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How Amelia Earhart’s disappearance influenced future aviators

New questions raised after recent discovery in the search for Amelia Earhart’s plane

Since 1937, Amelia Earhart’s disappearance has puzzled countless explorers and aviation enthusiasts. So when a South Carolina search team claimed to have found a sonar image of her Lockheed Electra plane, new headlines reignited interest, not only in Earhart’s legacy but also in the achievements of women in aviation since that infamous flight. Although Amelia Earhart’s name is most synonymous with her final flight and subsequent disappearance, her achievements before 1937 made numerous front-page headlines, too.Born in Kansas in 1897, Earhart fought convention from an early age. She carried newspaper articles of historic, risk-taking women, and dreamed of emulating their achievements one day, too. Aviation first piqued her interest while attending a flight show as a young adult. Although she had been encouraged by her mother and family to fight traditional career paths for women at the time, flying was a new – and dangerous – field.Although aviation had certainly gotten off the ground by the time Earhart decided to train in 1921, the list of casualties was growing steadily for both men and women aviators year by year.Most iconic archival footage focuses on the successes rather than the sacrifices of those attempting to advance aviation. The renowned Wright Brothers, who first achieved flight in 1903 with the help of their sister Katharine Wright, were initially inspired to push the limits of aviation after the death of Otto Lilienthal, an early pioneer in air gliding, in 1896.Harriet Quimby, the first American woman to receive her pilot’s license, died in a plane crash in 1912.Bessie Coleman, the first African American and Indigenous American woman to have a pilot’s license, died in 1926 when the plane malfunctioned.Undaunted by the loss of her peers and in the hopes of continuing their legacy, Earhart began making history when, in 1928, she flew as a passenger across the Atlantic Ocean, becoming the first woman to do so.She braved crossing the ocean again in 1932 as the first woman and second person ever in history to fly across the Atlantic on a solo flight. President Herbert Hoover awarded Earhart the Distinguished Flying Cross, marking Earhart as the first woman to receive the honor. Her achievements weren’t limited to just one coast. When she flew solo from Hawaii to California in 1935, she became the first person to fly across the Pacific Ocean alone. In 1937, Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan started their 29,000-mile trip around the globe, staying in touch with ground communications as they needed to refuel.The duo had less than 10,000 miles to go when they landed in New Guinea, and their next stop, Howland Island, was only about 2,600 miles away. However, Earhart and Noonan never landed on the small, uninhabited island. Search crews declared the pilot and navigator ‘lost at sea’ after failing to find the passengers and the plane.Today, Earhart’s legacy lives on in the countless women who have followed her daring path, whether it be in sea, air, or space exploration.At sea, Cole Brauer recently made history as the first American woman to sail across the world alone.In aviation, Geraldine ‘Jerry’ Mock made Earhart’s dream a reality by flying across the globe solo in 1964. Plus, more recent headlines routinely feature all-women flight crews.Since the start of the space program, Sally Ride, Mae Jemison, and over 70 other women astronauts have achieved heights far beyond what technology in Earhart’s day would have dreamed.By encouraging others to chart a similar path, Earhart’s legacy has continued to soar.

Although Amelia Earhart’s name is most synonymous with her final flight and subsequent disappearance, her achievements before 1937 made numerous front-page headlines, too.

Born in Kansas in 1897, Earhart fought convention from an early age. She carried newspaper articles of historic, risk-taking women, and dreamed of emulating their achievements one day, too.

Aviation first piqued her interest while attending a flight show as a young adult. Although she had been encouraged by her mother and family to fight traditional career paths for women at the time, flying was a new – and dangerous – field.

Although aviation had certainly gotten off the ground by the time Earhart decided to train in 1921, the list of casualties was growing steadily for both men and women aviators year by year.

Most iconic archival footage focuses on the successes rather than the sacrifices of those attempting to advance aviation. The renowned Wright Brothers, who first achieved flight in 1903 with the help of their sister Katharine Wright, were initially inspired to push the limits of aviation after the death of Otto Lilienthal, an early pioneer in air gliding, in 1896.

Harriet Quimby, the first American woman to receive her pilot’s license, died in a plane crash in 1912.

Bessie Coleman, the first African American and Indigenous American woman to have a pilot’s license, died in 1926 when the plane malfunctioned.

Undaunted by the loss of her peers and in the hopes of continuing their legacy, Earhart began making history when, in 1928, she flew as a passenger across the Atlantic Ocean, becoming the first woman to do so.

She braved crossing the ocean again in 1932 as the first woman and second person ever in history to fly across the Atlantic on a solo flight. President Herbert Hoover awarded Earhart the Distinguished Flying Cross, marking Earhart as the first woman to receive the honor.

Her achievements weren’t limited to just one coast. When she flew solo from Hawaii to California in 1935, she became the first person to fly across the Pacific Ocean alone.

In 1937, Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan started their 29,000-mile trip around the globe, staying in touch with ground communications as they needed to refuel.

The duo had less than 10,000 miles to go when they landed in New Guinea, and their next stop, Howland Island, was only about 2,600 miles away. However, Earhart and Noonan never landed on the small, uninhabited island. Search crews declared the pilot and navigator ‘lost at sea’ after failing to find the passengers and the plane.

Today, Earhart’s legacy lives on in the countless women who have followed her daring path, whether it be in sea, air, or space exploration.

At sea, Cole Brauer recently made history as the first American woman to sail across the world alone.

In aviation, Geraldine ‘Jerry’ Mock made Earhart’s dream a reality by flying across the globe solo in 1964. Plus, more recent headlines routinely feature all-women flight crews.

Since the start of the space program, Sally Ride, Mae Jemison, and over 70 other women astronauts have achieved heights far beyond what technology in Earhart’s day would have dreamed.

By encouraging others to chart a similar path, Earhart’s legacy has continued to soar.