The aviation industry was formed during the 1920s because many new developments and types of aircraft were created and tested at that time. One of the pioneers that help advance aviation is Amelia Earhart. Her contributions include the first solo cross-Atlantic flight completed by a woman, the books she wrote on the topic of aviation, and the establishment of “The Ninety-Nines” group. This paper will detail Earhart’s journey to becoming a pilot and explain her contribution to the development of aviation.
Earnhart’s journey towards becoming a pilot was unusual for the era she lived in. She was born in 1897 in Kansas in a wealthy family and received a good education. Her first encounter with aviation happened upon her visit to an airfare that exhibited aircraft from World War I (Goldstein, 1997). After this, Earhart visited another airfare in 1919, where she met Frank Hawks, a well-renounced air racer. Hawks took Earhart on a flight, which is considered to be an event that changed her life as she gained a passion for aviation after this (Goldstein, 1997). Next, Earhart worked several jobs to save up for flying lessons and eventually enrolled in lessons led by Anita Snook, another female aviation pioneer. Earnhart gained a passion for aviation gradually, but a significant turning point that determined her choice to become a pilot was the flight with Frank Hawks, which lasted for several minutes.
Notably, early aviation training was much more difficult and required one to show resilience to brutal conditions. For example, aviators had to do a lot of manual work to ensure that their equipment worked properly (Goldstein, 1997). Despite this, after six months of training, she purchased her first aircraft, a second-hand Kinner Airster (Goldstein, 1997). She used this plane to set her first world record in 1922. On October 22, she flew her aircraft to an altitude of 4300 meters (Goldstein, 1997). This notable event shows that Earnhart was brave and set out for achievement from the beginning of her journey as a pilot.
The next year, she became the sixteenth female in the United States to receive a pilot license issued by FAI. However, in the following years, Earnhart experienced financial difficulties, which prompter her to sell her plane and halt flying (Goldstein, 1997). She made several attempts at other occupations, such as photography, business, and even returned to the University, but was forced to stop her studies for the same reason.
The most notable contribution of Earnhart is her cross-Atlantic flight. She is the first woman who flew across the Atlantic Ocean on her own. Notably, she was not the first person to complete a non-stop cross Atlantic flight, since Charles Lindbergh has done this in 1927 (Goldstein, 1997). She first flew across the ocean as a passenger to the pilot Wilmer Stultz (‘Amelia Earhart biographical sketch,’ n.d.). In England, she purchased Avro Avian 594 Avian III and learned how to fly this airplane. After some time, in 1932 Earnhart set out to complete her solo transatlantic flight. On May 20th she set off from Harbour Grace and landed in Culmore, which is in Northern Ireland. This flight lasted for fourteen hours and fifty-six minutes, during which she encountered bad weather conditions and mechanical problems (Goldstein, 1997). Despite some issues, she completed this flight and was given the ‘Distinguished Flying Cross.’ After this flight, she completed several other non-stop trips, for example, from Honolulu to Oakland. With her first transatlantic flight, Earnhart’s popularity grew, and she used public attention to promote aviation. In 1935 she began planning her first trip around the globe. Unfortunately, Earhart disappeared in July 1937 during her expedition (Goldstein, 1997). She was declared dead as the remains of her plane were not recovered.
Overall, Amelia Earnhart made a notable contribution to the development of aviation. She is best known for her cross-Atlantic flight, but she also has set a record for the highest altitude flown in 1922. Her final endeavor was a flight across the globe, which unfortunately Earhart was unable to finish as her plane disappeared and was not recovered. Earnhart contributed to the promotion of aviation in general, and in particular to the promotion of female pilots.
References
Amelia Earhart biographical sketch. (n.d.). 2020. Web.
Goldstein, D. M. (1997). Amelia: The centennial biography of an aviation pioneer. Brassey’s.