Please click on the links below for access to each issue. The files are PDFs which can be read on line or downloaded. They can be read with Adobe Acrobat.
TIGHAR Tracks
TIGHAR Tracks is a periodic publication of The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery. All issues are on line as PDFs, with some delay; some are also available as text files.
Finding Amelia: The True Story Of the Earhart Disappearance
Finding Amelia, Ric Gillespie’s book on the 1937 search for Earhart, is excerpted and discussed in this section. The data DVD content is included in its entirety as well.
The Book
he unlikely process by which Finding Amelia came to be written began in 1999. TIGHAR’s investigation of the Earhart disappearance
Foreword
by Mark R. Peattie, Ph.D. Asia-Pacific Research CenterStanford University t is difficult to write about a legend. Write too richly
Acknowledgments
The research that made this book possible has been an eighteen-year voyage of discovery. The International Group for Historic Aircraft
Introduction
n July 2, 1937, Amelia Earhart vanished somewhere in the Central Pacific during an attempted flight around the world. Finding
About the Author
he son of a decorated World War Two pilot, Richard E. Gillespie grew up around airplanes and learned to fly
About the DVD
ach hardback copy of Finding Amelia comes with a complete resource library on DVD, offering one-click links from source notes
Buy
is available in both hardback and soft cover. The hardback, with free data DVD, is available ONLY from TIGHAR. The
Volume 1 through Volume 5
1985 through 1989
| AA | Aviation Archeology |
| AC | Aviation Archeology Course |
| AE | Earhart Project |
| B17 | B-17 in New Guinea |
| BBH | Bombay Hook P-47 |
| BL | Bellanca survey |
| CBT | CyberTIGHAR |
| FR | Fund Raising |
| FS | For Sale |
| GH | General History |
| HM | Humor |
| HP | Historic Preservation |
| LT | Letters |
| MH | Maid of Harlech |
| MM | Membership issues |
| OS | Operation Sepulchre |
| PMG | Project Midnight Ghost |
| PR | Public Relations |
| RM | Rumor Mill |
| RV | Review of book or film |
| TB | TIGHAR Business |
| TBD | TBD Devastator, Jaluit Atoll |
Issue | Title | Subject | Code |
| Volume 1, #1 2/15/85 | The Agaiambo E | The B-17 in New Guinea. | B17 |
| Operation Barnstormer | Aircraft in a barn in New York. | HP | |
| Rumor Mill | Condor; Buccaneer; P-26; June Bug. | RM | |
| Midnight Ghost | Report of field work in Maine. | PMG | |
| Public Exhibits 1985 | List of appearances. | PR | |
| Volume 1, #2 5/15/85 | Welcome | Welcome to new members. | PR |
| Midnight Ghost | Technology to be deployed in field work. | PMG | |
| Operation Barnstormer | Aircraft and components for sale. | FS | |
| The Agaiambo E | Research progress on B-17. | B-17 | |
| Rumor Mill | Underground Luftwaffe, Lost Zeros, Hellcats and Catalinas. | RM | |
| The Swamp Orphan | P-47 research on NC swamp aircraft. | RM | |
| Volume 1, #3 9/15/85 | Notice of Expedition | B-17 field work in New Guinea. | B-17 |
| Midnight Ghost | Report of field work. | PMG | |
| The Rumor Mill | B-17 in Maine | RM | |
| Operation Sepulchre | Report on research | OS | |
| Operation Gold Rush | Research on WWII aircraft in Alaska | HP | |
| Swamp Orphan | P-47 research project | RM | |
| TIGHAR Travels | Report on what management did | MM | |
| Each One Reach One | Membership drive | MM | |
| Volume 2, # 1 2/15/86 | That They Might Escape the Teeth of Time | Preservation essay | HP |
| B-17E Recovery Expedition | Update on research and expedition | B-17 | |
| Round Up | Swamp Orphan, Alaska, stuff for sale | RM | |
| Midnight Ghost | Update on research and expeditions | PMG | |
| The Rumor Mill | B-17 in Maine; B-24 etc. in PNG; Pittsburgh B-25 | RM | |
| Strictly Business | Taxes; chapters; expedition questionnaire; sponsor thanks | TB | |
| Volume 2, # 2 5/15/86 | Proof of Concept | Project halted by PNG government. | B-17 |
| Midnight Ghost | Second Lake hypothesis | PMG | |
| Annual Dinner | Announcement and invite; B-17 theme | FR | |
| Mission Update | Write-up of trip to B-17 | B-17 | |
| Operation Sepulchre | Research and progress | OS | |
| Rumor Mill | B-17 in Maine | RM | |
| Strictly Business | Richard Yersak on board; other board business; members and ex-members; B-17 expedition | TB | |
| Volume 2, # 3 11/15/86 | Aircraft to Artifact | Preservation essay | HP |
| Operation Sepulchre | OpSep sponsorship | OS | |
| The Defense Does Not Rest | B-17 problems | B-17 | |
| Midnight Ghost | PMG 1986 fieldwork – camping in the woods | PMG | |
| Snow Job | Alaska explanations and history | HP | |
| Crack Shots | Book and magazine reviews | RV | |
| Strictly Business | Members and ex-members; B-17 beads and trinkets | TB | |
| Volume 3, # 1 5/15/87 | To The Members | Welcome to new members | MM |
| Curtain Call | PMG history lesson | PMG | |
| Dramatis Personae | Bios of Nungesser and Coli | PMG | |
| Midnight Ghost | General update | PMG | |
| Notice of Expedition | Search ops plan | PMG | |
| Member-To-Member | Member report on field work in Maine. | PMG | |
| Two Steps Forward – One Step Back | Agaiambo E progress and problems. | B-17 | |
| Operation Sepulchre | Research update | OS | |
| Rumor Mill | Greenland P-38s, Byrd’s Condor | RM | |
| Goingzon | Hunter hunt for Ed Stead; Connie for sale | FS | |
| Dear TIGHAR | Letters from members, including Mary Wickham Bond | LT | |
| Review and Comments | Book review, A Missing Plane | RV | |
| Strictly Business | Computer needs; Sun ’n’ Fun; financial statements | TB | |
| For Sale | Beads and trinkets | FS | |
| Chuck & Frank’s Garage | Bob Gillespie’s Midnight Ghost cartoon. | HM | |
| TIGHAR | Mission statement | MM | |
| Investigative Seminar | NASM seminar results | PMG | |
| Volume 3, #2 8/15/87 | TIGHAR | Contents, mission statement, board list | MM |
| The Warbird Dilemma | Preservation essay | HP | |
| Dear TIGHAR | Letters from members and others | LT | |
| New Evidence | Midnight Ghost stuff | PMG | |
| Notes From the Field | Expedition XI | PMG | |
| One Less Loose End | Geoff Hurlbut’s article on flight suits | PMG | |
| Black Heart | Nungesser’s Coat of Arms | PMG | |
| Group Effort | Sponsor thanks, and listing of individual help | PMG | |
| B-17 Recovery | Report on progress (none) | B-17 | |
| Operation Sepulchre | Research progress | OS | |
| Historic Aircraft Directory | Possibility of computerized directory | HP | |
| The Rumor Mill | Berry in Montana, cigarette case; Ryan in Arizona | PMG/RM | |
| The Aviation Archeologist | Flying searches | AA | |
| Taking it Personally | Funding issues | FR | |
| Strictly Business | Board and acknowledgements | TB | |
| Volume 4, #1 4/15/88 | Overview – The Warbird Dilemma II | Preservation essay. | HP |
| Dear TIGHAR | Preservation comments from members | LT | |
| Project Midnight Ghost | Overview of the project | PMG | |
| Notes From the Field | PMG 12 and 13 | PMG | |
| Affairs of the Heart | PMG Black heart and motto | PMG | |
| Is There a French Major in the House? | Request for help translating report | PMG | |
| L’Oiseau Blanc and the Lindbergh Legacy | How the two flights related to each other | PMG | |
| Unsolved Mysteries | The show about us | PMG | |
| Far Side | Cartooon: “Early Archeologists” | HM | |
| Group Effort | PMG fundraising | FR | |
| L’Oiseau Blanc | Plans of aircraft | PMG | |
| Goin’ For It | Travis and TIGHAR problems | B-17 | |
| A Shocking Tail | Ju88 tail with swastika | OS | |
| Members’ Exploits – Truk Odyssey | Alan Olson and Curt Newport | MM | |
| Rumor Mill | Cincinnati Airacobra; Greenland P-38s | RM | |
| Thanks for the Memories | Aviation archeologist: Witness testimony | AA | |
| Strictly Business | TIGHAR move; membership fee up to $35 | TB | |
| Volume 4, #2 7/15/88 | Overview | Editorial on TIGHAR’s future | FR |
| Dear TIGHAR | Letters concerning new format | LT | |
| Notes From the Field | Report on PMG XIV | PMG | |
| Group Effort | PMG funding | PMG | |
| Calvin & Hobbes | Archeology cartoon | HM | |
| Amelia, Child & Pilot | Review of Amelia My Courageous Sister | RV/AE | |
| Members’ Exploits | B-47 and Ford Tri-Motor in Montana | MM | |
| From the Ground Up | First offering of course | AA | |
| 10 in 10 | Membership campaign | FR | |
| The Case of the Boys in the Bunker | Report on Valhalla by Albrecht Weissman | OS | |
| The Aviation Archeologist | Searching from the air | AA | |
| Strictly Business | Dues, addresses, etc. | TB | |
| Volume 5, #1 5/15/89 | Earhart Project Receives Diplomatic Approval | Kiribati gives approval to Niku I | AE |
| Cast Your Bread Upon the Waters | Influence of the project. | PMG | |
| Project Midnight Ghost | Notes from the Field XVI | PMG | |
| Quick & Dirty | News briefs – SYMA | RM | |
| Strictly Business | New format. First produced on our own computer | TB | |
| Volume 5, #2 6/15/89 | All Ahead Full | Earhart Project update | AE |
| Quick & Dirty | Greenland; Wildcat; PMG update | RM | |
| Historic Aircraft and Adaptive Use | Preservation essay | HP | |
| Wooden Witches | Review of Donahue’s book | RV | |
| Are You Certifiable | List of people who have taken course | AC | |
| Strictly Business | Renewals, directory, course schedule | TB | |
| Volume 5, #3 8/15/89 | Testing the Hypothesis | Departure of first Earhart expedition | AE |
| Project Midnight Ghost | PMG XVII announcement | PMG | |
| Adaptive Use | Preservation and accident losses | HP | |
| Strictly Business | Renewals, directories, courses | TB | |
| Volume 5, #4 11/15/89 | Finding Amelia | Update on search | AE |
| Quick & Dirty | Greenland; PMG 17 announcement | RM | |
| Adaptive Use | CAF A-20; P-51s | HP | |
| Strictly Business | Directory; course; orders | TB | |
| Volume 5, #5 12/15/89 | Artifact Identification & Analysis | Bookcase and lighter | AE |
| Project Midnight Ghost | PMG 17 report | PMG | |
| Research Needed | AE – batteries, Sydney crash, J. L. Marks, Noonan | AE | |
| Where Does the Money Go | Pie chart of TIGHAR finances | TB | |
| Strictly Business | Tax deductions for members | TB |