Thomas A Willi, CDR USN (Ret.) - Revision history

Moleski at 16:12, 15 April 2012

2012-04-15T16:12:37Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:12, 15 April 2012
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	"Only much later did we learn about Wade's role in getting Tom Willi		"Only much later did we learn about Wade's role in getting Tom Willi
	interested in the Earhart affair."[http://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/forum/Forum_Archives/200002.txt]		interested in the Earhart affair."[http://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/forum/Forum_Archives/200002.txt]

			== Links ==
			* [http://www.nwfdailynews.com/articles/amelia-48949-earhart-.html "Local men assist in search for Amelia Earhart."]

	[[Category:Biographical Data\|Willi]]		[[Category:Biographical Data\|Willi]]
	[[Category:TIGHAR members\|Willi]]		[[Category:TIGHAR members\|Willi]]

Rickerjones at 14:28, 12 June 2010

2010-06-12T14:28:16Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:28, 12 June 2010
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	"Only much later did we learn about Wade's role in getting Tom Willi		"Only much later did we learn about Wade's role in getting Tom Willi
	interested in the Earhart affair."[http://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/forum/Forum_Archives/200002.txt]		interested in the Earhart affair."[http://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/forum/Forum_Archives/200002.txt]
	[[Category:Biographical Data]]		[[Category:Biographical Data\|Willi]]
			[[Category:TIGHAR members\|Willi]]

Rickerjones: Add catagory: Biographical Data

2010-06-11T21:08:11Z

Add catagory: Biographical Data

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:08, 11 June 2010
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	"Only much later did we learn about Wade's role in getting Tom Willi		"Only much later did we learn about Wade's role in getting Tom Willi
	interested in the Earhart affair."[http://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/forum/Forum_Archives/200002.txt]		interested in the Earhart affair."[http://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/forum/Forum_Archives/200002.txt]
			[[Category:Biographical Data]]

Moleski at 13:33, 14 October 2009

2009-10-14T13:33:27Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:33, 14 October 2009
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	* [[TIGHAR]] #0537.		* [[TIGHAR]] #0537.
			* Team member on [[Niku I (1989)]].
	"The first clue we had [for the [[Niku hypothesis]]] was the navigational logic of a landfall at [[Gardner]]. That was first explained to us by TIGHAR members [[Tom Gannon]] and [[Tom Willi]] in 1988. As we dug into the historical record we discovered that, contrary to popular impression (and ours at the time), the likelihood of the [[Earhart]] having landed at one of the islands of the [[Phoenix Group]] was well recognized in 1937. The very same navigational logic and the significance of the [[LOP\|157/337]] line, as laid out for us by Gannon and Willi in 1988, is written out in the report of Capt. Wilhelm Friedell of the [[Colorado\|U.S.S. ''Colorado'']] in 1937. We’re not investigating a new Earhart theory. We’re re-investigating the oldest Earhart theory."[http://www.tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/forum/FAQs/nikuclue.htm]		"The first clue we had [for the [[Niku hypothesis]]] was the navigational logic of a landfall at [[Gardner]]. That was first explained to us by TIGHAR members [[Tom Gannon]] and [[Tom Willi]] in 1988. As we dug into the historical record we discovered that, contrary to popular impression (and ours at the time), the likelihood of the [[Earhart]] having landed at one of the islands of the [[Phoenix Group]] was well recognized in 1937. The very same navigational logic and the significance of the [[LOP\|157/337]] line, as laid out for us by Gannon and Willi in 1988, is written out in the report of Capt. Wilhelm Friedell of the [[Colorado\|U.S.S. ''Colorado'']] in 1937. We’re not investigating a new Earhart theory. We’re re-investigating the oldest Earhart theory."[http://www.tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/forum/FAQs/nikuclue.htm]

Moleski at 13:32, 14 October 2009

2009-10-14T13:32:12Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:32, 14 October 2009
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	sign a confidentiality agreement and agree that we would bring them along on		sign a confidentiality agreement and agree that we would bring them along on
	any expedition that we conducted. Our follow-up research showed that Willi		any expedition that we conducted. Our follow-up research showed that Willi
	and Gannon had many misconceptions about the [[Phoenix ~~islands~~]], but their		and Gannon had many misconceptions about the [[Phoenix Islands]], but their
	navigational logic continued to look valid. We learned about the [[plrm\|post-loss		navigational logic continued to look valid. We learned about the [[plrm\|post-loss
	radio signals]] on our own, and that seemed to provide further validation of		radio signals]] on our own, and that seemed to provide further validation of

Moleski at 13:31, 14 October 2009

2009-10-14T13:31:47Z

Moleski at 13:25, 14 October 2009

2009-10-14T13:25:28Z

Moleski at 13:10, 14 October 2009

2009-10-14T13:10:21Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:10, 14 October 2009
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	or about him for several years now.		or about him for several years now.

	~~https~~://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/forum/Forum_Archives/200002.txt		http://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/forum/Forum_Archives/200002.txt

Moleski at 13:09, 14 October 2009

2009-10-14T13:09:33Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:09, 14 October 2009
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	* [[TIGHAR]] #0537.		* [[TIGHAR]] #0537.
	"The first clue we had [for the [[Niku hypothesis]]] was the navigational logic of a landfall at [[Gardner]]. That was first explained to us by TIGHAR members [[Tom Gannon]] and [[Tom Willi]] in 1988. As we dug into the historical record we discovered that, contrary to popular impression (and ours at the time), the likelihood of the [[Earhart]] having landed at one of the islands of the [[Phoenix Group]] was well recognized in 1937. The very same navigational logic and the significance of the [[LOP\|157/337]] line, as laid out for us by Gannon and Willi in 1988, is written out in the report of Capt. Wilhelm Friedell of the [[Colorado\|U.S.S. ''Colorado'']] in 1937. We’re not investigating a new Earhart theory. We’re re-investigating the oldest Earhart theory."[http://www.tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/forum/FAQs/nikuclue.htm]		"The first clue we had [for the [[Niku hypothesis]]] was the navigational logic of a landfall at [[Gardner]]. That was first explained to us by TIGHAR members [[Tom Gannon]] and [[Tom Willi]] in 1988. As we dug into the historical record we discovered that, contrary to popular impression (and ours at the time), the likelihood of the [[Earhart]] having landed at one of the islands of the [[Phoenix Group]] was well recognized in 1937. The very same navigational logic and the significance of the [[LOP\|157/337]] line, as laid out for us by Gannon and Willi in 1988, is written out in the report of Capt. Wilhelm Friedell of the [[Colorado\|U.S.S. ''Colorado'']] in 1937. We’re not investigating a new Earhart theory. We’re re-investigating the oldest Earhart theory."[http://www.tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/forum/FAQs/nikuclue.htm]

			Harlan MacDonald (aka Don) Wade was, in fact, directly connected to TIGHAR's
			initial involvement in the search for Earhart - although we only learned
			about the connection years later. As I understand it, the declassified
			documents he referred to were the the reports of Pan Am DF bearings on
			post-loss radio signals. Wade deduced that the signals had originated from
			the Phoenix Group, although I seem to recall that he focused on Hull rather
			than Gardner. After one of his fund-raising talks, a former Navy aerial
			navigator named Tom Willi offered to lend his expertise to Wade's effort.
			Willi soon realized, and began talking about, the navigational connection
			between the 157/337 line and the Phoenix Group. Before long he was getting
			more press than Wade and the two had a falling out. Willi recruited a
			friend, Tom Gannon, who had been an Air Force navigator and together they
			worked up a navigational analysis of the Earhart flight which showed McKean
			and Gardner to be the most likely places for the airplane to have ended up.
			Willi applied for a grant from Rolex to fund an expedition, but they turned
			him down. Gannon had recently joined a nonprofit aviation archaeological
			group called TIGHAR and in the spring of 1988 he wrote to us saying that he
			and his friend wanted to come and tell us about their Amelia Earhart theory.
			We sort of rolled our eyes and agreed to meet with Willi and Gannon more as a
			member-relations thing than any serious interest in Earhart.

			We were surprised at the logic of their argument about the navigation. They
			never mentioned Wade or the post-loss signals, but they did insist that we
			sign a confidentiality agreement and agree that we would bring them along on
			any expedition that we conducted. Our follow-up research showed that Willi
			and Gannon had many misconceptions about the Phoenix islands, but their
			navigational logic continued to look valid. We learned about the post-loss
			radio signals on our own, and that seemed to provide further validation of
			the theory. We decided to mount an expedition but it became apparent that
			the island environment was far too harsh for either of these retired
			gentlemen, so they agreed to help man a radio base station in Fiji while we
			sailed off to check out McKean and Gardner.

			Only much later did we learn about Wade's role in getting Tom Willi
			interested in the Earhart affair. We once received a letter from Wade
			accusing us of "stealing his research" but I haven't heard anything from him
			or about him for several years now.

			https://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/forum/Forum_Archives/200002.txt

Moleski at 12:52, 14 October 2009

2009-10-14T12:52:53Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:52, 14 October 2009
Line 1:		Line 1:
	* [[TIGHAR]] #0537.		* [[TIGHAR]] #0537.
	"The first clue we had [for the [[Niku hypothesis]]] was the navigational logic of a landfall at [[Gardner]]. That was first explained to us by TIGHAR members [[Tom Gannon]] and [[Tom Willi]] in 1988. As we dug into the historical record we discovered that, contrary to popular impression (and ours at the time), the likelihood of the [[Earhart]] having landed at one of the islands of the [[Phoenix Group]] was well recognized in 1937. The very same navigational logic and the significance of the [[LOP\|157/337]] line, as laid out for us by Gannon and Willi in 1988, is written out in the report of Capt. Wilhelm Friedell of the [[~~USS~~ Colorado]] in 1937. We’re not investigating a new Earhart theory. We’re re-investigating the oldest Earhart theory."[http://www.tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/forum/FAQs/nikuclue.htm]		"The first clue we had [for the [[Niku hypothesis]]] was the navigational logic of a landfall at [[Gardner]]. That was first explained to us by TIGHAR members [[Tom Gannon]] and [[Tom Willi]] in 1988. As we dug into the historical record we discovered that, contrary to popular impression (and ours at the time), the likelihood of the [[Earhart]] having landed at one of the islands of the [[Phoenix Group]] was well recognized in 1937. The very same navigational logic and the significance of the [[LOP\|157/337]] line, as laid out for us by Gannon and Willi in 1988, is written out in the report of Capt. Wilhelm Friedell of the [[Colorado\|U.S.S. ''Colorado'']] in 1937. We’re not investigating a new Earhart theory. We’re re-investigating the oldest Earhart theory."[http://www.tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/forum/FAQs/nikuclue.htm]

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:31, 14 October 2009
Line 7:		Line 7:
	documents he referred to were the the reports of Pan Am DF bearings on		documents he referred to were the the reports of Pan Am DF bearings on
	post-loss radio signals. Wade deduced that the signals had originated from		post-loss radio signals. Wade deduced that the signals had originated from
	the [[Phoenix Group]], although I seem to recall that he focused on [[Hull]] rather		the [[Phoenix Group]], although I seem to recall that he focused on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orona Hull (Orona)] rather
	than [[Gardner]]. After one of his fund-raising talks, a former Navy aerial		than [[Gardner]]. After one of his fund-raising talks, a former Navy aerial
	navigator named Tom Willi offered to lend his expertise to Wade's effort.		navigator named Tom Willi offered to lend his expertise to Wade's effort.
Line 24:		Line 24:

	"We were surprised at the logic of their argument about the navigation. They		"We were surprised at the logic of their argument about the navigation. They
	never mentioned Wade or the [[~~PLRM~~\|post-loss signals]], but they did insist that we		never mentioned Wade or the [[plrm\|post-loss signals]], but they did insist that we
	sign a confidentiality agreement and agree that we would bring them along on		sign a confidentiality agreement and agree that we would bring them along on
	any expedition that we conducted. Our follow-up research showed that Willi		any expedition that we conducted. Our follow-up research showed that Willi
	and Gannon had many misconceptions about the [[Phoenix islands]], but their		and Gannon had many misconceptions about the [[Phoenix islands]], but their
	navigational logic continued to look valid. We learned about the [[~~PLRM~~\|post-loss		navigational logic continued to look valid. We learned about the [[plrm\|post-loss
	radio signals]] on our own, and that seemed to provide further validation of		radio signals]] on our own, and that seemed to provide further validation of
	the theory. We decided to mount an expedition but it became apparent that		the theory. We decided to mount an expedition but it became apparent that

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:25, 14 October 2009
Line 2:		Line 2:
	"The first clue we had [for the [[Niku hypothesis]]] was the navigational logic of a landfall at [[Gardner]]. That was first explained to us by TIGHAR members [[Tom Gannon]] and [[Tom Willi]] in 1988. As we dug into the historical record we discovered that, contrary to popular impression (and ours at the time), the likelihood of the [[Earhart]] having landed at one of the islands of the [[Phoenix Group]] was well recognized in 1937. The very same navigational logic and the significance of the [[LOP\|157/337]] line, as laid out for us by Gannon and Willi in 1988, is written out in the report of Capt. Wilhelm Friedell of the [[Colorado\|U.S.S. ''Colorado'']] in 1937. We’re not investigating a new Earhart theory. We’re re-investigating the oldest Earhart theory."[http://www.tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/forum/FAQs/nikuclue.htm]		"The first clue we had [for the [[Niku hypothesis]]] was the navigational logic of a landfall at [[Gardner]]. That was first explained to us by TIGHAR members [[Tom Gannon]] and [[Tom Willi]] in 1988. As we dug into the historical record we discovered that, contrary to popular impression (and ours at the time), the likelihood of the [[Earhart]] having landed at one of the islands of the [[Phoenix Group]] was well recognized in 1937. The very same navigational logic and the significance of the [[LOP\|157/337]] line, as laid out for us by Gannon and Willi in 1988, is written out in the report of Capt. Wilhelm Friedell of the [[Colorado\|U.S.S. ''Colorado'']] in 1937. We’re not investigating a new Earhart theory. We’re re-investigating the oldest Earhart theory."[http://www.tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/forum/FAQs/nikuclue.htm]

	Harlan MacDonald (aka Don) Wade was, in fact, directly connected to TIGHAR's		"[[Harlan MacDonald]] (aka Don) Wade was, in fact, directly connected to TIGHAR's
	initial involvement in the search for Earhart - although we only learned		initial involvement in the search for Earhart - although we only learned
	about the connection years later. As I understand it, the declassified		about the connection years later. As I understand it, the declassified
	documents he referred to were the the reports of Pan Am DF bearings on		documents he referred to were the the reports of Pan Am DF bearings on
	post-loss radio signals. Wade deduced that the signals had originated from		post-loss radio signals. Wade deduced that the signals had originated from
	the Phoenix Group, although I seem to recall that he focused on Hull rather		the [[Phoenix Group]], although I seem to recall that he focused on [[Hull]] rather
	than Gardner. After one of his fund-raising talks, a former Navy aerial		than [[Gardner]]. After one of his fund-raising talks, a former Navy aerial
	navigator named Tom Willi offered to lend his expertise to Wade's effort.		navigator named Tom Willi offered to lend his expertise to Wade's effort.
	Willi soon realized, and began talking about, the navigational connection		Willi soon realized, and began talking about, the navigational connection
	between the 157/337 line and the Phoenix Group. Before long he was getting		between the [[LOP\|157/337 line]] and the Phoenix Group. Before long he was getting
	more press than Wade and the two had a falling out. Willi recruited a		more press than Wade and the two had a falling out. Willi recruited a
	friend, Tom Gannon, who had been an Air Force navigator and together they		friend, [[Tom Gannon]], who had been an Air Force navigator and together they
	worked up a navigational analysis of the Earhart flight which showed McKean		worked up a navigational analysis of the Earhart flight which showed [[McKean]]
	and Gardner to be the most likely places for the airplane to have ended up.		and [[Gardner]] to be the most likely places for the airplane to have ended up.
	Willi applied for a grant from Rolex to fund an expedition, but they turned		Willi applied for a grant from Rolex to fund an expedition, but they turned
	him down. Gannon had recently joined a nonprofit aviation archaeological		him down. Gannon had recently joined a nonprofit aviation archaeological
	group called TIGHAR and in the spring of 1988 he wrote to us saying that he		group called [[TIGHAR]] and in the spring of 1988 he wrote to us saying that he
	and his friend wanted to come and tell us about their Amelia Earhart theory.		and his friend wanted to come and tell us about their [[Amelia Earhart]] theory.
	We sort of rolled our eyes and agreed to meet with Willi and Gannon more as a		We sort of rolled our eyes and agreed to meet with Willi and Gannon more as a
	member-relations thing than any serious interest in Earhart.		member-relations thing than any serious interest in Earhart.

	We were surprised at the logic of their argument about the navigation. They		"We were surprised at the logic of their argument about the navigation. They
	never mentioned Wade or the post-loss signals, but they did insist that we		never mentioned Wade or the [[PLRM\|post-loss signals]], but they did insist that we
	sign a confidentiality agreement and agree that we would bring them along on		sign a confidentiality agreement and agree that we would bring them along on
	any expedition that we conducted. Our follow-up research showed that Willi		any expedition that we conducted. Our follow-up research showed that Willi
	and Gannon had many misconceptions about the Phoenix islands, but their		and Gannon had many misconceptions about the [[Phoenix islands]], but their
	navigational logic continued to look valid. We learned about the post-loss		navigational logic continued to look valid. We learned about the [[PLRM\|post-loss
	radio signals on our own, and that seemed to provide further validation of		radio signals]] on our own, and that seemed to provide further validation of
	the theory. We decided to mount an expedition but it became apparent that		the theory. We decided to mount an expedition but it became apparent that
	the island environment was far too harsh for either of these retired		the island environment was far too harsh for either of these retired
	gentlemen, so they agreed to help man a radio base station in Fiji while we		gentlemen, so they agreed to help man a radio base station in Fiji while we
	sailed off to check out McKean and Gardner.		sailed off to check out [[McKean]] and [[Gardner]].

	Only much later did we learn about Wade's role in getting Tom Willi		"Only much later did we learn about Wade's role in getting Tom Willi
	interested in the Earhart affair. ~~We once received a letter from Wade~~		interested in the Earhart affair."[http://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/forum/Forum_Archives/200002.txt]
	~~accusing us of~~ "~~stealing his research" but I haven't heard anything from him~~
	~~or about him for several years now.~~

	http://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/forum/Forum_Archives/200002.txt