Quote from: Randy Conrad on November 02, 2025, 12:47:38 PMhttps://timeandnavigation.si.edu/research/amelia-earhart-and-the-profession-of-air-navigation

I posted this article from the Smithsonian after searching Google for any inkling that Fred Noonan might have had some morse code training even as a navigator. This whole round the world trip was a death trap from the start. One of the things I'm mystified about is Paul Manning work on the radio prior to the flight. We know that Amelia let him go because of dissatisfaction in his work.

I don't feel confident about that claim at all.

"Manning was a well qualified nautical navigator, possessed an amateur radio license and was proficient in sending and receiving. He had become a licensed private pilot in 1930" (Ameliapedia).

I think Manning saw that AE was not a competent pilot when she ground-looped the Electra at Luke Field. My impression is that he bailed on her and that her remarks about his radio skills were made after the breakup, not before.

He did nothing to sabotage the second attempt. AE had the low-frequency trailing antenna removed from plane to save weight. That would have been the perfect frequency range to use for Itasca's DF equipment.

She also removed the Hooven direction finding receiver and adopted the less refined system with the photogenic circular (and draggy) antenna above the cockpit.

"A Bureau of Air Commerce inspection dated November 27, 1936 describes a Bendix Radio Compass "rear of copilot's seat in cabin" (as shown in the photo). Hooven later alleged that Earhart ditched his system for a more primitive system in order to save weight. His claim is corroborated by photos that show that the distinctive faired-over loop of the Hooven system disappears in early 1937 about the same time the loop first appears. The Bureau of Air Commerce inspection done when the airplane came out of repair on May 19, 1937 makes no mention of a second receiver." Ric Gillespie, 28 February 2009 Forum.

Lastly, Manning played no role whatsoever in the total foulup of radio frequencies and protocols caused by AE's abysmal misunderstanding of how direction finding works. This is throughly documented in Randy Jacobson's remarkable transcription of all available radio traffic between the Navy, the Coast Guard, and Amelia.

QuoteSo now I'm wandering how much training did he have in radio knowledge. I'm almost led to believe that Manning sabotaged the Electra to teach Amelia a lesson ..that she doesn't know everything about everything.

The plane was thoroughly reconstructed after the accident in Hawaii. Manning was long gone by the time the wreck arrived back at Lockheed headquarters.

QuoteI guess I'm stooped as to why anyone would fly alone with someone who didn't have the slightest inkling about morse code. Basically, this flight was set for failure from the start.

Agreed.

AE certainly learned from her mistake on the attempted takeoff from Luke field.

She made a masterful takeoff from Lae and let the plane sink down into "ground effect" (even though it was over the water) and calmly flew away at low altitude until she had burned off enough fuel or gained enough airspeed to climb higher.

She did not know that she did not know how to do DF between her plane and the Coast Guard teams on and near Howland. They could not DF on her voice frequencies. She could not DF on the high frequency on which they transmitted the letter A. Nothing in the preceding flights most of the way around the world revealed that fatal flaw in their plans.

https://timeandnavigation.si.edu/research/amelia-earhart-and-the-profession-of-air-navigation

I posted this article from the Smithsonian after searching Google for any inkling that Fred Noonan might have had some morse code training even as a navigator. This whole round the world trip was a death trap from the start. One of the things I'm mystified about is Paul Manning work on the radio prior to the flight. We know that Amelia let him go because of dissatisfaction in his work. So now I'm wandering how much training did he have in radio knowledge. I'm almost led to believe that Manning sabotaged the Electra to teach Amelia a lesson ..that she doesn't know everything about everything. I guess I'm stooped as to why anyone would fly alone with someone who didn't have the slightest inkling about morse code. Basically, this flight was set for failure from the start. Thank you Monty for sharing this article. One thing I'm curious about is the code name BLACK ITASCA in this document. Can someone please shed some light on this subject. Thanks

This is a transcription:

https://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Archives/Documents/Chater_Report.html

The page does not answer your question about where the original is at present.

Still in Vancouver, perhaps?

Book excerpt: Book excerpt: Placer Development and Amelia Earhart's final flight:

QuoteTIGHAR's conclusions were aided unexpectedly by the discovery of a file marked "Bulolo Gold Dredging, Ltd./Amelia Earhart" in Placer Dome's basement storage in Vancouver about 1991. The file contained a report for the U.S. Bureau of Air Commerce written by Eric Chater, General Manager of Guinea Airways at Lae, three weeks after Earhart's disappearance.

It was written after the Bureau asked Frank Griffin, a Placer Development director in San Francisco, for any "information of interest relative to Miss Earhart's visit and flight," and Griffin cabled Chater for help.

Of particular interest to TIGHAR were the confirmation of the fuel load carried, and the fact that Earhart made an unsuccessful attempt to test her radio direction finder prior to that flight.

"We greatly appreciate Placer Dome's generosity in making it [Chater's report] available," TIGHAR said.

Is there a better scanned original version of the Chater report anywhere?  Where is the physical copy of the archived version...?
 
Please and Thank you!

Bingo. I think Jon nailed it (although the islet seems to have disappeared).

Is it this coral rock? I still think someone should look for artifacts around the base of this rock. Long shot for sure, but to date unexplored.

Jon

A few days ago I sent Ric an email in regards to the photos that Google Earth had of the image. Ric did mention that it was a coral block and mentioned some members of the team had seen it several years back. Granted I believe Ric whole heartedly..but trying to figure out why this coral block is flat on the edges with what appears to be holes on both sides at the top. As shown the picture changed dramatically and turned Google Earth around and caught it from an angle. So I dont know what to believe but another member thought it too was 10 ft in length. So if any members of past expeditions have photos of this or if someone has Google Earth live..I would love to see this first hand. Anyway, sure appreciate your thoughts an input on this image!!

I personally am already sick of the hype the MSM is making of this "expedition". They are basing it all on 10 year old photographic evidence, and we know there hasn't been anything there when we have been there. How come our little outfit never gets the MSM spamming coverage when we do something?

As far as your images- interesting to say the least.

March 18, 2022 Google Earth imagery

One of my most interesting Google Earth explorations was to look at every image Google has collected of Ritiati Pond.

It was evidently filled with structures during the colonial era.

In times of drought, the remnants of the structures emerge more clearly.