Final Takeoff film

[Ric Gillespie]

There's an inconsistency in the famous film of Earhart's final takeoff.   It only took me twenty years or so to notice it but once you know what to look for it's glaring. Can you spot it?
Hint: Don't worry about the taxi and takeoff itself.  It's before that.

https://youtu.be/ntkOyDanuRw

[Albert Durrell]

Noonan has on a white shirt in first few seconds, then a darker one.  Looks like 2 different time frames for film.  Arriving and departing?

[Ric Gillespie]

Noonan has on a white shirt in first few seconds, then a darker one.  Looks like 2 different time frames for film.  Arriving and departing?

You're right, but for the wrong reason. That's not Noonan in the first few frames.

[Kurt Kummer]

Who was it Ric?

[Ric Gillespie]

Who was it Ric?

I don't know, but it's not Fred.  He has a mustache.

[Albert Durrell]

OK, how about shadows having different angle?

[Brian Tannahill]

Do you mean the two different sequences of Fred and Amelia climbing onto the wing, and into the cockpit?  I had to watch several times to be sure that they're different.

Also noticed that in the first sequence, both Fred and Amelia are holding some papers in their left hands.

[Ric Gillespie]

Do you mean the two different sequences of Fred and Amelia climbing onto the wing, and into the cockpit?  I had to watch several times to be sure that they're different.

Also noticed that in the first sequence, both Fred and Amelia are holding some papers in their left hands.

Yes, there are two different sequences but there is something that tells us they were not filmed on the same day - and it's not subtle.

[Brian Tannahill]

I'm probably not on the right track, but at :03 seconds into the film (1st sequence), the side of the plane is well illuminated by sunlight.  At :14 seconds (2nd sequence), it's not.

Shadows are visible in the 1st sequence but not the 2nd. 

Am I still missing the obvious?

[Ric Gillespie]

Am I still missing the obvious?

Yep.  Don't feel bad.  I missed it for years.

[Bruce Thomas]

At the beginning (:05-:06), no hangar is seen in front of the nose of the plane. Later (:13-:15) there's a hangar in front of the plane.

[Ric Gillespie]

At the beginning (:05-:06), no hangar is seen in front of the nose of the plane. Later (:13-:15) there's a hangar in front of the plane.

Yes, the airplane is in a different location for the second boarding sequence but there's something that strongly suggests the two boarding sequences were filmed on different days.

Spoiler Alert:  The Facebook crowd figured it out but I gave them a big hint.  You guys are better than that.  If you go there and get the answer don't spoil the fun for the other Forum Folk.

[Bruce Thomas]

Ah, looks like Amelia changed her shirt (presumably after having spent the night somewhere).

In the first sequence, her short sleeves end just above the elbow. In the second sequence, she has long sleeves down to her wrists.

[Ric Gillespie]

Ah, looks like Amelia changed her shirt (presumably after having spent the night somewhere).

In the first sequence, her short sleeves end just above the elbow. In the second sequence, she has long sleeves down to her wrists.

BINGO!  Amelia never wears the same shirt two days in a row. That short-sleeved dark shirt with white piping she's wearing in the first boarding sequence is the shirt she was wearing on July 1st when they made the local test flight.  The film up until 0:09 was taken on July 1st.  I suspect the scene with the locals standing in front of the plane was also taken on the 1st because, in the second boarding sequence (long sleeves), the plane seems to be parked close to the hangar.  I think the footage from 0.12 to the end was taken on July 2nd.
Note that in the second boarding sequence the engines are running.  That seems strange to me.  Why would she start the engines, leave the airplane, then re-enter the plane? She wants to conserve fuel. She needs to warm the oil before takeoff but there's plenty of time to do that during takeoff and pre-takeoff checks. Did somebody else start the engines for her?
I've stood on the wing of the Pensacola sort-of-replica that has the same cockpit hatch arrangement as NR16020. Climbing into that cockpit via the hatch is no mean feat.  You're about six feet off the ground, standing very close to the leading edge of the wing and swinging your leg up into that hole. I sure as hell wouldn't want to do it with the prop turning about 3.5 feet away.  Crazy.
 

[Bill Mangus]

The film is a series of scene's spliced together.  I wonder what happened to the sections not used?  Trashed?  Stuck away in someone's desk or filing cabinet?