“The First Lady of the Atlantic” is what Amelia Earhart was nicknamed. On June 17, 1928, she became the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean by air. She managed to set several world records in the field of aviation. In 1937, she attempted to travel around the world, but while flying over the Pacific Ocean her plane went missing. What caused the death of the famous pilot? At present, this has not yet been established, but there are several versions of what happened.
Fascination with the sky
Amelia Mary Earhart (born July 24, 1897) is from Kansas. Her father was a lawyer, but did not earn much. The relationship between her parents gradually deteriorated, which is why Amelia had to live with her grandmother. As a result, the family broke up, and the girl and her mother moved to Chicago, where she began studying at the Faculty of Medicine.
But over time, the situation returned to normal and the parents got back together. The father began to pay more attention to the children. At the age of 23, thanks to him, Amelia saw her first air show and even flew in a biplane, which made a strong impression on her. At that moment she realized that she wanted to fly.
Some time later, Earhart bought his first airplane and began studying with flight instructor Anita Snook. 1922 - Amelia sets an altitude record for women, rising 4,200 m above the ground. At first, flying was just a hobby for Earhart, but this did not stop her from actively promoting women's aviation, thanks to which Amelia was constantly in the newspapers. In the future, this played a role, and the girl got the opportunity to make a transatlantic flight.
"First Lady of the Atlantic"
In 1928, the wife of a prominent official, Mr. Gets, was eager to fly across the ocean, but her husband was strongly against it. Mrs. Gets was a feminist and insisted that the flight would go ahead anyway, with a woman leading the crew. The choice fell on Earhart. True, Amelia's role in this flight was insignificant, since she did not fly the plane. Upon landing, she immediately told reporters that there was no merit to her, and compared herself to a sack of potatoes. However, her fame as the first woman to fly over the Atlantic still spread very quickly. Earhart literally became more popular than movie stars, but she was upset by the fact that she alone got the fame, although she had done practically nothing.
In 1929 she becomes president international organization women pilots, which she founded herself. Also at this time, using her fame, she actively fights for women's rights.
Personal life and re-flight
1931 - Amelia marries George Putman, a publisher who once recommended Mrs. Gets Earhart as a candidate for a transatlantic flight. The new husband immediately began using his wife as an advertising star. Her photographs were everywhere - from sportswear to cigarette packs.
Of course, this did not appeal to Amelia in any way; she wanted to fly. Earhart began preparing for another flight across the ocean, this time she was to be the only pilot.
In 1932, she successfully carried out her plans.
Trip around the world
Putman understood that in a few years his wife's fame would begin to bear much less fruit than it did now. He already knew that she had the proper aviation abilities, and therefore he planned something big and grandiose - a trip around the world. At first, Amelia categorically refused, as she understood that this flight could be her last. But this idea still firmly stuck in her head, and a few years later she decided, although her husband, on the contrary, did not approve of it.
The journey began in 1937 from the Hawaiian Islands, and the start was unsuccessful - the plane was damaged, but this did not stop Amelia.
During the flight, more than one world record was broken. And by the beginning of July the journey was almost completed; there was only a short distance left to fly.
On July 2, 1937, Amelia and fellow pilot Fred Noonan were flying over the Pacific Ocean when suddenly communication with them was lost.
Search operations continued for almost 2 years, but they did not yield any results. In 1939 they were declared dead.
Versions of what happened
Today it is not known for certain about their fate, but various assumptions have been put forward: the plane could have run out of fuel and crashed into the ocean; Amelia attempted to land the plane on one of the islands, but problems arose during landing, as a result of which the connection disappeared and the crew received life-threatening injuries. Some also believe that the pilots could have been captured by the Japanese. But be that as it may, Amelia Earhart’s last flight remains a mystery to this day.
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Biography
early years
Amelia Mary Earhart was born on July 24, 1897 in Atchison, Kansas, into the family of lawyer Edwin Earhart. Edwin's wife, Amy, was the daughter of a local judge. Amelia was the eldest child in the family; a second daughter, Muriel, was born two and a half years later.
WITH early years The Earhart sisters enjoyed extraordinary, for that time, freedom to choose interests, friends and entertainment. Since childhood, Amelia was an excellent horsewoman, swam, played tennis and shot with a 22-caliber rifle given by her father. She learned to read at the age of four and from an early age absorbed a wide variety of literature, but she was especially drawn to books about great discoveries and adventures. As a result, despite belonging to the “ weaker sex", among children from the neighboring streets, Amelia became a recognized leader and ringleader. Her grades at school were almost always excellent, especially in natural sciences, history and geography. At the age of 10, Amelia saw an airplane for the first time, but at that moment she did not have much interest in it. She later described it as “a thing of rusty wire and wood, not at all interesting.”
With time financial position family has deteriorated; Edwin Earhart began to drink heavily, which gradually ruined his career as a lawyer. Looking for new job the family moved several times - first to Des Moines (Iowa), then to St. Paul (Minnesota). By 1915, the family had to experience real poverty, when dresses for their growing daughters were made from old window curtains... As a result, Amy, taking her daughters, moved to relatives in Chicago. However, in the fall of 1916, using the money received in the will, Amelia's mother sent her to the elite college Ogontz School in Pennsylvania.
Earhart used her acquired fame as a springboard for the active promotion of her views and ideas, in particular, the fight for the equality of women and their active involvement in traditionally “male” professions, especially in aviation. Behind a short time she published many articles in the press about the development and prospects of aviation, and she gave public lectures on the same topic in many cities across the country. Earhart was convinced of the great future of commercial air travel; she stood at the origins of the organization of several large scheduled US airlines. She loved to finish her public performance with a phrase addressed to the listeners: “See you soon on the transatlantic airline!”
Marriage
In early 1931, Amelia Earhart accepted the marriage proposal of her “press agent” and business partner George Putnam, who by this time had divorced his first wife. An exceptionally quiet and family wedding ceremony took place on February 7, 1931, in Putnam's mother's small home in Connecticut; none of the reporters were allowed to see it, and after two days the newlyweds returned to their work. According to most friends and relatives, their marriage was successful and was organized on the principles of equal partnership and cooperation that Amelia professed. However, some journalists unfamiliar with the family tended to describe it as a "marriage of convenience." This version, however, was refuted in 2002, when the Purdue University Museum (Indiana) received personal correspondence from Earhart and Putnam, including their love letters - until then kept in a private family archive.
Zenith of career: achievements, fame, social activities
In the spring of 1931, Earhart became one of the first female pilots to master a gyroplane; in April she set a new world altitude record on it - 18,451 feet. At the turn of the 1920s and 1930s, gyroplanes were actively advertised as an inexpensive, safer and, in the future, mass-produced alternative to airplanes. In reality, however, the first models of gyroplanes were famous for their high accident rate, especially during takeoff and landing. The demonstration model of the Pitcairn gyroplane - repeatedly damaged, crashed and repaired - was dubbed "Black Marie" by the company's pilots, since none of them managed to fly this device for at least several hours without accidents and incidents. General opinion pilots who got acquainted with the machine, it quickly formed and said that “probably maximum time The time that anyone can fly such an aircraft without accidents is no more than 10 hours.”
However, in the spring of 1931, Earhart became the first female pilot to fly the Pitcairn PCA-2 gyroplane across the entire United States; Net flight time was 150 hours, with 76 refueling stops (required approximately every 2 hours). Moreover, the entire route from east to west was not marked by a single accident.
Problems, however, “overtook” her on the way back. In the city of Abilene (Texas), during takeoff, a “dust devil” appeared in the path of a gyroplane - a suddenly appearing small dust whirlwind - a specific a natural phenomenon, characteristic of these places. Due to the sudden rarefaction of the air, the device, which had just picked up speed and took off from the ground, fell onto it from a height of several meters and was completely destroyed. At the same time, however, Earhart was not even wounded. The next day, the factory pilot brought a new gyroplane from the Pitcairn plant, and the pilot continued her journey east.
1932 - solo flights across the Atlantic
The following year, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to take part in the famous Trans-American Bendix Race. The 1933 race was marked by a series of serious accidents and disasters with the death of pilots and aircraft. Earhart was one of the few competitors who managed to complete the entire course, and could claim first place before the end of the race. However, the materiel “let us down” - problems in the engine led to severe overheating, and then vibration destroyed the fastening of the upper entrance hatch of the cabin; air flow tore off the hatch, the cover of which almost blew off the keel of the plane. As a result, Earhart came third.
A few days later, Earhart broke her own record from last year on the trans-American route, setting a new record flight time of 17 hours 7 minutes 30 seconds. At the same time, shortly before the end of the flight, vibration and air flow again destroyed the fastening of the upper entrance hatch of the cabin, and for the last 75 miles - before landing - Earhart flew the plane with one hand (with the other she had to hold the hatch cover above her head, since if it had been torn off, she could would damage or demolish the keel of the aircraft).
Other solo flights
On the way back, Earhart set a new world record, covering the distance between Mexico City and New York in a record 18 hours and 18 minutes. At the same time, she also turned out to be the first person to overcome the entire Gulf of Mexico by air in a straight line. The area's weather is known for its unpredictability, with frequent sudden changes and storms - including the famous Florida hurricanes. Therefore, the standard practice of pilots of that time was to fly only along coastline- including Charles Lindbergh, who set the previous speed record on the Mexico City-Washington route. Thanks to the direct course, Amelia managed to improve Lindbergh's time by 14 hours, covering the distance to Washington in 13 hours and 6 minutes.
By the mid-1930s, Amelia Earhart was firmly established in the highest circles of the American establishment. She became a close friend of the presidential family and made night flights over Washington with the president's wife, Eleanor Roosevelt; The first lady dreamed of learning to fly an airplane herself, and Earhart gave her private lessons.
Search
When it was estimated that the Lockheed Electra ran out of fuel, the US Navy immediately launched a search and rescue operation. It was the largest and most expensive such operation in the history of the American Navy. Many ships, including the world's largest aircraft carrier Lexington and the battleship Colorado, left bases in California and on Hawaiian Islands, urgently headed to central part Pacific Ocean. Ships and 66 aircraft surveyed 220,000 square miles of water over 2 weeks; Many small uninhabited islands and reefs were checked, but all efforts were unsuccessful. After 14 days, the fleet leadership announced that there was no more hope: apparently, Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan, having crashed, died in the ocean. Thus, despite an unprecedented search, Earhart was never found. On January 5, 1939, she was declared dead, although unofficial searches continued much later and are in fact still being undertaken in our time. In May 2013, it was announced that suspected aircraft wreckage had been detected by sonar in the area of Nikumaroro Atoll in the Phoenix Archipelago.
Alternative versions
At the end of the search, not everyone accepted the official opinion about the causes of the disaster on faith. The basis for this was the geopolitical situation that had developed in Pacific Ocean by the mid-1930s. During this period, the main potential enemy of the United States in international arena there was the Japanese Empire. Contrary to international agreements, the Japanese were actively building military facilities on the former German islands in the Pacific Ocean transferred under their control. At the same time, they categorically rejected the possibility of any international inspection and brutally suppressed all attempts to penetrate “
Experts have conducted a new anthropological examination of the remains discovered in the Pacific Ocean in 1940. Experts have concluded that they belong to Amelia Earhart, the first female pilot to cross the Atlantic. She disappeared without a trace after taking off on her plane on July 2, 1937, writes Science Alert.
The search for the remains of the pilot continued for two years from the moment of her disappearance. When a skeleton was discovered on the uninhabited island of Nikumaroro in the Pacific Ocean in 1940, experts believed it belonged to a man. However, Richard Jantz, a professor of anthropology at the University of Tennessee, found that the skeleton's forearms were longer than usual. This arrangement of bones is typical for white women who were born in late XIX century. The skeleton itself was not preserved, so experts carried out an examination of the fragments.
“We, of course, have not proven that the person who died on a desert island was Amelia Earhart, but this is a significant piece of data that tips the scales in this direction,” the experts noted.
On the island where the skeleton was found, several things were also found that could belong to the pilot. These are the remains of a flight jacket, a mirror, fragments of aluminum sheets and cosmetic cream from freckles. This allowed scientists to assume that Earhart spent last days or months of your life on this island. It was previously believed that her Lockheed plane ran out of fuel and crashed into the water. Therefore, the search for remains was mainly carried out in water.
Drowned in the ocean or captured by the Japanese
The American disappeared over the Pacific Ocean along with her navigator Fred Noonan. They were flying around the world and had covered 80 percent of the route at the time of the disaster. Amelia never landed on Howland Island, where a stopover landing strip was prepared for her, although she was nearby.
The last radiogram received from her was: “We are on line 157-337... I repeat... I repeat... we are moving along the line.” Judging by the signal strength, the plane should have appeared over Howland any minute, but it never appeared. There were no new radio broadcasts.
There is also alternative version death of the pilot. Witnesses claimed to have seen Amelia and her pilot captured by the Japanese on the island of Saipan. They were accused of espionage and kept in Garapan prison. Navigator Fred was allegedly killed by the Japanese shortly after his capture, and before American troops landed on Saipan, the Japanese executed Earhart along with several other American prisoners.
TO THE POINT
10 most mysterious disasters in aviation history
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1. 1937 Amelia Earhart.
2. 1944 Glenn Miller, the legendary American jazzman and trombonist, disappeared during a flight from England to France. He had to prepare the performance of his orchestra in liberated Paris. The plane disappeared somewhere over the English Channel. No wreckage or remains were found. Experts suggest: the small single-engine Norseman S-64 of Major Glenn Miller was shot down by mistake by the Allies.
3. 1945 Flight No. 19: Five US Air Force torpedo bombers disappeared without a trace in the area Bermuda Triangle. Which marked the beginning of countless stories about mystical events in this anomalous zone. No traces of the bombers were found. The plane that was sent to search for them also disappeared.
4. 1947 Star Dust: British Avro Lancastrian transport aircraft South American Airways, went missing on a flight from Buenos Aires (Argentina) to Santiago (Chile). Before disappearing, he sent a strange message that was never deciphered.
For more than 50 years, the fate of the flight remained unknown until the wreckage of the plane was found in 1998 by climbers on Mount Tupungato in the Argentine Andes. He seemed to crash into her at full speed.
5. 1962 G. Flying Tiger Line Flight 739: A Lockheed Super Constellation with 107 passengers on board was scheduled to land in the Philippines en route to Vietnam. But he disappeared. The searches did not yield any results.
6. 1944 Antoine de Saint-Exupéry - French pilot, writer and poet, author of " The Little Prince", performing a reconnaissance flight, disappeared over Mediterranean Sea. The wreckage of his Lockheed P-38 aircraft was discovered only in 2000. Memories appeared in 2008 German pilot, who claimed that it was he who shot down Antoine in his Messerschmitt. But there were no witnesses to the military clash; the Germans were not credited with victory. And no holes were found in the wreckage of the Lockheed.
7. 2003"Boeing 727-223"
No. 844AA: The aircraft took off without permission from Luanda Airport in Angola. Dispatchers tried to establish contact with him, but no one answered. The transpoder that responds to radar signals was also silent.
The CIA and FBI searched the world for the plane, which was described as silver with blue, white and red stripes on the side. According to the official version, the aircraft, converted to transport diesel fuel, hijacked by flight engineer Ben Charles Padilla. He disappeared at the same time as the plane. Where did he take it? And for what?
8. 2007 Steve Fossett - famous American businessman and traveler on balloons, airplanes, airships and sailboats - crashed on a single-engine plane while flying over the Nevada desert. For a year nothing was known about his fate. Internet users joined the search by looking at satellite images. But tourists found Fossett in the rugged Minarets Mountains, about 9 kilometers west of the Mammoth ski resort area. It is unknown why the traveler crashed.
9. 2009 Air France flight number 447: disappeared over the Atlantic
Airbus A330 flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. And they searched for his traces for a long time and without success. The main remains were found on great depth one year later. All 228 people on board were killed. For some mysterious reason, the plane, having gained a height of almost 12 thousand meters, crashed down.
It is believed that the crew made a mistake, not understanding the readings of the instruments recording speed and altitude.
10. 2014"Boeing 777-200": the airliner, heading from the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, disappeared on March 8 while over South China Sea. No trace of the 239 passengers and crew members and no wreckage has been found, although several dozen countries are involved in the search operation. Every day the situation only becomes more complicated: the version of the catastrophe a week later was replaced by the hypothesis of abduction. But more and more contradictory data are emerging about which direction the liner could be heading. Range - from Afghanistan to Australia.
For which she was awarded the Cross of Flight Merit. Distinguished Flying Cross) . She wrote several best-selling books about her flights and played important role in the formation of "Ninety Nine" - an organization of women pilots, was elected its first President.
In 1935, Earhart joined the faculty of Purdue University's aeronautical department as a visiting professor. In this role, she sought to attract more women into aviation and provide career counseling. She was also a member of the National Woman's Party and an early supporter of the American Women's Amendment. Equal Rights» .
In 1937, while attempting to fly around the world in a twin-engine light transport and passenger aircraft, the Lockheed Model 10 Electra. Lockheed Model 10 Electra), which was funded by Purdue University, Earhart went missing in the central Pacific Ocean near Howland Island. The fascination with her life, career, and the details of her disappearance continues to this day.
early years
Amelia Earhart as a child
Amelia Mary Earhart was born on July 24, 1897 in Atchison, Kansas, the daughter of lawyer Edwin Earhart. Edwin's wife, Amy, was the daughter of a local judge. Amelia was the eldest child in the family; a second daughter, Muriel, was born two and a half years later.
From an early age, the Earhart sisters enjoyed freedom of choice of interests, friends and entertainment, unusual for that time. Since childhood, Amelia was an excellent horsewoman, swam, played tennis and shot with a 22-caliber rifle given by her father. She learned to read at the age of four and from an early age absorbed a wide variety of literature, but she was especially drawn to books about great discoveries and adventures. As a result, despite her belonging to the “weaker sex,” Amelia became a recognized leader and ringleader among the children from the neighboring streets. Her grades at school were almost always excellent, especially in science, history and geography. At the age of 10, Amelia saw an airplane for the first time, but at that moment she did not have much interest in it. She later described it as “a thing of rusty wire and wood, not at all interesting.”
Over time, the family's financial situation worsened; Edwin Earhart began to drink heavily, which gradually ruined his career as a lawyer. In search of a new job, the family moved several times - first to Des Moines (Iowa), then to St. Paul (Minnesota). By this time, the family had to experience real poverty, when dresses for their growing daughters were made from old window curtains... As a result, Amy, taking her daughters, moved to relatives in Chicago. Nevertheless, in the fall of 1916, using the money received under the will, Amelia's mother sent her to the elite college Ogontz School in Pennsylvania.
Marriage
In early 1931, Amelia Earhart accepted the marriage proposal of her “press agent” and business partner George Putnam, who by this time had divorced his first wife. An exceptionally quiet and family wedding ceremony took place on February 7, 1931, in Putnam's mother's small home in Connecticut; none of the reporters were allowed to see her, and after two days the newlyweds returned to their work. According to most friends and relatives, their marriage was successful and was organized on the principles of equal partnership and cooperation that Amelia professed. However, some journalists unfamiliar with the family tended to describe it as a “marriage of convenience.” This version, however, was refuted in 2002, when the Purdue University Museum (Indiana) received personal correspondence from Earhart and Putnam, including their love letters - until then kept in a private family archive.
Zenith of career: achievements, fame, social activities
In the spring of 1931, Earhart became one of the first female pilots to master a gyroplane; in April she set a new world altitude record on it - 18,451 feet. At the turn of the 20-30s, gyroplanes were actively advertised as an inexpensive, safer and, in the future, mass-produced alternative to airplanes. In reality, however, the first models of gyroplanes were famous for their high accident rate, especially during takeoff and landing. The demonstration model of the Pitcairn gyroplane - repeatedly damaged, crashed and repaired - was dubbed "Black Marie" by the company's pilots, since none of them managed to fly this device for at least several hours without accidents and incidents. The general opinion of the pilots who got acquainted with the machine quickly formed and stated that “probably the maximum time that anyone can fly such a device without an accident is no more than 10 hours.”
Nevertheless, in the spring of 1931, Earhart became the first female pilot to cross the entire United States in a Pitcairn PS-A2 gyroplane; Net flight time was 150 hours, with 76 refueling stops (required approximately every 2 hours). Moreover, the entire route from east to west was not marked by a single accident. Problems, however, “overtook” her on the way back. In Abilene, Texas, during takeoff, a “dust devil” appeared in the path of a gyroplane - a sudden small dust whirlwind - a specific natural phenomenon characteristic of these places. Due to the sudden rarefaction of the air, the device, which had just picked up speed and took off from the ground, fell onto it from a height of several meters and was completely destroyed. At the same time, however, Earhart was not even wounded. The next day, the factory pilot brought a new gyroplane from the Pitcairn plant and the pilot continued her journey to the east.
1932 - Solo flights across the Atlantic
The following year, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to take part in the famous Trans-American Bendix Race. The 1933 race was marked by a whole series of severe accidents and disasters with the death of pilots and aircraft. Earhart was one of the few competitors who managed to complete the entire course, and could claim first place before the end of the race. However, the hardware “failed” - problems in the engine led to severe overheating, and then vibration destroyed the fastening of the upper entrance hatch of the cabin; the air flow tore off the hatch, the cover of which almost blew off the keel of the plane. As a result, Earhart came third.
A few days later, Earhart broke her own record from last year on the trans-American route, setting a new record flight time of 17 hours 7 minutes 30 seconds. At the same time, shortly before the end of the flight, vibration and air flow again destroyed the fastening of the upper entrance hatch of the cabin, and for the last 75 miles - before landing - Earhart flew the plane with one hand (with the other she had to hold the hatch cover above her head, since if it had been torn off, she could would damage or demolish the keel of the aircraft).
A. Earhart next to his plane Vega 5b c. 1935
4 chosen
She won the hearts of dozens of men, but her heart belonged only to heaven. Amelia Earhart, a brave female pilot, proved to the whole world that there is no such thing as the weaker sex.
First meeting
On July 24, 1897, a girl with amazingly bright blue eyes was born in Atchison, Kansas. Her parents did not even suspect that it was not for nothing that they resembled the sky so much, because it was there that Amelia Earhart would direct her gaze all her life.
The girl grew up as a little tomboy. To hell with your bows, frills and dresses! It's really cool to play Indians and shoot with your grandfather's hunting rifle. One day, 11-year-old Amelia's father took her to a city festival. Carousels, sweet candies, animated faces of slightly tipsy bourgeois... Behind all the colorful commotion, the girl saw a strange metal structure and her heart skipped a beat. “Amy, look, there’s an airplane,” dad took the girl’s hand.
This was their first meeting...
Little Amy has grown into a slender girl with an independent character. She could stand up for herself, she could answer a sharp joke with an even sharper joke... True, she could not yet give herself an answer to the question “who do I want to be?” However, Amelia did not hesitate for a long time, it simply was not typical for her. Immediately after school, she went to Canada and entered a military hospital to study. Miss Earhart decided to become a nurse.
Second meeting
Having seen enough of the wounded who were admitted to the hospital in dozens (after all, the Second World War!) the girl went home to recover a little and take a break. When they met, her father took her by the chin and peered into his native haggard face for a long time: “That’s it, my girl, tomorrow we’ll go and watch the air show with you. You’ll get a little distracted.”
The next day, Amelia, without looking away, watched as tiny airplanes performed clumsy pirouettes in the air. The girl had a lot of determination, and without thinking twice, she asked to go into the cockpit. For only 10 dollars! The plane took off, and her heart began to beat wildly... No, not from fear - from delight! A turn, another turn... "Let's take another circle?" - the girl persuaded the pilot. And a decision was brewing inside her: “I want to fly by myself!” When she landed, she shared it with the pilot. He laughed at her: “A woman in the sky? This is absolutely impossible. Your place is in the kitchen!”
But Amelia was not just stubborn, but very stubborn. Why are women allowed less than men?! We'll see who wins!
And the girl started searching. She was looking for a flight school that would accept her regardless of her gender. It turned out that there were already female pilots! And they even set their own records. For example, Anita Snook, who now even works as an instructor.
It was to her that Amelia went, properly dressed to impress. The impression was made, but, alas, not a good one. The silk scarf and long kid gloves looked ridiculously smart next to the greasy overalls. Snook demanded crazy money for training - $500 for 12 lessons. And Amelia began to work hard: her father’s law firm, a telephone company, a pharmacy - within six months the girl collected the required amount and at the same time underwent training. At the age of 25, Miss Earhart had her own small bright yellow airplane, the Canary.
Amelia had her first emergency landing on the Canary. She failed to gain the required altitude, and the plane crashed into eucalyptus trees. "God, what's wrong with the pilot? Is she alive?" - A crowd of onlookers and journalists rushed to the scene of the accident. As they ran up, they saw Amelia, sitting calmly among the rubble with an open powder compact: “I must look decent when the reporters come running!”
Amelia was becoming famous. Her sharp tongue a slim body And Blue eyes made many men fall in love with her. She's a beauty and a pilot too - exotic! Earhart herself had only one hobby - ramming the sky on her "Canary". And there is only one goal - to break all men's records.
Third meeting
But the man still appeared. It was a luxurious rich man, publisher George Palmer Putnam. At first there was no talk of any romance, because the reason they met was... of course, airplanes!
Putnam invited Earhart to do the extraordinary: fly across the Atlantic Ocean without a single landing. "This will be a sensation!" - he assured with his velvety baritone. It didn't take long to persuade Amelia.
“She fits the bill,” Putnam thought to himself, “pretty, charming, well-spoken, and full of courage. This girl is in capable hands will be good capital."
In 1928, their crew of three, including Amelia, took off from Newfoundland and landed at Berryport in Wales 20 hours and 40 minutes later. They covered a distance of 3219 km. From this moment it began real glory Amelia Earhart. She gave hundreds of interviews, her photo appeared on the covers of newspapers, the pilot traveled around America giving lectures...
During his collaboration with this mocking and overly confident woman, George Putnam earned a lot of money. But this no longer worried him as much as before. After all, he fell in love. He fell in love with this crazy, independent Amelia, who answered him only with... sympathy.
It took a whole year of persuasion. By this time, Amelia had managed to enjoy both fame and flying... The understanding came that something was missing. Maybe George is nearby? And she agreed.
However, Amelia Earhart would not be herself if she had not set a number of conditions: she would still wear trousers, would not allow anyone to interfere with her flying plans, and most importantly, if she stopped loving George, then she had the right to go to the same minute, without explanation. The terms were accepted.
Last meeting
A couple of months after the wedding, Amelia decided to fly across the Atlantic again. This time alone. As Amelia boarded the plane, her upset husband noticed a smartly tied silk scarf. “And here she’s not like everyone else!” - George thought with pride and at the same time with resentment.
She succeeded. And now Amelia was not just famous, she became a national heroine. Amelia and George became frequent guests at the White House. The pilot even became friends with the president's wife, Eleanor.
Once, Earhart even gave the country's first lady a ride on an airplane. They say that Mrs. Roosevelt got out of the plane white as death, and Amelia laughed wildly: she allowed herself to make a “s-a-scarlet turn.”
Desperate Earhart did not calm down. The next important flight was no more and no less - around the world. No sooner said than done!
Before landing, George gave up: “Honey, cancel the flight, stay with me. We will explain everything to the reporters.”
Amelia looked mockingly at her pleading husband: “Do you remember our marriage contract?”
She quickly hugged him, patted him on the cheek encouragingly and ran towards the plane. Did she need anyone other than the sky?
Venezuela, India, Australia, a tiny island in the Pacific Ocean... It was very difficult, almost impossible. Amelia wrote in her diary: “This is not a flight, but a game with death,” and carefully crossed out this line.
On June 29, Amelia and her co-pilot took off from the Lae Islands in New Guinea, and only 12 hours later they received intermittent communication: “Cloudy... The weather is getting worse...”
After 18 hours, another message: “Fuel left for 30 minutes...” And when these 30 minutes had passed, we heard a cry on the radio: “Our course is 157-337. I repeat. Our course... We are being carried north, no, south...”
The search for the brave female pilot and her plane continued for several weeks, but nothing was found. No signs of a crash. Nowhere.
Sometimes it seems that Amelia has decided to set another record, climbing where no other person has climbed. Well, this is quite in her spirit...
Rita Zheleznyakova
, etoya.ru
Photo: the.honoluluadvertiser.com, girls-planes.in.ua, wikimedia.org, aviagrad.ru
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