Chasing Earhart

“This 50th anniversary, I’m doing it for my crew. They’re all gone now; they were about ten years older than I was. Of course, I miss them, but I can think of them. All my animals, my crew, my family; they’re all close to my heart and they’ll always be there. But this was the beginning of sharing this will people like you and people all over the world.”In 2017, on the 50th anniversary of her world flight, aviation icon and project guest Ann Holtgren Pellegreno gave a special reflective presentation in Atchison Kansas at the Atchison Public Library during the Amelia Earhart Festival. We caught it on film.Tonight, episode 71 continues our ICON series with both a regular audio release of the podcast AND for the first time ever, this very special audio/video version of the podcast presented exclusively on our YouTube channel.This film is dedicated to the crew of the The 1967 Earhart Commemorative Flight: pilot, Ann Holtgren Pellegreno, copilot Bill Payne, navigator Bill Polhemus, and owner and restorer Lee Koepke.All material contained in this presentation is owned by Ann HoltgrenPellegreno.A ChrisEvan Films production.

“I truly believe that this was a woman who was an adventurer and who wanted to break barriers in many, many ways.”Tonight, you’ll hear from an author that takes a different approach to her writing and her thoughts on Amelia Earhart’s relevance. Project guest Patricia Lakin has written multiple children’s books including the well received and long lasting “Amelia Earhart: More Than a Flyer”. Tonight, we continue our children’s series on the landmark 70th episode of the Chasing Earhart podcast, as Patty joins us via Zoom from her home in New York to discuss Amelia Earhart’s childhood and how it shaped her destiny to become “more than a flyer”.

“This wasn’t about a flight. This really was about what Amelia worked so hard to teach. Amelia didn’t fly and do these things to say ‘look what I can do’. She did it to say ‘look what you can do’.”The moments you hear at the opening of tonight's episode, took place 21 years ago on what was the 60th anniversary of Amelia Earhart’s circumnavigation attempt around the world.Project guest Linda Finch arriving in Oakland, in the same manner in which Amelia would have arrived, to crowds of adoring fans, admires and media is not only inspiring but bittersweet. 21 years later, on the 69th episode of the Chasing Earhart podcast and the continuation of our ICON series, Linda joins us via Zoom to reflect on her world flight, Amelia’s impact and legacy, and the message that Amelia stood for that Linda so strongly believes in.

“I think Amelia is more well known than possibly even Lindberg. Amelia is just part of the psyche of the public. She was a really positive role model doing some amazing things; certainly laying it all out there on the line. The mystery of the disappearance adds to her story."Considered by many to be a purist when it comes to locating Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Electra 10E, Dana Timmer has been an advocate for the "Ditch & Sink" hypothesis since he started investigating the events that occurred on the morning of July the 2nd 1937. Working with and earning the professional respect of many of the world's premier experts in nautical exploration, Dana led the very first deep water search for Amelia Earhart, Fred Noonan and their Lockheed Electra 10E in 1999 and he's been feverishly working this case ever since. Working with the team of Michael Williamson and Arthur Wright at Williamson & Associates, Dana believes that it's just a matter of "when" for the location and retrieval of the holy grail of aviation. Tonight, on the 68th episode of the Chasing Earhart podcast Dana joins us via Zoom from Vienna Austria along with Mike Williamson and Arthur Wright joining us from Seattle Washington to discuss "Expedition Amelia" and why they collectively believe that the interest, in this case, is high, the technology is there and the time to end Amelia's story is now.

"A lot of it was just imagining myself in Earhart’s shoes on Nikumaroro and thinking about what she’d do."Our first three-peat on the podcast, Dr. Tom King formally of TIGHAR returns for a different kind of discussion on his third sit down with us. Dr. King's latest novel, "Amelia Earhart Unrescued" is a prequel to his earlier novel "13 Bones" and takes a unique approach in telling the story of the final days of Amelia Earhart's life as she battled the elements, and herself on Nikumaroro Island. Combining his thirty years of research on the "castaway hypothesis" with some creative liberty and elements of fiction, Dr. King provides an interesting look at what Amelia Earhart must have endured if she ended up on Nikumaroro on the morning of July the 2nd 1937.Tonight, as season two of the Chasing Earhart podcast continues, Dr. King joins us via Zoom to discuss his new novel, his thoughts on what might have happened to Amelia Earhart had she successfully returned from her world flight and recent events regarding his career and professional future in Archaeology.

"I think her story resonates with anybody who’s ever been told no they can’t do something and maybe have been frustrated with that answer. There’s this little girl who really pushed her boundaries and whether or not she was courageous or foolhardy I think at the end of the day the courageousness is what we focus on. Her story inspires readers to say “Maybe I can try something”.Project guest Dr. Mona Kerby is a lifelong educator and librarian. Writing for children in a way that has been praised by critics, educators and fans alike Dr. Kerby has a unique way of relating larger than life icons as everyday people.Tonight on the 66th episode of the Chasing Earhart podcast, Dr. Kerby joins us via Zoom from her home in Maryland to breakdown and discuss her book "Amelia Earhart Courage in the Sky, the process of relating Amelia Earhart to children and why she believes that Amelia's story resonates with anyone that has ever struggled to accomplish their dreams.

Following the disappearance of aviation icons Amelia Earhart, Fred Noonan and their Lockheed Electra 10E in 1937, the world speculates on their fate; creating multiple theories to explain their vanishing over the Pacific Ocean. In 2018, documentarian Chris Williamson begins an investigation over a decade in the making. Shortly after his investigation begins, he soon finds there’s much more to this story than anyone ever thought possible.The first scripted podcast from ChrisEvan Films, Inc. “Vanished: Amelia Earhart” brings together a full audio drama production from the team that brings you the “Chasing Earhart Podcast”.Look out for the first episode of "Vansihed: Amelia Earhart" on January 5th 2019 on all major podcast platforms.

“Amelia Earhart was an explorer and an adventurer who took risks and someone who was doing so in a time where it may not have been attractive or easy to do something like that as a woman. I kind of see somebody who doesn’t really care what the status quo is and is doing whatever the hell she wants anyway.”Emily Calandrelli is a lot of things. A speaker, an author a STEM advocate and a scientist. For us though she is yet another living embodiment of what Amelia Earhart stood for all those years ago. Using her powerful platform to motivate and empower young women to act, Emily is recognized all around the world as her alter ego "The Space Gal" in her rousing Ted Talks and discussions that stir emotion and action. Tonight on the 65th episode of the Chasing Earhart podcast, Emily joins us via Zoom to discuss the current state of STEM, what needs to be done to improve the numbers of women in STEM and why she believes that the adventures of Amelia Earhart send shockwaves through STEM and aviation that still last to this day.

“The defiant human spirit is something that we all have the potential to tap into and that’s what Amelia had; she had this defiant spirit and the defiant spirit is saying “ I’m not gonna let life beat me; I’m gonna go out and live fully and fearlessly”. It’s about getting out there and doing the things that ignite you.”Janine Shepherd is a living, breathing miracle. A former cross-country ski champion, Janine was on her way to the Winter Olympics when tragedy struck in the form of an accident that left her body broken. Fighting for her very life, Janine brought herself back from the brink of death to become one of the world's most recognizable motivational speakers. Finding a second life in aviation as well as motivational speaking, Janine has shaped the hearts and hopes of millions of people all over the world. Tonight, season two of the Chasing Earhart podcast continues our icon series by welcoming Janine via Zoom to talk about her near life-ending accident, life's second chances and why she believes that Amelia Earhart demonstrated grit and tenacity by living a life filled with the "defiant human spirit".

“I think for women she was a symbol of freedom and independence and her fame made her larger than life. Her story and her disappearance live on as the ultimate historical mystery. That idea keeps her alive in people’s minds in a way that a lot of figures from history aren’t.”Of all the missing persons cases in history, perhaps no other has captured the world like that of Amelia Earhart & Fred Noonan. Continuing to captivate the planet now for over eight decades, their disappearance over the Pacific Ocean on the morning of July the 2nd 1937 made worldwide headlines then as well as now. Headline after headline were featured newspapers and radio all over the world as the general public waited on the edge of their seats for any news regarding the iconic pair’s vanishing. In 2018, the headlines continue to haunt us with new and often polarizing information making its way forward to fuel the fire with of the world’s obsession with finding a resolution to this iconic mystery. Tonight, season two of the Chasing Earhart podcast continues with episode 63 and project guest Sarah Pruitt joining us via Zoom to discuss her book Breaking History Vanished. Sarah gives us her thoughts on the creation of this special book, why the Amelia Earhart case was a natural fit to feature and why she believes that any information regarding the Amelia Earhart case continues to be “Breaking History”.