73_Step_by_Step.html)
- Thomas W. Eagar to Ric Gillespie, 14 November 2014. (http://tighar.org/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1490.0;attach=8471)
- Is TIGHAR Artifact 2-2-V-1 from a PBY?" (http://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Archives/Research/Bulletins/74_Is_22V1_From_PBY/74_Is22V1PBY.html)
- Supplemental e-mail from Thomas W. Eagar, Professor of Materials Engineering and Engineering Systems, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (http://tighar.org/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1490.0;attach=8499)
The article on the wiki (http://tighar.org/wiki/2-2-V-1) has been way outdated by these developments, I believe, although it is not all false. I just haven't been able to devote time to going through it line-by-line to see what has been superseded by recent discoveries.
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Welcome Bill, and thanks for letting us borrow your expertise when the time comes. The greatest advances can come from the most unlikely of sources, so we are always welcoming to newcomers.
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I'll go next! I'm your average stay-at-home mom. As some of you probably know, that can be a mind-numbingly boring (although quite gratifying!) job. I found myself delving into endeavors such as citizen science to keep my mind sharp. I have always had that fascination with Amelia's story that is a common thread here. I still have the copy of Lost Star that, accurate or not, fed my curiosity as a child! It was just natural to look up TIGHAR's website after seeing a Discovery Channel(?) show. I've been lurking ever since. It was only recently that I finally made a very modest donation and felt brave enough to start commenting here and there on the forum.
As far as expertise, well, aside from correcting homework and pulling loose teeth and the like...I have none. I can pour Children's Tylenol to the correct line without having to look (I do look, just in case!) but wouldn't know an airplane part from a furniture leg. However, in addition to all the brilliant scientific minds here, maybe some abstract thinking can be an asset to the project.
Maggie
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Hi all. I just got interested in the Earhart Gardner/Nikumaroro theory recently and have been doing a lot of reading on the TIGHAR web site. I'm a retired electrical engineer, 69 years old, living in the Dallas, TX area. I don't expect I'll be a frequent poster to the forum, but just wanted to say hello.
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Hi all, I've followed and agreed with the Tighar Gardner Island theory for 25 years. It's my favorite mystery. I don't have the advanced credentials of so many on the forum, but I do work in the Laser Technology field and have worked on underwater laser probes for measuring silt particles kicked up when attack submarines "fly" close to the sea bed. I could only hope that somehow I could add to the solution to this mytery that Tighar has nearly resolved. I try to think of how by using laser instrumentation I could locate the Electra. ( ha...delusions of granduer). But I'll just say thanks for indulging my posts and wish Tighar good fortune in their quest. I just love the high level of intelligent deduction and applied technical knowledge that Tighar has brought to this topic. Thanks
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Hi All. I'm Diane, 42, in north-central Arizona, up at the mile-high level out of the desert heat. I fly charter and flight instruct; my husband is also a pilot and we have our own little aviation company. Like Amelia, I've wanted to fly since childhood, and as you can imagine, she was my flying heroine while I was growing up. My mom pointed out to me early on that Fred Noonan in addition to being a famous navigator was a pilot in his own right. As I suppose is true of many of TIGHAR's membership, I have long found their disappearance to leave an empty spot in need of closure. Other than six thousand hours in small airplanes I don't bring any professional expertise to this table, just a burning desire to know what happened.
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Greetings,
I have read the TIGHAR Forum for a number of years and have decided to join using the researcher category of membership. I am retired and live in Prescott, AZ. For about 30 years I worked at the Naval Research Laboratory, Marine Meteorology Division, Monterey, CA. This is a branch of the Naval Research Laboratory located in Washington, DC. I have a B.S. in physics from U.C. Berkeley and PhD in atmospheric physics from the University of Arizona. During my career I was involved with the study (and numerical modeling) of the marine atmospheric boundary layer and, to some extent, atmospheric effects on electromagnetic (ship radar) propagation. My principal academic interests these days are with general relativity and cosmology, and my main hobby is birding. I am very interested in the research of TIGHAR but have no expertise whatsoever in this field.
Steve Burk
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Welcome Steve
You don't have to have any specific background to participate, just being interested is a great start.
Enjoy.
Andrew
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Welcome aboard Steve. Rest assured, we'll put your expertise to good use. One of TIGHAR's greatest strengths is that we attract folks like you. 65% of current TIGHAR members have a four-year degree. 30% have some kind of graduate degree. You're our kind of guy.
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Thanks for the welcome, Ric. Will I be assigned a Tighar researcher number? Perhaps I already have been and am not aware of it. Also, I presume I will now receive the 2015 Tighar Tracks, which I would prefer in PDF. I'll be glad to assist in anyway that may be useful to Tighar, although I have no aviation background. Thanks.
Steve Burk
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Will I be assigned a Tighar researcher number?
Yes. You'll even receive a cheap-ass card board membership card. We'd really like to do fancy plastic cards like the EAA but the machines cost a thousand bucks.
Perhaps I already have been and am not aware of it.
All will be revealed.
Also, I presume I will now receive the 2015 Tighar Tracks, which I would prefer in PDF.
Bless you. Send me an email at ric@tighar.org and I'll send you the link to the PDF.
I'll be glad to assist in anyway that may be useful to Tighar, although I have no aviation background.
No problem. Sometimes an aviation background seems to be a detriment.
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I am not really interested in the ultimate fate of miss Earhart. I simply do not care about her fate. She is dead, so let her be dead in peace respectfully. But I often find many errors about the islands discussed regarding her. Therefor I suggest https://www.scribd.com/doc/294530963/The-Nantucket-Connection.
I do not like the modern tendency/fact that people are so gullible and eager to believe wikipedia stories. My essay shows that even writers of old can be mistaken...i.e..: are mistaken quite often.
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Hi Everyone! Just wanted to introduce myself here ...
My name is Ryan Carrier, I've always been compelled and intrigued by mystery..
The Earhart legend has always interested me and have been following TIGHAR research and resources for a while behind the scenes, and now thought it was just time to step forward and join the circle ..
Much respect for this organization and its members for their dedication, presented resources and findings and determination for resolve.
Cheers!
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Welcome aboard Ryan. I look forward to your input.
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Thank you Ric! ..
Hope I can bring something to the table..
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My name is Douglas and I am from Toronto, Canada. I have always been interested in mysteries like the Earhart disappearance and am impressed with the work that Tighar has done.
I would like to help out if I can, in the way of networking, potential fund raising and social media.
Amelia's Toronto connection is kind of special as it was here where she really first got the flying bug.
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My name is Douglas and I am from Toronto, Canada.
Welcome, Doug!
My Mom was from Cobalt, Ontario, and my Dad was from Timmins and Kirkland Lake.
They met at U of T.
I did my seminary at Regis College, which is affiliated with Toronto School of Theology and
the U of T.
I have a lot of affection for the city and its people!
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Welcome, Doug!
My Mom was from Cobalt, Ontario, and my Dad was from Timmins and Kirkland Lake.
They met at U of T.
I did my seminary at Regis College, which is affiliated with Toronto School of Theology and
the U of T.
I have a lot of affection for the city and its people!
Thanks Marty! Glad to be involved!
Doug
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Hello ,
Just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Tom Snider and I have had a lifelong interest in Amelia Earhart. I have joined TIGHAR and want to be involved as much as possible.
My experience that may be of value other than my passion is that I have extensive metal detecting experience dating back to over 25 years ago from local colonial sites to battlefields. The amazing clues and history that can be uncovered are endless. I look forward to all interaction and wish to be involved with an expedition.
Looking forward to meeting you all.
Thank you
Tom Snider
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Hello, my name is ‘Tree’ and I am looking forward to learning more about her fate.
I crewed on Mira Nair’s movie AMELIA doing camera work , mostly the scenes of the Vega landing in Ireland and the Fokker floatplane in Newfoundland and Wales. ( all were shot here in Nova Scotia ).
In 1976 the Electra 10E # 1042 was in Zephyrhills , I was lucky to make ten skydives from it with a helmet camera. ( The reason people here post that it was gutted is because most jump planes were stripped before our big boots put dents in the airframe , that was often standard procedure at the large drop zones. )
Lately I am helping to restore a 1950s RCN Beech 18 Expeditor at our Shearwater naval museum. ( It was also abused as a jump ship . . . lots of dents to smooth out lol ). Work there as a volunteer machinist / trying to fix more than I break. Some days we even succeed
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Paul
Welcome
Very cool video of your jumps! Thanks for sharing.
Andrew
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Thank you Andrew , glad you liked it.
It’s nice to have it on digital after all this time.
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Hi to everyone, and thanks to Ric for activating my registration; that had me baffled for a while.
I have a background in both science and aviation: my first career was in molecular biology, but these days I am an airline pilot, and I still fly light aircraft for fun.
I am a long time lurker on this site, and a great admirer of everything TIGHAR has done to solve the mystery of Amelia Earhart's disappearance. I have been a very junior member for a few years now, but have never felt the need to contribute to the Amelia forums in person. However, with the Glen Miller search the latest hot topic I thought I should stick my oar in.
Looking forward to further developments.
Cheers
Sean
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Hi to everyone, and thanks to Ric for activating my registration; that had me baffled for a while.
I'm glad it worked out for you.
Welcome to one of the stranger corners of the internet!
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Welcome Sean!
I just want to say- go ahead and stick the other oar in too! We know you want to!!!
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Another new member introduction: ;D
My name is Jerry Stalheim I am in the private security field and am from way up in North Dakota.
I became interested in this story way back in 1991 while watching a Robert Stack hosted episode of Unsolved Mysteries and seeing Ric talk about this theory and then going to the island and finding the evidence later in an "UPDATE".
Then I found the Tighar website and have been scouring the wealth of information that has been gathered and am pretty much convinced that THIS is what happen to AE and FN.
I recently finally decided to become a Research Member of Tighar and hope that I can help in anyway to solve the mystery officially.
Thanks,
Jerry
LTM
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My name is Jerry Stalheim I am in the private security field and am from way up in North Dakota.
I became interested in this story way back in 1991 ...
That's around the time that I first heard of TIGHAR, too. But I was just using email mostly. I didn't start surfing the web until 1995 and didn't find the website until 2000. Once I did, I was hooked.
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;D Right, sorry forgot to put in post that I found Tighar website later around 2000ish and have been scouring it every since, but yes I am totally hooked and thank you Martin for replying. Hope to post and hear more from you and other members in the future.
Thanks
Jerry
LTM
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Welcome Jerry!
The addiction causes us all to join sooner or later!
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Thank you for the welcome Jeff I hope to help solve this mystery.
Jerry
LTM
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Hello.
My name is Don and I'm a university professor (although my field has little to do with the AE mystery). I've been reading the forum for a few years and thought it was finally time to join. As a scientist I can say that the approach Tighar has used meets high standards for how one goes about supporting and refuting a hypothesis. I can't ever recalling reading a post by Ric or other "senior" members here that made me cringe when it comes to interpretation of the data.
Look forward to hearing what else you have to offer and may chime in to offer some ideas.
Keep up the good work.
Don...
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Welcome to the group Don! Always great to have another scholarly type involved. Glad you finally bit the bullet and came aboard!
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Hello, happy to be here. I am Roland Young. At this time the name is accurate, I am but 27 years old. I joined for a couple of reasons. One, I've always been fascinated & interested in what happened to the two pilots in 1937, and TIGHAR seems to have the most logical take on actual evidence to support the castaway theory. Two, I am sad that these two people were stranded & met their fate, when it seems as though they were right on the edge of being rescued, and this sadness fuels my passionate interest in discovering, analyzing & preserving every bit of evidence to uncover as much of the true story as possible. I feel like Earhart & Noonan could have been rescued so easily, given what we know about the events today. It hurts to know that despite how close it was, they perished & can't tell the story in their own words. Breaks my heart thinking of the great things the two could have accomplished, had the search teams decided to scour Nikumaroro on July 2nd..even 3rd. They were right there.
Currently I spend what little time I have in between a J-O-B to work on car projects, make music, & learn about the 1920s-1960s. I love cars from that stretch, and often wish I were around back then. Airplanes recently caught my attention from those eras, too, but I know far less about them.
I would love to live a life dedicated to combing over the entire Nikumaroro island & sharing what I find with the people who care most about the matter...but that would take Howard Hughes type freedom, a freedom I don't have. I want to help, and I'm not satisfied with only the TIGHAR membership I got, or a donation. I'm not sure though that I would be accepted among scholars & scientists, with only my kind spirit & passionate obsession, but all I want to do is is trek the island & unearth clues and evidence. I can at least do the grunt work, while I'm young...
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Hello, happy to be here. I am Roland Young.
Welcome, Roland! Glad to have you here. Niku seems to be searched out. You may be able to get in on some of TIGHAR's other projects.
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Welcome Roland!
I WAS that same age, 27, when I joined TIGHAR back in 1988, and I can, and still do, share your enthusiasm for the Earhart mystery. I lived through some of the eras you admire and they were fun, and I'm sure there is more fun to come.
This forum will be more than happy to accept you, or anyone, who is looking to learn and explore the information that is discovered. As far as "scholars and scientists", those titles only officially apply to some of our members. The rest of us are eager enthusiasts and "detectives" looking for the answers. TIGHAR has come a LONG way in the years I have been with them. We have had many ups, a lot of downs, and taken some paths that turned out to be wrong-but that is where we admit our error, regroup and try again.
So, again, I say WELCOME! Grab your hat, and hang on for the ride- I'm sure it will be a interesting one!
Jeff Lange
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Thank you both for the warm welcome. I hold the belief Niku has more to tell, but I know that may look like youngster ambition/stubbornness. From all the reading and videos though it seems others also believe the housing plots in the village may hold more info, as well as further down than the 10cm digs. Really too bad about the situation with the bones, and I want to find the missing ones possibly still in the island.
Really easy to digress on this topic, I only mean to express enthusiasm. Thank you for having me, I’m at your service.
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Male, 74, landlubber, both water/ocean (Texas Panhandle youth far from the Gulf) and air/skies (infrequent flyer). Father had a rural grain elevator complex until the middle of my 6th grade year, and then we moved to town (Canyon, a college/tourism/farm center community). Freshman year there at (what's now) West Texas A&M. Then three years, UT Austin, B.A., Government, 1971. Peace Corps, but an early dropout (a main life failure), Linstead, Jamaica. Lived in Ohio (Berea area, SW Cleveland suburbs) for four years, the last two with a job at the Cleveland branch office of Xerox. Back to Texas, to UT for an M.P.Aff. at its LBJ School of Public Affairs, 1978. Summer internhip in D.C., between the two years of grad school, with the Africa Bureau of the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID) which was gearing up its response to the Sahelian drought from earlier in the decade. Edited professional papers for an orientation publication to be provided AID personnel heading for the field in Africa. Master's thesis equivalent on irrigated agriculture drawdown of the Texas portion of the Ogallala Aquifer.
Eventually 30 years (1980-2010) as a research associate, Texas Legislative Council, a nonpartisan agency in the legislative branch of state government. Spot research, publications, occasional legislative measure drafting (resolutions only--attorneys drafted the bills), and, early on (1984-1990), staffing of various special legislative study committees (mostly environmental topics) during the long interim periods when the legislature was not in its biennial 20-week sessions. Policy-related spot research was reactive to legislator requests and just document-based (no scientific experiments nor statistical-design studies). Sources: Texas statutes, other states' statutes, and federal statutes; holdings at the Texas state archives and a dozen or so nearby state, university, and private-sector libraries; the Internet; phone calls to National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) staffers in Denver and to governmental staffers in Texas and other states. Premium on info mining and assimilation, memo/report readability and accuracy, and precision of statement if that could be attained and drafting carefully fuzzier if not. Just the facts, no recommending anything. (The agency mantra was, "If you want to make policy, go work for a legislator.") Became eventually a go-to when a research project required tedious digging, especially if sleuthing historical records was required.
Began taking Science magazine, published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), a non-job extracurricular subscription, in 1980. Still take the magazine 43 years later. Became aware of TIGHAR after retirement, when a Betchart Expeditions brochure with an AAAS connection arrived in my home mailbox circa 2014, advertising a Nikumaroro expedition travel opportunity. Sounded interesting (a coincidence being that my brother, who died earlier this year, had a July 2, 1937 birthday). But, at $10K plus round-trip airfare, couldn't afford it (substantial monthly philanthropic contributions to a health-challenged, sub-insured neighbor). Also, at the time, a mistaken impression that the Betchart passengers were going to be full-fledged TIGHAR team members rather than tourist add-on groupies to the more carefully selected, skill-credentialed, TIGHAR experts. Considering myself to not be technically conversant in anything of use to TIGHAR, and never really an outdoorsman and with knee cartilage problems thrown in since my early 30s (kneeling is not my forte), I figured I couldn't contribute much Earhart-research value, anyway.
My brother never himself evidenced any Earhart mystery interest. A cousin near his age, likewise deceased, was a charter pilot and one-time crop duster. My San Antonio niece's husband, formerly in the reserves (e.g. cargo planes to Diego Garcia during post-9/11 U.S. military operations in Afghanistan), is a pilot for Delta and recently graduated to international flights for his last few years before retirement. However, I've never discussed TIGHAR topics with him. Joined TIGHAR this summer at the lowest level. Don't know my membership number. I've reviewed and taken extensive notes on Earhart topics, combing through all the issues of TIGHAR Tracks, 1988-present. While doing that, I ordered and read the 2009 paperback of Finding Amelia (hardbound 2006). Occasionally also, I sought and looked at Forum threads that various curiosities led to.
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Welcome Chris!
All are invited to join us and participate. You NEVER know what person might have the next tidbit of wisdon to propel any of the TIGHAR investigations forward!
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Bonjour from France!
First of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Renaud Dudon and i am a lawyer in the civil life.
In 2000, I was a member of TIGHAR for a year on the initiative of Charles F. Sivert, with whom we carried out a short, unsuccessful search for the famous “Gremlins” found by your association in the Maine woods.
Perhaps you have some rememberance of this, Ric. It was a long time ago.
Unfortunately, I was unable to establish any link between this object and any equipment in France. I was even met with outright hostility to my research from certain 'knowledgeable' and well-authorized circles in the field of historical aviation in our country. I never did find out why the mention of the TIGHAR didn't ring true in their ears, and why the doors remained closed.
Occasionally, if you wish, we could talk about this subject, but that's not the primary reason for this message.
Since then, I've always kept an eye on your research and investigations, particularly on the Forum. I must say that your way of reasoning and humble approach to these mysteries calls for a certain respect. Of all those who claim they know how and why Nungesser and Coli disappeared, TIGHAR is the only organization to have, in my opinion, attempted an approach that is both scientifically and pragmatically based.
I've studied this disappearance a little with my limited resources. Many authors in France have come up against this persistent mystery. If I can help a little, I'd be glad to.
Of course, the veil of the unknown cannot be opened so easily, even in the eyes of the researcher who adopts suitable method.
Thanks for reading ! ;)
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Welcome back Renaud! Glad to have you return to the fold, so to speak!
I am always amazed at how some people get all defensive when they don't like or agree with materials or ideas presented to them. I always figure you should at least evaluate what they have before just outright dismissing them. But you can never tell with some people!
Thank you for your assistance in the past, and hopefully now and in the future!