Queen Of The Skies

Have you ever dreamed of flying across the Atlantic Ocean or being the first (person) to do so?  

Well, that’s exactly what Amelia Earhart did. She was the first female to fly across the Atlantic Ocean solo. Before that, she took the same flight with two other aviators, Bill Stultz and Slim Gordon. She then became a hero!

Image credit: reddit.com

Amelia May Earhart was born on July 24, 1897 in Atchison, Kansas. She set numerous aviation records and wrote best-selling books about her flying experiences. She spent most of her childhood playing with her little sister Muriel. They did all sorts of things such as collecting insects and frogs and playing sports, including baseball and football. At age seven, Earhart had her first “flight”. She built a roller coaster with the help of her uncle and Muriel. After crashing (yup, she crashed), Amelia told her sister that it was just like flying. She even learned to shoot a .22 rifle and used it to kill rats in her dad’s barn. When she was 11 years old, she saw one of the Wright Brothers’ first airplanes. However, she had her first real plane flight on December 28, 1920. 

In 1921 she started taking flying lessons! After some time, she flew across the Atlantic Ocean alongside Bill Stultz and Slim Gordon. Amelia wanted to do something more. So, on June 18, 1928, she took the same route across the Atlantic Ocean… solo.  

Amelia Earhart founded the Ninety-Nines with Fay Gillis Wells and Ila Loetscher. The Ninety-Nines are an international organization of female pilots. They provide networking, mentoring, and flight scholarship opportunities. Sadly, Earhart wasn’t satisfied with her accomplishment. She wanted to fly around the world! (Seems a bit impossible, I know).

On June 1, 1937 Amelia Earhart flew from Oakland, California with Fred Noonan to start her journey around the world. After about a month or so, on July 2^nd Earhart and Noonan left New Guinea and took off for Howland Island, after that they were never seen again. As they disappeared with no reason, the US government searched for many weeks, but there was still no sign of them. Nearly 18 months after Earhart disappeared, she was found dead on Howland Island in January of 1939.

Amelia was a brave and inspiring woman and never afraid to take on challenges. After reading (and writing) about Amelia Earhart, I’ve learned that anything is possible if you are focused and determined.

“Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others.”

– AMELIA EARHART