Amel;ia Aerhart

[Bruce Wodetzki]

Help me end an argument please,can any one tell me how many flying hours
this lady had before she disappeared
Woody

[James Robinson]

Bruce Wodetzki wrote:
>
> Help me end an argument please,can any one tell me how many
> flying hours this lady had before she disappeared

I've never seen a tally, but a some information from her biography might
give a clue.

She learned to fly in 1921, and bought her own airplane that year. She
was only an amateur, but set a couple of records for women fliers, like
altitude and distance, on her own. In 1928, she was invited to
participate in a trans-Atlantic publicity flight, and from that point on
was dedicated to flying and publicity as a career. She entered many
races, and flew various endurance flights, until she attempted the RTW
flight in 1937.

Overall, I'd say she had a fair number of hours in her log when she
disappeared.

[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

On Wed, 21 Apr 2004 00:39:17 GMT, James Robinson >
wrote:

>Bruce Wodetzki wrote:
>>
>> Help me end an argument please,can any one tell me how many
>> flying hours this lady had before she disappeared

>I've never seen a tally, but a some information from her biography might
>give a clue.

>She learned to fly in 1921, and bought her own airplane that year. She
>was only an amateur, but set a couple of records for women fliers, like
>altitude and distance, on her own. In 1928, she was invited to
>participate in a trans-Atlantic publicity flight, and from that point on
>was dedicated to flying and publicity as a career. She entered many
>races, and flew various endurance flights, until she attempted the RTW
>flight in 1937.

Just to add what I know to your list:

1928: First woman to fly across the Atlantic
(acted as “logkeeper," not pilot).

1931: Altitude record for autogyros (18,415').

1932: Second person to fly solo
across the Atlantic.

1932 & 1933: Broke women’s transcontinental
speed record.

1935:

First to fly nonstop from Mexico City to Newark.

First person to fly solo from
Hawaii to California.

Founded the 99s.

>Overall, I'd say she had a fair number of hours in her log when she
>disappeared.

Probably on the order of several thousand.

I got involved with TIGHAR a few years ago. They sent me to
Fiji and New Zealand last summer to search for some bones
that were found on Gardner Island (now Nikumaroro) in
1940. There is a chance that they may have been hers, but
the bones have been lost after they were examined in Fiji
in 1941. Details at http://www.tighar.org if anyone is
interested.

Marty

[vincent p. norris]

>I got involved with TIGHAR a few years ago. They sent me to
>Fiji and New Zealand last summer to search for some bones
>that were found on Gardner Island (now Nikumaroro) in
>1940. There is a chance that they may have been hers,....

I gather that an expert can tell a few things from bones, such as sex,
height, age, etc.; but would there be any way to know they were AE's
and not those of some local resident?

May I ask why TIGHAR sent you? I know what "S.J." means, but are you
also an antropologist, archaeologist, paleontologist, or something
like that?

vince norris

[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

On Wed, 21 Apr 2004 22:02:26 -0400, vincent p. norris >
wrote:

>>I got involved with TIGHAR a few years ago. They sent me to
>>Fiji and New Zealand last summer to search for some bones
>>that were found on Gardner Island (now Nikumaroro) in
>>1940. There is a chance that they may have been hers,....

>I gather that an expert can tell a few things from bones, such as sex,
>height, age, etc.; but would there be any way to know they were AE's
>and not those of some local resident?

IF the bones found on Gardner/Nikumaroro in 1940 could be
relocated, they could be tested for DNA, according to the
forensic anthropologist who works with the group.

The doctor who measured the bones in Fiji in 1941 was not
a forensic specialist by any stretch of the imagination.
His judgment was that they were from a European or
part-European male. Dr. Burns ran his numbers through
FORDISC, a contemporary database, and they suggested
that the bones may have been from a female of Northern
European descent.

>May I ask why TIGHAR sent you? I know what "S.J." means, but are you
>also an antropologist, archaeologist, paleontologist, or something
>like that?

I'm essentially a very good typist and had the necessary free
time to make the trip. A retired seargent from the LA County
Sheriff's Department went with me. Here's our final report
on what we did with our summer vacation:
<http://www.tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Bulletins/42_FijiBoneSearch.html>

Marty

[vincent p. norris]

>I'm essentially a very good typist and had the necessary free
>time to make the trip. A retired seargent from the LA County
>Sheriff's Department went with me. Here's our final report
>on what we did with our summer vacation:
><http://www.tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Bulletins/42_FijiBoneSearch.html>
>
> Marty

Thanks very much. Obvoiusly I haven't had time to read all that, but
I look forward to doing so.

vince norris