Refueling over Midway Island

[Randy Conrad]

Shortly, before Amelia's first go around at the world voyage. She wrote a letter to F.D.R. indicating her idea of "refueling" over Midway Island. She was rather worried and concerned with the hazard of too much weight and the distance. The reason I am writing this is wandering if any of you out there know how you go about refueling a Lockheed Electra in midair? I'm wandering if the artifact of research has anything to do with the idea of cancelling that mid-air refueling after changing course!

[jgf1944]

She wrote a letter to F.D.R. indicating her idea of "refueling" over Midway Island.

Hi Randy. I was not aware of this letter ostensibly written by AE; thanx. I am confused about over Midway. Why not just land on the island to refuel? Any thoughts?
jgf

[Bob Smith]

What is your basis for this story? I don't think we need to make any more stories up!!

[Chris Johnson]

What is your basis for this story? I don't think we need to make any more stories up!!

https://tighar.org/smf/index.php/topic,1623.msg35741.html#msg35741

[pilotart]

There was no Runway at Midway in 1937, Pan Am had been using it as a rest/refuel stop, but that was using their Flying Boats.  See:

http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/aviation/mid.htm

There had been a history of air-to-air refueling going back to (at least) 1922, but the Navy feeling was that they would not expect Amelia to undergo the Training necessary for such an operation.  See:

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=745

Howland Island (where the State Department had placed 'colonists' since 1935) was offered as an alternative.  They were planning for possible future Air Routes to New Zealand with Howland as a possible stopover.

There was a 'battle' going on over landing rights and the UK had denied them in the Phoenix Islands for the US, as the US had denied them for the UK in Hawaii. 

[Bruce Thomas]

I am confused about over Midway. Why not just land on the island to refuel? Any thoughts?

There was no airfield on Midway Island in 1937, only facilities for flying boats. Henderson Field wasn't built there until 1941 by the US Navy. That's why Amelia came up with her idea to refuel in midair.

I recommend reading Ric's book, Finding Amelia (Naval Institute Press, 2006), where you'll find a description of AE's original idea, during initial planning of the World Flight, to perform an aerial refueling operation. See page 7, in the first chapter, titled "An Airport in the Ocean".

If you don't have a copy of the book readily at hand, then you can read the pre-publication serialization of it in Tighar Tracks.  That link points to the draft of the initial chapter of the book, on page 13 of the first issue of 2005. (At that point in time, Chapter 1 of the book was being called "Kamakaiwi Field".)

 

[Jeff Palshook]

pilotart is correct, the airfield at Midway was built by the U.S. military in 1941.  That first airstrip was built on Eastern Island, not on Sand Island (the bigger of the two islands forming Midway Atoll).  The current airfield at Midway is on Sand Island.  It is mostly abandoned/dormant, used very rarely as an emergency landing field for some trans-Pacific airliner having mechanical difficulties.

See the book "A Glorious Page in Our History:  The Battle of Midway, 4-6 June 1942".  The first part of this book includes a short history of Midway prior to WW II.

Bruce Thomas -- The airstrip on Midway was not named Henderson Field.  Henderson Field was constructed later on Guadacanal.  Henderson Field was named in honor of USMC Major Lofton Henderson, who was killed in action, flying from the Midway airstrip, during the Battle of Midway.

Jeff P.

[Bruce Thomas]

Bruce Thomas -- The airstrip on Midway was not named Henderson Field.  Henderson Field was constructed later on Guadacanal.  Henderson Field was named in honor of USMC Major Lofton Henderson, who was killed in action, flying from the Midway airstrip, during the Battle of Midway.

Jeff, kindly read the Wikipedia entry about all the airfields in the Pacific named "Henderson Field," including the one on Midway.

[Bob Smith]

Thanks for the informative responses, guys. I'm glad they scrapped the idea of midair refueling over midway, or over anywhere. She couldn't find the runway at Howland  where she was supposed to refuel, I wouldn't expect her to find the blunt end of a gas hose in midair!

[Randy Conrad]

Bob....In reference to your last post....this is basically what
Im trying to find out.....how did they refuel this Lockheed Electra when
it was specially made for Amelia. What was the maneuver used to do this n mid-flight?  I agree with you that she couldn't pull this off....but am curious as to the steps taken to pull off a refueling? Let me know...thanks

[JNev]

It was refueled on the ground by a cart, truck or directly from drums.

Never WAS any mid-air re-fueling done with Earhart's Electra... or any other that I am aware of (or could find evidence of).

Check the highlighted link here for a nice summary of the general history of in-flight refueling.

[Bob Smith]

A really good article on midair refueling, Jeff. I think the lost could have used the technology even as primitive as it was then. But I am now looking for the latest report on the crew looking for the lost that was looking for a good place to land when and if they  ran out of fuel!

[Monty Fowler]

The "aerial refueling over Midway" gambit was one of the few times that Amelia's "I'm a friend of Eleanor's, you know, the First Lady" gambit didn't work. It still astonishes me how much she was able to bully the government into doing for the World Flight, solely on her behalf.

LTM,
Monty Fowler, TIGHAR No. 2189 ECSP

[Bob Smith]

How about pilot ejection systems: had they been invented yet? Or Maybe that's what Fred was referring to when he was heard saying" Let me out of here" (Betty's notebook ? ) He was trying to get to the door so he could jump out with a parachute..   

[Randy Conrad]

Bob and Monty...here is the link to the letter written by Amelia to F.D.R!

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/6705943