Chasing Earhart

"I didn't go out looking for this story. This story found me."Dick Spink has many titles: Mount Vernon High School science teacher, boat builder, and Amelia Earhart investigator. He never intended to hunt for Amelia Earhart’s airplane. He specializes in boats. He put himself through Washington State University designing and fabricating aluminum boats. He now holds on to a day job teaching at Mount Vernon High School, but he’s also a naval architect and licensed master. He sells boat kits all over the world, from Singapore to Africa, and often builds clients’ boats on site. Which is how he found himself in the north Pacific, in the Marshall Islands, and deep into a quest to solve the most enduring of aviation mysteries.“Right now, to think I’m a leading researcher on Amelia Earhart? A farmer’s kid and school teacher from Mount Vernon? Unbelievable,” says Spink, a broad smile across his boyish face. He wears a brown fedora, a la Indiana Jones, and a brown leather aviator jacket with a Boeing logo embroidered on the front. Spink says he received the coat when he told his Earhart story to a fascinated group of Boeing Company executives. ​A major player in the Japanese capture hypothesis, Dick gave us a revealing and candid interview that will expand on the recent documentary "Amelia Earhart: The Lost Evidence" and will allow listeners an inside look at Dick's work in the Marshall Islands. ​

Sylvia Wrigley is a pilot and aviation writer who has been obsessing about aviation safety for over a decade.Sylvia has authored many aviation books including "Unable to Reach You By Radio: The Tragedy of Amelia Earhart", "You Fly Like a Woman", "The Mystery of Malaysia Airlines flight 370" and her incredibly fascinating "Why Planes Crash Case Files: 2001" and "Why Planes Crash Case Files: 2002". In episode thirteen of the Chasing Earhart podcast, we discuss the world flight of Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan from her perspective and we go over the factors of why planes crash; applying those factors to the world flight. Enjoy this incredibly enlightening and educational episode with project guest Sylvia Wrigley!

In episode twelve of the Chasing Earhart podcast, we chat with author and educator Kate Jerome about her book "Who Was Amelia Earhart" which is part of the New York Times Best Selling Series of "Who Was" books. "Who Was Amelia Earhart" is still on the Amazon best seller list, 15 years after it's release and serves as a staple for children and young adults that are wanting an introduction to Amelia Earhart. Among the topics discussed in this episode, are Amelia's relevance; both when she was alive as well as today, the importance her parents played in shaping her spirit and why children in the 21st century continue to latch onto the story and example that Amelia set almost 100 years ago. Enjoy this wonderfully engaging and thought provoking interview with Kate Jerome!

Considered by many within and outside of the Earhart community as the foremost authority on celestial navigation in the world, Gary LaPook has been interested in Amelia Earhart since the 90's; studying the flight at length from multiple facets using multiple skill sets. Recorded live on location in Gary's living room in Moorpark, California we spoke at length about the world flight, Amelia Earhart's impact and legacy, burden of proof and the inner workings of celestial navigation. We got into the mind of navigator Fred Noonan and the monumental responsibility that he carried during one of the most incredible flights in aviation history. Get out your paper and pencils; celestial navigation 101 is now in session!

This dramatic controversial novel is not your typical Amelia Earhart biography or dry report. Two expert pilots ask pivotal questions and provide valuable pieces to the 75 yr. old puzzle about Earhart's mysterious disappearance. Were they on a secret mission to photograph Japanese installations? Who kidnapped them? Was FDR part of the government cover-up that continues to this day? And most importantly, were Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan betrayed? The answers to these questions and many more in episode 10 of the Chasing Earhart podcast!

1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & MysteriesA while ago, we were alerted to a podcast hosted by Jon Hagadorn titled 1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & Mysteries. They recently released a two part Amelia Earhart retrospective series that detailed the Japanese capture hypothesis in great detail. Covering information that hadn't been widely distributed, Jon and his team dove deep into the hypothesis in a way that could introduce folks who didn't know about Amelia Earhart & Fred Noonan's presence in the Marshall Islands. Shortly afterwards, we reached out to Jon and we decided to release a cross promotional podcast. This is our half of that cross promotion. For those folks out there that subscribe to and follow the Japanese capture hypothesis, this will be an enjoyable episode of Chasing Earhart. And be sure to search the 1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & Mysteries podcast for Jon's interview with Chasing Earhart project creator Chris Williamson; being released simultaneously along side this podcast. Enjoy this very special two - part joint podcast release!

Amelia Earhart's Radio: A Conversation with Paul Rafford Jr. by Chasing Earhart

In our eighth episode of the Chasing Earhart podcast, we welcome Abigail Harrison or as she is more commonly known, "Astronaut Abby"! In this in-depth and revealing interview, we chat with Abby about the inspiration of Amelia Earhart, the Mars Generation, STEM, her work as an aspiring astronaut and why she feels that overcoming your fears and chasing your dreams is the very best way to achieve everything you've ever wanted! This is an interview that will have a lot of people talking for quite some time!

A curious young girl. A  mysterious and reclusive woman. In this episode, we discuss the novel "Miss E" with author and educator Brian Herberger. We discuss the research and writing of the book as well as detailed plot spoilers and characters in this compelling novel that mixes historical fact with fiction and imagination that takes all on a journey of discovery.

In episode five of the Chasing Earhart podcast, we welcome William (Bill) Snavely to discuss the numbers in the Amelia Earhart world flight. Among the topics discussed are fuel consumption, the three factors that he believes contributed most to the world flight and why he believes that Amelia and Fred turned the Electra around when they were convinced that the fuel they had was not going to be enough for the final leg of the world flight. Get out your pencils, paper and calculators because we're going to school!