By 1931, there were many changes in the world of flying. Slow, wood-framed airplanes had been replaced with faster all-metal models. The new planes had better instruments. Pilots could find their locations more easily and fly more safely.
The newer planes were bigger and carried more passengers. Slowly, the public was won over to airplane travel. After all, it took four hours to go to Washington from New York by train. By plane the trip was only two and a half hours. In 1930, the first three flight attendants were hired by United Airlines. They were all nurses. They served meals and then took care of airsick passengers.
There were also more than 450 licensed female pilots in the United States. With more competition, it was getting harder to keep the public’s interest. Amelia needed to do something different. She and George came up with a few ideas.
Amelia started flying something called an autogyro. It was almost like a helicopter. Amelia became the first person to go across the country and back in an autogyro. But the autogyro was hard to fly. Many pilots thought it wasn’t safe. Soon Amelia went back to a regular airplane.
One January morning in 1932, Amelia was having breakfast with her husband. She put down the paper she was reading and asked, “Would you mind if I flew the Atlantic alone?”
No! George didn’t mind at all. He wanted Amelia to become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic.
May 20, 1932, was the fifth anniversary of the Lindbergh flight. George Putnam thought that would be the perfect date for Amelia to take off. The press would love the connection.
Amelia had new instruments, including three compasses, put in her plane. The weather over the Atlantic could be bad. She would depend on the new technology to help her find her way.
On the day of her flight, Amelia told reporters she was sure of her success. But before she climbed into her plane she quietly turned to a friend. “Do you think I can make it?” she asked. Even Amelia had her doubts.
Amelia took off from Harbour Grace airport in Newfoundland, Canada. Amelia didn’t think the flight would be easy… and it wasn’t. When she went too high, ice started to build on her wings. The ice made the plane heavy; it might crash. So she took the plane down low. But when she went too close to the water, her instruments didn’t work. Without instruments, Amelia could get completely lost.
The hours went by slowly. Amelia struggled to find just the right altitude. She sipped chicken soup. Gasoline dripped down the back of her neck from the extra fuel tank. She struggled all night.
But when the sun came up Amelia spotted land. She set her airplane down in a cow pasture, “frightening all the cows.” She was in Ireland. She had done it! Amelia was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
Congratulations poured in. Amelia was thirty-four years old. She was smart. She was brave… and she was a great-looking woman. The public loved her. When she returned to New York City, there was a parade down Broadway. Thousands of people lined the streets to cheer for Amelia.
The next day, Amelia flew to Washington, D.C., where President Herbert Hoover presented her with a medal.
Amelia was as famous as movie stars of the day, but her fame did not change her. She was still charming and somewhat shy. Even so, she liked that her opinions were now heard and respected.
Amelia became more active in politics. She joined the National Women’s Party. Amelia thought women should be able to do the same things men did. For example, if a woman wanted to be a lawyer, then she should be able to do so. In a letter to the editor of a New York paper Amelia stated her case. “The right to earn a living belongs to all persons.”
Amelia certainly took that message to heart. Now that she was so famous, she found many different ways to make money. Amelia was already known as one of the best-dressed women in America. This gave her husband an idea. George Putnam made some calls. Not long after, Macy’s department store in New York made an announcement. A new line of women’s clothing was going to be designed by—Amelia Earhart.
Amelia designed women’s clothes for “active living.” Amelia believed that clothes should fit the way a woman lived. She liked fabrics that didn’t wrinkle. She also liked clothes that were easy to wash and didn’t need special care.
Fashion designing took up a lot of her time. Amelia’s photograph was in many magazines. She was always in demand. But flying was still Amelia’s passion. Nothing else could match the adventure and challenge.
A group of Hawaiian businessmen had an idea. They asked Amelia to become the first person to fly solo from Honolulu to California. It would be a 2,500 mile nonstop trip over the Pacific Ocean.
On January 11, 1935, Amelia took off from Honolulu. Eighteen and a half hours later, she landed in Oakland, California. She did it. It was another one for the record book.
Amelia always said she flew for the fun of it. But some people said she took too many risks. Others didn’t like George. He was constantly trying to make money from Amelia’s name and fame.
Amelia was beginning to feel trapped. It was getting harder to set new records. Each time she had to fly farther and longer. Setting records took money. There was always new and better equipment to buy. However, there was one more flight she was determined to take. It would be the biggest challenge of all.
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