Amelia Earhart

• Amelia Mary Earhart was born 24 July 1897 in Atchison, Kansas.
• Lost 2 July 1937, in the vicinity of Howland Island.
• Declared dead 5 January 1939.

Highlights of Earhart's flying career

Source: Ric Gillespie, Earhart Biography.

Records highlighted in bold. Incidents and accidents highlighted in italics.

1921

3 January: First flying lesson. "Canuck," Curtiss JN4 "Jenny."

Summer: Kinner "Airster." Two minor crashes.

Soloed late in the year.

1922

October(?): altitude record for women of 14,000 feet.

1923

16 May: obtained a pilot's license from National Aeronautic Association, #6017.

1924

Briefly owned another Airster (Lovell, page 47)?

1928

First woman to cross the Atlantic by air; passenger of Wilmer Stultz and Louis Gordon.

Purchased British-built Avro Avian.

31 August--14 September: New York to California. En route, hit ditch, groundlooped, wrecked landing gear, shattered prop.

30 September: forced landing, nose-over, broken propeller.

1929

29 March: Department of Commerce Transport Pilot's License.

20 July: new logbook carried forward 559 hours and 46 minutes.

30 July: Purchased Lockheed Vega constructor's number (c/n) 10, registered NC6911 with 225 HP Wright J5A Whirlwind engine.

August: new Vega 1, c/n 36 registered NC31E.

18 August: Women's Air Derby / "Powder Puff Derby"

Yuma, Arizona: ran off the end of the runway on landing, upended the Vega, bent the propeller.

Third place: 23+ hours.

22 November: Used a Vega 5A Executive, NC538M (c/n 107), Pratt & Whitney Wasp, 425 HP, over 3 kilometer course to set a speed record of 184.17 mph. [Fact to be checked: women's record or an absolute record?]

1930

17 March: Bought 425 HP P&W-powered Vega 5 NC7952 (c/n 22).

June: borrowed the first metal-fuselage Vega DL-1 NC497H (c/n 135) and set three more speed records for women in various load categories for Lockheed.

25 September: wrecked NC7952 in a nose-over landing accident at Norfolk, Virginia which left the airplane flat on its back, fuselage broken.

19 December: soloed in 1930 Pitcairn PCA-2 autogiro.

1931

Lockheed rebuilt NC7952 using fuselage of c/n 68 and upgraded it to a 5B with Pratt & Whitney Wasp C engine of 450 HP.

April 8: unofficial altitude record of 18,415 ft in the Pitcairn autogiro.

29 May--6 June: New Jersey to California in Beech-Nut Pitcairn PCA-2 NC10780.

On return trip to the east coast, crashed after a rotor-strike on takeoff at Abilene, Texas; reprimanded for negligence.

22 June: returned to New Jersey. 11,000 miles covered in 150 hours of flying.

September: Totaled the Pitcairn by dropping it in from 20 feet (stalled?).

1932

20-21 May: Solo transatlantic flight in NC7952 (P&W Wasp C engine of 450 hp). Landed in Gallagher's field at Culmore near Londonderry in County Donegal. 2,026 miles in 15 hours and 18 minutes.

10 July: Attempted first woman's non-stop coast-to-coast flight. Landed in Columbus, Ohio, because of clogged fuel line.

24 August: First woman's non-stop coast-to-coast flight in 19 hours, 7 minutes and 56 seconds.

1933

National Air Race: finished six hours behind the men (hatch cover problems).

Return non-stop flight to east coast bettered her previous record by two hours.

1934

"Hi-Speed Special 5C" registered as NR965Y (c/n 171) with Wasp C from NC7952. Hamilton Standard adjustable-pitch propeller.

1935

11 January: NR965Y, Hawaii to Oakland (first ever west-to-east flight for that route? and solo). 18 hours and 16 minutes in the air.

19 April: Missed Burbank to Mexico City non-stop by 60 miles (got lost).

8 May: nonstop from Mexico City to Newark, New Jersey in 14 hours and 18 minutes.

August: Bendix race with Paul Mantz. They placed fifth and won $500.

1936

21 July: First flight in X16020 (c/n 1055) with test pilot.

24 July: Took delivery of NR16020 on her birthday.

4 September: Bendix Trophy race. Earhart and Helen Richey finished fifth in 16:34:52. They won $500.

1937

17 March: Earhart, Mantz, Manning, and Noonan. Oakland to Honolulu in 15 hours and 47 minutes (a new record).

20 March: Groundloop at Luke Field.

20 May: Oakland to Tucson, Arizona. Beginning of second world flight.

2 July: Failed to complete flight from Lae to Howland Island.

Summary of records set vs. accidents/incidents

• 13 records.
• 8 accidents or incidents of varying severity.

Links

• Ric Gillespie: physical characteristics, education, accomplishments in aviation.
• Wikipedia.
• The Official Website of Amelia Earhart