Good observations, Woody, and I respect those. It has been explained to me when I was flying with an instructor that I was, as a qualified pilot in-type, considered PIC (when acting as PIC).
One can make what one will of Amelia Rose Earhart's feat, as one chooses, that's for sure. It can be boiled down to less-than truly 'Earhart heroic' easily enough - the machinery and modern facilities mean there is no real comparison, except by name - should one choose to be excited by that.
Another way to look at it in the modern corporate sense is that a very fine product was given a world stage, with a very recognizable name - whether regarded 'at the wheel' or aboard as a 'sack of potatoes' (observer's choice) - and it was successful. Regardless of how I might see that, now a number of young ladies will also benefit from a fair scholership toward flight education - which is a positive.
So Pilatus wins, 10 young ladies win, and I suppose this latter-day Earhart saw a dream come true - however I might choose to look at what she did. Maybe there is also a net benefit in having the public realize that "
one a them Piper Cubs (sic) made it all the way around th' world without falling" and our image climbs a notch - rah.
Do I think she stacks-up to the original AE in terms of raw, gut effort? No way - just my personal opinion - although in another way, I'm not sure the motives were so different. Do I think there was good in it? See above - it's the world we live in and that's how some things seem to be packaged, whether it meets a pure notion or not. But for sure, she did not strap an L10E onto her backside and risk the open oceans with 1930's technology propelling and guiding her through a hostile back-water world. Somehow I doubt the public missed that point, at least to some degree - times have changed much.
Nothing new in my points here, I realize. I guess it comes down to how the individual sees it. I guess the press got excited about a 'namesake' making the flight (I really did not follow the details), but I always take the press with a few grains of salt anyway (seldom get my news there). Frankly I'm not overly impressed or excited about her success because it's a bit ho-hum to me in terms of 'pushing the envelope' (she did not push it at all, this was easily done in the craft she chose), but I don't begrudge her. And she did do something I haven't done (including sending 10 young women $4,400 in scholarships).
I don't expect most of the public to get the real limits of what was done, nor do I expect them to listen to those who would educate them - or really, honestly see the point in doing so. Too much else to do and they won't listen much anyway... Nor do I see the public tossing ticker-tape over it (or is that something else I missed as I eschewed the press for one more day of my life?).
So, blah...
Anyway, I'm glad she's home safe, and I wish her well. Seems like a nice girl and I'm sure she's a good pilot or Pilatus wouldn't have risked all this, instructor along or not. I'm sure it won't hurt her career, and maybe she will have the poise and integrity to handle her success in this effort with grace and within the honest context of what it really was, and was not, as the years come and go.
But is an Earhart an Earhart, by any other name? As different as Hank Arron was from the Babe, I think - something interesting happened, but the playing field was very different.