New Delhi: Amelia Earhart was a pioneer in the field of female aviation, someone whose exploits ensured that women would be better recognised in that field in subsequent years. She was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean and was someone who established several other records including the promotion of commercial air travel which was not much in vogue at that time.
The Early Life of Amelia Earhart
Born on July 24, 1897, in Kansas, Amelia Earhart left college during World War I to work at a Canadian military hospital, where she met aviators and it was then that she became interested in aviation. As a child, Amelia was adventurous, a trait that would shape her life in her adult years. The family struggled in terms of finances after the death of her grandfather and her father resorted to alcoholism. Her family changed residence frequently and during one trip to Canada, she became interested in caring for wounded soldiers. In 1918, she decided to become a nurse’s aide in Toronto.
Her aviation journey
In 1920, Amelia experienced her first airplane ride and after that, she began to take flying lessons. She bought her first plane in 1921 and earned her pilot’s license a couple of years later. In April 1928, Amelia was selected to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. Her journey began on June 17, 1928, as a passenger on a plane in which Louis Gordon and Wilmer Stultz were pilots. On June 18, the plane landed at Burry Port in Wales which made her the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. In May 1928, she crossed the Atlantic alone and later undertook a series of flights across the US. She was also the pilot of an autogiro to a record altitude of 18,415 feet.
In 1935, she piloted her first solo flight from Hawaii to California, a route longer and more dangerous than that from the US to Europe. Apart from setting records, she also encouraged women to take up aviation and was a vocal advocate of commercial flights. In 1937, she set out on her attempt to become the first woman to fly around the world. But both Amelia and her navigator Fred Noonan disappeared near Howland Island in the central Pacific Ocean and it has remained a subject of mystery since then.
In 1920, Amelia experienced her first airplane ride and after that, she began to take flying lessons. She bought her first plane in 1921 and earned her pilot’s license a couple of years later. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
