Grace McGuire planning to re-create AE's flight with 10-E

[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

The San Diego Air and Space Museum is going to help complete the renovation of McGuire's aircraft.

NR1602D has been decked out in AE's colors for years.

http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/1446-full.html#201037

Tribute page that lists extant Lockheed 10 and 12 aircraft.

           Marty

[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

Another article on San Diego Air and Space Museum's plans for Grace McGuire's Lockheed 10-E:

"Muriel" will leave Santa Maria, California, and travel by trailer and caravan down the coast to the Gillespie Annex of the San Diego Air & Space Museum in San Diego. The Gillespie hangar will be home for the final rebuild and assembly of the plane.

So far as we know, their Gillespie has nothing to do with TIGHAR's Gillespie.

            Marty

[Monty Fowler]

Not trying to sound flip or anything, but I hope she has better luck at it!

[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

Not trying to sound flip or anything, but I hope she has better luck at it!

Hear, hear!

[Mark Petersen]

Interesting video interview from earlier this year with Grace McGuire:
http://www.sandiegocountynews.com/?p=1735

Does anyone know what she was referring to when she said that she thinks she found parts of Earharts Electra?

Grace said that her re-creation flight would happen in "early spring", did she mean this year or 2011?  Did it already take place?

[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

Interesting video interview from earlier this year with Grace McGuire:
http://www.sandiegocountynews.com/?p=1735

Does anyone know what she was referring to when she said that she thinks she found parts of Earharts Electra?

Not me.

Grace said that her re-creation flight would happen in "early spring", did she mean this year or 2011?  Did it already take place?

The date on the page is February 27, 2010.  I think she must be aiming for 2011.

[Mark Petersen]

Typical vagaries of the English language.  Does "next spring" (as stated in February) mean the one coming up or the one in 2011?  I'm guessing that you're right in that it's 2011.  The "next" "next" spring  ;D

[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

Typical vagaries of the English language.  Does "next spring" (as stated in February) mean the one coming up or the one in 2011?  I'm guessing that you're right in that it's 2011.  The "next" "next" spring  ;D

I don't have time to replay the video this morning.  My impression when I heard the reporter was that he said "in the spring of next year."  Since the date on the article was 2010, it seemed pretty clear to me that he was saying "in the spring of 2011."  The facts are out there and someone with a spare five minutes could confirm or refute this impression.   8)

[Mark Petersen]

I assume that it must be 2011 because a Google search doesn't turn up anything about a flight having taken place.  Btw, the reporter says, "Grace tells us that the flight will take place next spring".

Interestingly enough though the google search turned up a radio interview with Grace this past May:
http://www.warbirdradio.com/2010/05/grace-mcguire-warbird-radio-live-monday/

In the interview she says that she brought back "a part" of AEs plane during a trip in 1986 to Howland and Baker Islands.  She said that she found it in the water and not on land and immediately recognized it as a part from a 10E (she said something to the effect of being the only person who can recognize a 10E part).  She said that there were larger pieces that she couldn't bring back and she wants to organize a return trip to retrieve those parts.  She said that, initially, she didn't tell anyone about the part other than Amelia's sister.  The part is sitting in a box on the East Coast.  

Grace's story is inspirational to those afflicted with Lyme Disease or any other chronic disease for that matter, but the comments about knowing where AE's plane is at and having a piece of it seems to be pretty far out there.

[Ric Gillespie]

If Grace was on Howland and found an airplane part it was almost certainly from the Martin PBM "Mariner" that was beached there during WWII after an inflight engine fire.

[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

If Grace was on Howland and found an airplane part it was almost certainly from the Martin PBM "Mariner" that was beached there during WWII after an inflight engine fire.

Picture of some of the wreckage and links to the story in the article about Howland Island.

[Thom Boughton]

.....In the interview she says that she brought back "a part" of AEs plane during a trip in 1986 to Howland and Baker Islands.  She said that she found it in the water and not on land and immediately recognized it as a part from a 10E (she said something to the effect of being the only person who can recognize a 10E part)...... 

Not to be too glib, but she sure must be one terribly amazing person!  I have an awful lot of time in Twin Beech's and MU2's (not to mention a host of smaller singles and twins) ...and, barring a few notable and obvious exceptions, I doubt that I could absolutely positively identify a randomly found part of either of those types.  I might be able to say 'Gee, that looks a lot like this part or that part', but I would not have the guts to claim such mastery as to eliminate any and all other possibilities.

Unless the 'part' she found is a labeled corner of the Weight & Balance paperwork or some similarly tagged placard...I'd not put  much faith in this claim. 

I hope she was not as absolute if indeed she did repeat this claim to the family.  Would seem, in my opinion, to be terribly cruel to do so.




...TB


<edited for really bad typing skills>

[Heath Smith]

This is quite an old topic but I found this video on pbs.org this morning.

Amelia Earhart Plane on PBS.org.

at about 11:40 in to the video there is a discussion with Grace.

Do we know if she ever made this flight?

Thanks.

[Ric Gillespie]

Do we know if she ever made this flight?

Yes, we know. No, she didn't.