What happens when one of history's most celebrated aviators attempts to circumnavigate the globe and vanishes without a trace? Join Alice and Zach as they investigate the extraordinary life and mysterious disappearance of Amelia Earhart, a pioneering pilot who broke records, shattered glass ceilings, and captivated the world with her courage and determination. Discover how a woman who once avoided flying as a child became the first female to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean — through flames, mechanical failures, and near-death plunges — before setting her sights on becoming the first woman to fly around the world. Follow her final journey on July 2, 1937, as she and navigator Fred Noonan departed New Guinea for Howland Island and never arrived. We'll explore the cascade of equipment failures, weight-saving decisions, and communication breakdowns that turned a daring flight into aviation's greatest unsolved mystery.

Sources:

1. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Used for official mission timelines, technical details of the "Flying Laboratory", and the communications logs between Earhart and the USS Itasca.
2. The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR): Used for the analysis of the radio antenna removal, the Hooven Report on direction-finding equipment, and research regarding post-loss radio signals.
3. "Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Electra 10E Special, NR16020" - This Day in Aviation: Provided detailed specifications for the Lockheed Electra 10E Special (NR16020), including engine performance and fuel modifications.
4. Peter Hancock (University of Central Florida): A comprehensive reexamination of the human factors, ergonomics, and communication failures that plagued the final leg of the flight.
5. Modern Sciences: An analysis of the radio frequency mismatches and the failure of the "homing" signal.
6. Recall Aviation Analysis: A deep dive into the physics of the antennas and why the trailing wire was essential for the 500 kHz frequency.
7. Britannica: Used for the foundational biography and the timeline of the first world flight attempt in March 1937.
8. "Lockheed Model 10-E Electra" - The Museum of Flight: Technical history of the Lockheed Model 10 series, including the design contributions of Kelly Johnson.
9. "Does Anyone Remember Fred Noonan?" - William Patrick Dean
10. "Who Was Fred Noonan, Amelia Earhart's Navigator?" - Fox News
11. "Fred Noonan" - TIGHAR (The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery)
12. "Amelia Earhart, Her Husband and the Myths They Created" - The Washington Post
13. "Amelia Earhart's Husband George Putnam 'Pushed Her to the Brink' New Book Claims" - People
14. "How Amelia Earhart Became a Legend" - Radio Catskill

Find FINAL BOARDING CALL online:

1. Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.com
2. Email: [email protected]
3. Instagram: @FinalBoardingCallPod
4. Facebook: Final Boarding Call

Credits: Final Boarding Call is hosted by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas, researched and written by Alice Stern, produced and edited by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas.