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| Amelia Earhart |
An early black and white photograph has just been discovered apparently showing Amelia Earhart, her navigator and the wreck of her Lockheed Electra aircraft is said to be unexplained, claim several authorities, they point to her final calls for help by radio as the only conclusive evidence indicating her fate.
At the centre of the fresh speculation that she might have survived is a faded black and white archival print of what appears to be a Western woman sitting on a dock in the Japanese-occupied Marshall Islands.
Some now say it’s the famous missing aviator, Amelia Earhart.
The blurred 'spy' print shows an outline of a man as being similar to that of her co-pilot, Fred Noonan.
Also in the picture is what appears to be the apparent 'wreckage of an aircraft' lashed on board a docked ship. The woman is seen to be looking towards the wrecked aircraft.
The fate of the pioneer aviator has been a source of fascination since she vanished over the central Pacific Ocean, Amelia was attempting to become the first woman to circumnavigate the globe in 1937.
Early on July 2, 1937, Earhart failed to land at a scheduled refuelling station on Howland Island, which is just north of the equator, near the Gilbert Islands.
Historians generally conclude the Lockheed Electra ran out of fuel and crashed deep into the Pacific Ocean.
But continuing research throws up all kinds of theories, and possibly a couple of conspiracies too.
Most agree aircraft navigation technology and mapping techniques of the 1930s were at best rudimentary. So Earhart may have strayed far off her intended route, however no wreckage has been found; and dozens of reported sightings all remain unconfirmed.
One popular theory claims the duo ditched near Papua New Guinea. However, was Earhart actually a spy for the USA, who was returned to the United States at the end of WWII, and lived out the remainder of her life in a protection programme?
The most convincing evidence until now suggests Amelia Earhart ran out of fuel just short of her destination.
The information logged by the US Navy Coast Guard cutter Itaca, which was stationed near her intended refuelling point at Howland Island.
The Coast Guard recorded what it described as ‘very strong’ signals from Earhart’s aircraft as it searched vainly for the tiny island in the centre of the vast Pacific Ocean.
But seemingly blowing that all apart, is retired US Treasury agent Les Kinney.
Also in the picture is what appears to be the apparent 'wreckage of an aircraft' lashed on board a docked ship. The woman is seen to be looking towards the wrecked aircraft.
Most agree aircraft navigation technology and mapping techniques of the 1930s were at best rudimentary. So Earhart may have strayed far off her intended route, however no wreckage has been found; and dozens of reported sightings all remain unconfirmed.
The information logged by the US Navy Coast Guard cutter Itaca, which was stationed near her intended refuelling point at Howland Island.
The Coast Guard recorded what it described as ‘very strong’ signals from Earhart’s aircraft as it searched vainly for the tiny island in the centre of the vast Pacific Ocean.
But seemingly blowing that all apart, is retired US Treasury agent Les Kinney.
He's spent more than a decade chasing new clues and was among those who found fragments attributed to Earhart’s Electra on Mili atoll in the Marshall Islands two years ago.
His new documentary, Amelia Earhart: The Lost Evidence, is due to screen on the History Channel. In it Kinney argues Earhart survived her aircraft’s demise, and the Marshall Islanders’ tales are in fact true.
He’s basing his argument on a misplaced US ‘spy’ photo he found in the US National Archives.
Kinney believes the undated photo was taken by a ‘operative’ working for the US Office of Naval Intelligence on Jaluit Island in the Marshall Islands.
The original archival stamps and annotations support this much, at least. But Kinney then argues it must be a pre-war image as the facility was flattened in 1943.
As such, it supports the longstanding Jaluit Island witness accounts asserting Earhart’s plane was seen to crash before the pair were taken away by the Japanese, and then became prisoners of war.
But it all still remains inconclusive, the documentary however might go someway to resolving the mystery or perhaps its just another strand for further investigation?
Amelia Earhart Fellowship
Established in 1938 in honour of famed pilot and Zontian, Amelia Earhart, the Amelia Earhart Fellowship is awarded annually to women pursuing PhD/doctoral degrees in aerospace-related sciences and aerospace-related engineering. The 2017 Fellowship is open now.The Fellowship of US$10,000, awarded to 35 Fellows around the globe each year, may be used at any university or college offering accredited postgraduate courses and degrees in these fields.
Women of any nationality pursuing a PhD/doctoral degree who demonstrate a superior academic record in the field of aerospace-related sciences and aerospace-related engineering are eligible.
Further details can be found at the Zonta International website.
JULIAN BRAY +44(0)1733 345581, Journalist & Broadcaster, Aviation Security & Airline Operations Analyst/expert, http://www.freelancedirectory.org/user.php?user=8121 www.freelancedirectory.org?name=Julian.Bray.aviation.comment, Travel / Maritime & Cruise Industry, NUJ, EQUITY, LIVE ISDN LINK, Broadcast ISDN COOBE ++44 (0)1733 345020 SKYPE: JULIAN.BRAY.UK e&oe Old faithful NOKIA: 07944 217476 www.aviationcomment.com,
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