Although the disappearance was 87 years ago, it remains of interest to many. On July 19 and 20, it will be the topic of two separate events presented by the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum in Atchison, Kansas.

The discussions are set to take place the same weekend as the town’s Amelia Earhart Festival, which is held the third weekend in July to honor the aviatrix’s birthday, according to museum spokesperson Vanessa Bonavia. Although both talks are sponsored by the museum, they will be held off museum property to allow for a capacity crowd.

• READ MORE: Earhart Museum Nominated for Top Award

The first talk, Adventure Amelia: A Conversation with Explorers in the Search for Amelia Earhart, will be a panel discussion on July 19 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CST at the Fox Theatre Atchison, 612 Commercial Street. The presentation is free, but registration is required. 

The panelists include Deep Sea Vision founder Tony Romeo, who got the world’s attention in January after publishing underwater images taken in the South Pacific that he alleges may be Earhart’s aircraft. He will be joined by his brother Lloyd Romeo, who served as project manager during the expedition.

Also scheduled to participate on the panel is Gary LaPook, a celestial navigation expert with The Stratus Project, a U.K.-based organization that has been searching for Earhart. Liz Smith, a Date Line Theory expert, ocean exploration, and science documentary producer, is also participating. The panel discussion will be moderated by Dorothy Cochrane, curator of the aeronautics department at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. 

• READ MORE: Museum Celebrates the Life of Amelia Earhart

Panelists are expected to discuss where they believe the famous Electra is now, the reasons for its disappearance, and the evidence that supports their claims.

“As the curator for general aviation that includes the history of women in aviation, I have presented in various conferences and forums solo or with others,” Cochrane said. “Of course, I’ve done many media interviews and articles. At the museum I am responsible for Earhart’s transatlantic Lockheed Vega and related material that will soon be displayed again in the museum’s Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight Gallery.”

According to Cochrane, a common question asked is “why Howland Island?” followed by “why was Earhart making the flight?” 

“While not perfectly planned, it was not a stunt,” Cochrane said. “It is exactly what Earhart did for a living—setting records and then writing and lecturing. Women pilots had very few money-making opportunities since they were not allowed to fly in the military or in commercial airlines, and the private sector had little serious interest in them (except Beech Aircraft, that’s another story with Louise Thaden). So, Earhart built her own career. She truly loved flying and touring and supporting other women pilots.”

• READ MORE: Amelia Earhart’s Legacy Enshrined at New Kansas Museum

Deep Dive With Deep Sea Vision

On July 20, the Romeo brothers will talk about their process for searching the more than 5,200 square miles of ocean near Howland Island looking for the final resting place of the Electra.

The expedition spent 90 days on-site searching for the famous airplane that disappeared while trying to find Howland Island, which was a fuel stop as part of Earhart’s attempt to fly around the world. The Deep Sea Vision expedition relied on underwater drones. One of them captured a sonar image that to some people resembles an airplane.

“Both the Romeo brothers are pilots, so they will be bringing the pilot perspective into it,” Bonavia said.

• READ MORE: Ocean Exploration Company Thinks It Found Earhart’s Airplane

The pair will share highlights from their search for the Lockheed Electra 10-E and the company’s plans to launch its confirmation expedition with a high-powered camera to look for more evidence, such as the aircraft’s “NR16020” registration number. The conversation will be moderated by Amelia Rose Earhart, a pilot, author, and artist who in 2014 honored her namesake by completing a global circumnavigation flight.

The Deep Dive with Deep Sea Vision will take place at 9 a.m. CDT at the O’Malley-McAllister Auditorium at Benedictine College in Atchison. 

The post Earhart Museum to Explore Evidence Related to Aviatrix’s Disappearance appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Since this is a people’s choice award, the public is invited to vote.

“I think the editors recognized we are the first and only museum dedicated to the aviation legacy of Amelia Earhart, one of the world’s most admired women,” said Pendergraft. “It may also be that the museum offers a rare blend of state-of-the-art STEM interactives with history storytelling that uniquely takes visitors on a journey through Amelia’s trailblazing life.”

Pendergraft, a native of Kansas, grew up hearing stories about the famous aviatrix. She was with the museum on opening day.

“I was drawn by how the museum tells Amelia’s story in a way that brings her to life beyond the allure of Amelia the ‘icon’ to present a person who boldly faced real challenges and struggles in the pursuit of her dreams—and used her success to inspire others,” she said. “I’m also impressed by how the museum engages visitors, particularly young people, with hands-on STEM concepts as they journey through Amelia’s life. The museum is responding to an urgent need to help young people consider careers in aviation, aerospace, and other STEM-related career paths of the future.

The centerpiece of the facility is the world’s last remaining Lockheed Electra 10-E, named Muriel after Earhart’s younger sister. The airplane is identical to the aircraft Earhart used on her final flight in her attempt to fly around the world. Earhart’s aircraft disappeared over the Pacific on July 2, 1937. She was attempting to reach Howland Island to meet up with the Coast Guard cutter Itasca. There was sporadic radio contact, with Earhart indicating she was lost and running low on fuel, then radio silence.

The U.S. Navy spent weeks searching for Earhart and her navigator, Frederick Noonan, but no trace was found. To this day, the search was the largest effort of its kind by the Navy with the exception of the search for the wreckage of the space shuttle Challenger in 1986.

• READ MORE: New Earhart Museum to Open this Spring

Beyond the Aviatrix

Earhart was more than a pilot—she was a trendsetter and role model for women, advocating for them to pursue higher education and careers. She had a keen interest in the sciences and used her celebrity status to advocate for social causes. She was close friends with first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, even persuading her to skip out on a state dinner—despite the fact they were dressed in formal gowns—to go flying.

“Many of her accomplishments were underrated,” said Pendergraft. “I’m a native Kansan who grew up knowing about Amelia, but until I joined the Museum I had no real idea of her many accomplishments and influences beyond the headlines – many of which are underestimated, like working as a mechanic, nurse, and student advisor at Purdue to encourage other women.”

Pendergraft said the museum started gaining attention before it even opened. In January, Smithsonian Magazine named the museum as one of the Top 10 Most Anticipated Openings in 2023, and in the fall the museum was profiled by the Midwest Travel Journalists Association with its annual GEMmy Award as one of the “gems of travel” as it “offers an exceptional experience to travelers.”

A few weeks ago, museum officials were notified by the editors of USA Today’s 10Best readers’ choice awards that they were one of 16 museums in the country to be nominated.

“We didn’t know about the contest and were beyond thrilled to be nominated,” Pendergraft said. “We’ve since learned that 10Best nominees are submitted by a panel of travel experts and then the 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the public to vote on.”

Voting is done online and readers can cast a ballot once per category, per day, until the cutoff of noon on December 25.

“If we reach the No. 1 spot, the museum will be featured in USA Today and recommended across USA Today’s travel and tourism platforms as a top destination in the U.S.,” Pendergraft said. “This special honor will not only shine a bright spotlight on the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum, but it will also heighten public interest in exploring the many stellar museums and tourism attractions across the Midwest.”

Other museums in the running include the Punk Rock Museum in Las Vegas; Museum of Broadway in New York; Gettysburg Beyond Battle Museum in Pennsylvania; the Buffalo AKG Art Museum in New York; and  Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture in Riverside, California.

The post Earhart Museum Nominated for Top Award appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The museum has been in development for several years, designed in partnership with Dimensional Innovations, a Kansas-based experience design firm. 

The museum, located at Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport (K59) is being made possible through the support of Boeing, Bombardier, FedEx, Garmin, and Lockheed Martin. According to museum officials, the facility is designed to function as a blending of history and STEM education—with flight technology in the center.

“It’s a tremendous honor to have the support of aviation leaders like Boeing and Bombardier who continue Amelia’s enduring legacy of innovation and share our vision to inspire future generations in the pursuit of flight,” said Karen Seaberg, founder and president of the Atchison Amelia Earhart Foundation.

Grand Opening Celebration

The grand opening ceremony with a ribbon cutting is slated for Friday at noon CST in front of the museum. 

“The museum doors officially open immediately following the ceremony at 12:30 pm CST,” said Vanessa Bonavia, museum spokesperson, adding that they have invited some special guests, including members of Earhart’s extended family.

“We are expecting special guests, including Bram Kleppner, Amelia’s great-great nephew, and his young daughter, Amelia’s great-great niece,” Bonavia said. “We’ve received several RSVPs from members of The Ninety-Nines and Women in Aviation. Amelia Rose Earhart, the young pilot who circumnavigated the globe to honor Amelia’s legacy, will be attending. The colors will be presented by the Kansas Air National Guard. Kansas Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall will also share remarks, along with Atchison Mayor Lisa Moody.”

The festivities will continue through the weekend. On April 15, pilots from Kansas State University Salina Aerospace and Technology Flight Team will invite the public to tour its new Cirrus SR20 and Cessna 172 aircraft, and on April 16, the “RC Fly Jam” featuring radio-controlled planes will be on the museum grounds and tarmac.

Inside the Museum

The Museum is the home of the world’s last remaining Lockheed Electra 10-E, named

Muriel after Earhart’s younger sister, Grace Muriel Earhart Morrissey. Muriel is identical to the plane Earhart flew on her final flight around the world. 

In addition to the aircraft, there are 14 interactive exhibit areas that allow visitors to trace Earhart’s life from growing up in Atchison, to her growing fame as an aviatrix.

Visitors will be able to enter a full-scale replica of Muriel’s cockpit to experience what it was like to be inside the aircraft described as Earhart’s “flying laboratory.”

There is a digitized version of Earhart’s mechanic logbook for review, and through the magic of augmented reality, visitors can try on Earhart’s various careers such as mechanic, nurse, pilot, and even a fashion designer.

Museum officials note each exhibit has been carefully outfitted to meet National Curriculum Standards, Kansas Curriculum Content Standards, and Missouri Standards of Learning. Professionally developed Teacher Guides to support field trips are also available.

There is a heavy aviation component that allows visitors to explore celestial navigation and learn about radio waves and the atmosphere, use 3D holograms to explore technological advances in aviation, pilot a virtual reality flight in a Lockheed Vega 5B across the Atlantic, retracing Earthart’s 1932 flight and finally, speculate and vote on theories about what happened to Earhart on her attempt to fly around the world.

History and STEM

Earhart has always been associated with aviation, setting multiple records as a pilot, including being the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Many people are surprised to learn that she also had a background in the sciences. According to multiple biographies, she was particularly interested in chemistry, medicine, and mechanics. This makes it a natural fit for aerospace businesses to support the facility.

“Amelia’s courage and spirit of adventure will inspire the next generation of aviators, explorers, and innovators to continue breaking new boundaries in aerospace,” said Cheri Carter, vice president of Boeing Global Engagement.

Tonya Sudduth, head of U.S. strategy at Bombardier, added, “We are thrilled to support the new Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum and believe it will have a great impact on the community through its innovative and educational exhibits—inspiring young people to explore the many exciting possibilities and future career paths available in aviation and aerospace.” 

In addition to the aerospace industry, a number of local and national philanthropic organizations are providing support for the museum, including the Donn Lux Family, the Guy Bromley Trust, the Patterson Family Foundation, the Regnier Family Foundation, the Fly With Amelia Foundation, the Stauffer Jambrosic Foundation, the Sunderland Foundation and the William T. Kemper Foundation, and local employers Amberwell Health, Benedictine College, MGP Ingredients and others.

Following the grand opening, the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum will apply to become an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. 

The post Amelia Earhart’s Legacy Enshrined at New Kansas Museum appeared first on FLYING Magazine.