Amelia Earhart’s last flight

AMELIA Earhart was one of the great pioneers of aviation and set many records. She flew solo across the United States, flew the Pacific, set speed and height records and was the first woman to fly the Atlantic. Her connection to Ireland came on her Atlantic crossing when she landed in Derry in May 1932. She lectured all over the country and advertised different products including cigarettes. She also designed her own range of luggage and clothes and with Charles Lindberg set up Transcontinental Air Transport, which became TWA.
She is mainly remembered for her final flight, when she set out to circumnavigate the globe. Her first attempt in March 1937 ended in Hawaii, when she failed to take off at Pearl Harbour. Some say the landing gear collapsed, others that a tire blew but there was also a hint of possible pilot error. A few months later she started again but this time flew west to east. She flew from California to Florida and then announced that she intended to continue around the world.
She left Miami on June 1 and after stops in South America, Africa, India and South East Asia she arrived in New Guinea at the end of the month. She waited for favourable weather and on July 2 set off for Howland Island, a tiny American territory, a distance of 1900 miles. Amelia Earhart was never seen again.
The coast guard actually announced her arrival but then had to change reports. This was only one of many inconsistencies in the entire affair. Some said that she was blinded by the rising sun and missed the island.
The large fuel tanks on the plane should have allowed it float on a calm sea but it was never seen. The plane carried a liferaft, lifebelts and flares but they were never used.
There were conflicting reports of radio messages. One message said she had only 30 minutes of fuel left and had not sighted land but another partial signal was received 90 minutes later. Amateur radio users reported picking up signals from her which would suggest that she reached some island but in spite of the best efforts of the coast guard and US Navy, no trace of her was ever found.
It was generally believed that the plane went down in the ocean or possibly crashed on a different island but of course the conspiracy theories started. Those were the years leading up to the start of WWII and some said that the entire flight was only a cover for espionage on the Japanese-occupied islands in the Pacific.
Earhart was supposedly captured and executed on the island of Saipan, which was then occupied by Japan. In spite of various ‘witnesses’ to her execution, there was never any proof.
Other rumours said that she was brought to Tokyo and was one of those who broadcast anti-American propaganda as ‘Tokyo Rose’.
She was also said to have secretly finished her journey, changed her name and lived out her life in New Jersey as Irene Craigmile Bolam.
The world loves a conspiracy but they have all been debunked. What is true, however, is that Amelia Earhart, the greatest female aviation pioneer, started her final flight on July 2, 1937 – 73 years ago this week.
n Michael Torpey