Amelia Earhart

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorCollege, Undergraduate December 2001

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"I have a feeling there is just one more good flight in my system...I mean to give up major long distance flights," said Amelia Earhart to reporter Carl Allen ( Briand 141 ).

I believe that Amelia Earhart is one of the greatest women in history for her effort in preparing for flight and her determination in overcoming her obstacles. To this day people still talk about her disappearance and wonder, "What really happened to Amelia Earhart?" Amelia Earhart's plans and preparations were very precise and elaborate. She began to map out 27,000 miles of her flight, and from a small globe she found in her home she picked her route. She was given fifty-thousand dollars by Purdue University for her "flying laboratory," a Lockheed Electra twin engined airline with 1,100 horse power. In August of 1936, she entered a coast-to-coast speed flight called the Bendix Trophy Race. Amelia was forced to drop out because of trouble with her fuel line.

She continued to plan for her flight for a few months. She wanted to begin her world record flight in Oakland, California and head for Hawaii, with Fred Noonan and Harry Manning as her navigators. A group was quickly put together to aid Amelia in her flight, with Clarence William drawing the maps. The trip to Hawaii was simple but still a great success ( The Earhart Project, www.tighar.org/projects/Earhart/aeoverview.html ) However, Amelia would face some obstacles in her world flight attempt. On March 20th, she was set to head for Howland Island. During take-off, the plane swung right and the plane turned on its side, destroying a wing. Some blamed a blown tire but Amelia thought that the fuel was imbalanced, causing the plane to sway. The flight was delayed for two months, for repairs that needed to be...