Master Timeline

[Ric Gillespie]

I hope by working the bugs out of it for the book there will eventually come time and effort available to expand it to include the entire Fred and Amelia project.

This should be a good project for testing and developing this way of organizing Forum research.  The subject is narrowly focused on the airplane so we're not trying to weave multiple threads as I had to do in Finding Amelia -The True Story of the Earhart Disappearance.  The next book in the trilogy, Finding Amelia -The Castaway of Gardner Island will have to tell both Amelia's story and TIGHAR's story, two chronologies separated by more than half a century that will have to be woven together into a coherent narrative. I'm going to need all the help I can get.

[Steve Lyle Gunderson]

Ric,
Looks like you have 3 timelines for data entry/collection, the 'Plane', the 'Radio' and 'Earhart' with the date format defined (forced) in each cell.
If you want to see all 3 sheets combined you can color code each one, then copy/paste into one spreadsheet and sort the data (ie: date) in ascending or descending order.
I am no expert either but I have used this program to track training & qualification records for several thousand people with relative ease over a 9 year period. You should end up with about 1150 combined date entries, assuming one date for each of the 3 spreadsheets. If you need help, let me know, email or phone works.
Just keep a backup copy of your Master entries in case something goes haywire.

[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

Okay.  Got that.  In most cases we'll have date information.  In some cases we'll only have a range of dates (for example: this piece of equipment was installed some time between this date and that date).  Time of day information is largely unavailable or irrelevant.  We don't really need to know whether Earhart gave her talk at a luncheon or a dinner.

OK.  So keep two columns: start-date and end-date.

If they are identical, they will appear in your timeline as lasting for just one day.

Maybe I'm missing something but I've been thinking that the spreadsheet IS the timeline. 

Yes it is, from the standpoint of being a precise record associating events with dates.

But you can "graph" the information contained in the workbook so that you see a graphic timeline. 

"How to Make a Timeline in Excel Using a Template"

I'm hoping that by tracking Earhart's movements during the year, in parallel to the evolution of the airplane, we'll get a better feel for how much of her time was devoted to planning, preparing, and training for the world flight versus time spent in other activities (lecture tours, press events, political events, etc.). As far as I know, nobody has ever looked at the last year of Earhart's life from this perspective.

I'm looking forward to reading the book!

[Daniel R. Brown]

Starting the timeline on July 2, 1936, would provide a nice symmetry. Around the first of July '36 GP's mother had just died and the funeral was being arranged. Soon after that the Mantz divorce proceedings were in the news. So, plenty of other preoccupations during July before delivery of the plane.

On July 2nd and 3rd a photo of AE atop the partially-assembled (partially skinned, no wings or engines) Electra was published in several newspapers, it could be a good image to anchor the beginning of the timeline. Resolution and contrast of the image varies among papers but is generally poor. (If TIGHAR has a better print, it includes a good look at the "patch" area ...).

Delivery of the plane on July 21st at United Airport and first hop to Las Vegas and back that day with E.C. McLeod was reported in several papers.

Dan Brown, #2408

[Monty Fowler]

Since this is about timelines, I think it's important to keep another timeline in mind - the one leading towards completion.

I know - and totally get - the argument that it's tough to know when to quit gathering data and info and pictures and documents, and declare that part done, now on to the writing, but as Ric just said, this book is much more narrowly focused and so deciding when "enough" is in fact enough should be much more straightforward. We also have to be aware that this is a group effort, with a lot of people coming forward with their own time, money, and research findings, in expectation that the finished project they are working towards will be delivered in a timely manner.

And that's all I've got to say about that.

LTM,
Monty Fowler, TIGHAR No. 2189 EC

[Ric Gillespie]

Starting the timeline on July 2, 1936, would provide a nice symmetry.

Good point well made.  We will make it so.

[Ric Gillespie]

We also have to be aware that this is a group effort, with a lot of people coming forward with their own time, money, and research findings, in expectation that the finished project they are working towards will be delivered in a timely manner.

That is true of everything TIGHAR does.  The concept of "timely" depends entirely upon the resources we're able to devote.  I love this stuff.  If I had the option I would spend all day every day working on this book.  Instead, I have to devote time to promoting the Literary Guild, seeking sponsors for Niku IX, building the membership base, and organizing other TIGHAR initiatives.

And that's all I've got to say about that. 

Good.

By the way, Pat's responsibilities with regard to the book are every bit as arduous and time consuming as the research and the writing.  She handles all of the layout and artwork.  For every major iteration of the aircraft she'll produce full color illustrations just as she did for the Harney Drawings. In that case she started with Bill Harney's line drawings which he donated to TIGHAR when his model of the Electra was completed.  We had the drawings digitized and Pat converted them into full color illustrations - a huge project that took two years.  Bill's drawings rendered the airplane as it was in its final iteration.  Pat will build on her previous work to create new illustrations that depict the aircraft as it was when it was delivered and at subsequent stages in its evolution.

[Greg Daspit]

We also have to be aware that this is a group effort, with a lot of people coming forward with their own time, money, and research findings, in expectation that the finished project they are working towards will be delivered in a timely manner.

That is true of everything TIGHAR does.  The concept of "timely" depends entirely upon the resources we're able to devote.  I love this stuff.  If I had the option I would spend all day every day working on this book.  Instead, I have to devote time to promoting the Literary Guild, seeking sponsors for Niku IX, building the membership base, and organizing other TIGHAR initiatives.

And that's all I've got to say about that. 

We had the drawings digitized and Pat converted them into full color illustrations - a huge project that took two years.  Bill's drawings rendered the airplane as it was in its final iteration.  Pat will build on her previous work to create new illustrations that depict the aircraft as it was when it was delivered and at subsequent stages in its evolution.

Pat's illustrations are very well done. I look forward to the book.
My father wrote a series of 3 history books (originally intended to be one text book). His students, including myself, did some of the field research and it took decades.
I'm reminded of a quote my father used to repeat.
"When will you make it end?" "When I'm finished." Pope Julius II, and Michelangelo - The Agony and the Esctasy

[Ric Gillespie]

We're going to use Google Docs for the Master Timeline and we're ready for the first test.
We want everyone to be able to read and use the interactive timeline.  The link below should take you to the blank prototype.  The timeline does not yet have any entries or internal links to photos or documents.  We'll get to that, but first we want to be sure you can get to the document.  You'll probably need to have a Google Account but it's free and easy if you don't already have one.  Let me know how you make out.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19Sc5pG3ag7tRJLWI7axnoNrkIxJvjCMoM3VPDazaJY0/edit?usp=sharing

[Steve Lyle Gunderson]

Success, I'm in the Master Timeline. Looks good.

[Bill Mangus]

I'm in.  Looks good.  Can't wait to see it filled-in.

[Friend Weller]

Displayed immediately.  Now to populate the blanks...!

[Alfred Hendrickson]

Yes. Loads right away. No issues.

[Ric Gillespie]

So far so good.  Next test.
I've loaded a link in the "aircraft" sheet entry for May 19, 1937.  See if it works.

[Bill Mangus]

Logged in.  Don't see anything for that date (or any other).

Is it possible to make the link to get into the timeline a button on the Forum page that only show-up when you're logged-in?