Tuesday, August 28, 2007&& 1937 World Flight
1937 World Flight
I joined the faculty of Purdue University in 1935 as a visiting faculty member to counsel women on careers and as a technical advisor to the Department of Aeronautics.
In July 1936, I took delivery of a LockHeed 10E Electra financed by Purdue. Then, I started planning a round-the-world flight. It would be the longest at approximately 29,000 miles (47,000 km), following a grueling equatorial route. Although the Electra was known as a "flying laboratory," little useful science was planned and the flight seems to have been arranged around my intention to travel the world and gather information and public attention for my next book.
My first choice for the navigator was Harry Manning, captain of the ship which bought me back to Europe in 1928. Fred Noonan was subsequently chosen as the second navigator. He was experienced in both marine and flight navigation. Noonan had been responsible for training Pan American's navigators for the route between San Francisco and Manila. The original plans were for Noonan to navigate from Hawaii to Howland Island, a particularly difficult part of the flight; then Manning would proceed with me to Australia and I would continue on my own for the remainder of the project.
I had hoped to start on the flight as soon as possible, but due to many errors and mechanical problems, the flight was delayed.
On 2 July 1937, Noonan and I(he was my only crew member and navigator after the failed second attempt)took off from Lae in the Electra. Our intended destination was Howland Island. Our last position report was near the Nukumanu Islands, about 800 miles (1,300 km) into the flight. The United States Coast Guard cutter Itasca was on station at Howland, assigned to communicate with my Lockheed Electra 10E and guide us to the island once we arrived.
making history.
1:30 AM
