6 Amelia
'I want to fly. Will you teach me?' she asked,
as flight instructor and aviation' pioneer Anita Snook recounts in her
autobiography I Taught Amelia to Fly. The aspiring pupil was Amelia Earhart,
and the year was 1920.
Born in the
Midwestern American state of Kansas on 24 July 1897, Amelia loved climbing
trees, sledging and hunting rats with a rifle". Ambitious since childhood,
she kept a scrapbook filled with newspaper clippings of successful and
inspiring women in male-dominated fields of the time such as film production,
law, advertising, management and mechanical engineering.
Initially
Amelia did not find aeroplanes all that impressive. 'It was a thing of rusty
wires and wood and looked not at all interesting, she said, after seeing a
plane for the first time at a state fair when she was ten years old. A decade
later, she felt the first thrill of excitement as she watched a plane swoop by
her at a stunt flying exhibition. On 28 December 1920 she took the plane ride
which would change her life forever: 'By the time I had got two or three
hundred feet off the ground, I knew I had to fly.
Amelia's
first flying lesson was on 3 January 1921 with Snook. It lasted twenty minutes
and was the beginning of a steady friendship between the two adventurous women.
Snook tutored Amelia in two planes: one was her own and later, a plane called
The Canary which Amelia had bought second-hand after saving up from a variety
of jobs. Amelia's first record came in the bright yellow Canary when she rose
to an altitude of 14,000 feet in it, the highest a woman had flown till then.
In April
1928 came the phone call which would catapult Amelia to international fame.
'How would you like to be the first woman to cross the Atlantic?" asked
the caller, and after verifying that it was a genuine scheme and not a prank,
Amelia did not think twice before saying yes. On 17 June she joined pilot
Wilmer Stultz and co-pilot/mechanic Louis E. Gordon on a landmark" flight
across the Atlantic which lasted nearly twenty-one hours. Three women pilots
had died that year trying to be the first to fly across the Atlantic, and
Amelia's successful effort made headlines around the world.
Aviation
became Amelia's sole focus after this achievement. In 1932, she achieved the
feat of being the first woman and only the second person after Charles
Lindbergh to fly solo" across the Atlantic. She braved strong winds, icy
conditions and mechanical problems during the flight and was forced to make an
emergency landing in a pasture in Ireland. The difficulties she faced only
strengthened her belief that men and women were equally capable of doing jobs
which required intelligence, coordination¹², speed and willpower.
The decade
which followed saw Amelia establish and break many more records. In 1935, she
became the first person to fly solo across the Pacific from Honolulu to
Oakland, California. The altitude record of 18,415 feet she had set for women
in an autogiro" in 1931 remained unbroken for years. She set many speed
records, only to better¹¹ them later. Amelia became a poster girl's for women
in aviation, appearing in many events to raise funds for her trips.
There was
one feat Amelia had yet to accomplish; she wanted to be the first woman to fly
around the world. In 1937, as her fortieth birthday was approaching, Amelia
decided to take the plunge. She believed she had just one more good flight left
in her system and hoped this trip would be it. The first attempt was a failure
which left her plane severely damaged. However, this did not deter her and on the
first of June, she set off again along with navigator Fred Noonan in her
rebuilt plane. The 29,000-mile journey was a test of endurance 18 and they
overcame difficulties like unpredictable weather and inaccurate route maps to
complete three-quarters of the distance. In the last leg of 7,000 miles, they
faced a stiff challenge. In a single trip, they had to fly 2,556 miles from New
Guinea to Howland Island. Howland was a tiny point in the Pacific Ocean, with
no other landing spot around for hundreds of miles.
On a clear
morning on the second of July, Amelia and Noonan started their journey.
Contrary to weather forecasts, they ran into overcast skies and intermittent¹
rain showers. The cloudy sky severely limited visibility20 and made Noonan's
job of locating Howland almost impossible. They were running low on fuel, and
radio transmissions were irregular and faint. At 8:45 a.m., Amelia reported to
her radio contact, a U.S. Coast Guard ship, that they were 'running north and
south'. It was the last message received from her. The plane never reached
Howland, and there was no further communication from it.
The rescue
attempt which was launched immediately became the most extensive 21 air and sea
search in naval history, covering 250,000 square miles of the Pacific.
Unfortunately, no trace could be found of Amelia, her co-passenger or their
plane. The American government called off the search operation on 19 July.
Despite rumoured sightings and many theories over the years, no real proof of
what happened to the doomed22 flight and the two aviators has been found till
date.
Amelia's
fate remains a mystery. But her courage, conviction" and willpower are
commemorated24 across the United States and in the aviation community. She
broke the conventional25 rules of behaviour for women at the time and went on
to become a guiding light for a generation of pilots. Fully aware of the
hazards of her profession, she saw failure as just a challenge to be overcome.
Her approach to life is best summed up in her own words: 'I want to do it
because I want to do it'
Comprehension
A. Column A is a list of people
associated in some way with important events in Amellia's life. Match these
people with the events given in Column B.
B. Answer the following questions.
1. What kind of relationship did
Amelia have with Anita Snook? Which planes did Snook tutor Amelia in?
Amelia
had a close friendship with Anita Snook. Snook tutored Amelia in two planes: her own and a
plane called The Canary that Amelia bought
secondhand.
2. What was Amelia's initial reaction
to aeroplanes? How did her opinion about them change?
Amelia's
initial reaction to aeroplanes was not very positive. She found them "not at all
interesting" after seeing one at a state fair. However, after watching a
plane swoop by her at a stunt flying exhibition, her opinion changed, and she
became excited about flying.
3. Name the pilot and the co-pilot on
Amelia's first flight across the Atlantic. Why was it a landmark trip?
The pilot on
Amelia's first flight across the Atlantic was Wilmer
Stultz, and the co-pilot/mechanic was Louis E. Gordon. This trip was
a landmark because it was the
first time a woman had successfully crossed the Atlantic Ocean by air.
4. What problems did Amelia face
during her solo flight across the Atlantic?
Where did she land?
During her
solo flight across the Atlantic, Amelia faced strong
winds, icy conditions, and mechanical problems. She was forced
to make an emergency landing in a pasture in Ireland.
5. Which record of Amelia remained
unbroken for years? Mention any other record that she made.
Amelia's
altitude record of 18,415 feet in an autogiro remained unbroken for years. She also set many speed records, which she later
broke herself.
6. Why did Amelia desperately want to
fly around the world? What difficulties did she face before she set off in June
1937?
Amelia
desperately wanted to fly around the world to achieve the ultimate challenge in
aviation.
Before she set off in June 1937, she faced difficulties such as a failed attempt that severely damaged her
plane.
7. Who joined Amelia on her flight
around the world? What was his role in the journey?
Fred
Noonan joined
Amelia on her flight around the world. He served as her navigator.
8. Why was Amelia unable to land on
Howland Island?
Amelia was unable to land on Howland
Island due to poor visibility and inaccurate route maps. The cloudy sky made it difficult for Noonan to
locate the island, and they were running low on fuel.
9. What attempts were made to rescue
the two aviators? What was the result of this operation?
Extensive
air and sea searches were launched to rescue Amelia and Noonan. However, no trace of them or their plane was ever found.
The American government called off the search operation on July 19.
10. Write down what Amelia said
about:
a. Failure: Amelia saw failure as "just a challenge to be
overcome." This demonstrates her resilience and determination in the face
of adversity.
b. Her
enthusiasm to do things:
Amelia's approach to life is best summed up in her own words: "I want to
do it because I want to do it." This quote highlights her intrinsic
motivation and passion for her endeavors.
C. Quote
lines from the chapter which tell you the following things.
Quotes from the Chapter
1. Amelia was unconventional since her
childhood.
·
"Born
in the Midwestern American state of Kansas on 24 July 1897, Amelia loved
climbing trees, sledging and hunting rats with a rifle."
2. Amelia worked hard to raise the money
she needed to fly.
·
"Amelia's
first record came in the bright yellow Canary when she rose to an altitude of
14,000 feet in it, the highest a woman had flown till then."
3. Amelia had a daring spirit and she
always wanted to try new things.
·
"In
April 1928 came the phone call which would catapult Amelia to international
fame. 'How would you like to be the first woman to cross the Atlantic?'"
4. Amelia believed women were as capable
as men.
·
"The
difficulties she faced only strengthened her belief that men and women were
equally capable of doing jobs which required intelligence, coordination, speed
and willpower."
5. The public liked and respected Amelia
for her achievements.
·
"Amelia
became a poster girl for women in aviation, appearing in many events to raise
funds for her trips."
VOCABULARY
1.
The teacher quieted the noisy
students by telling them a story.
2.
Using the knife carelessly will blunt
its sharp edge.
3.
Myra tidied her cluttered room before
her friend’s visit.
4.
The car narrowed when it rounded the
corner at a high speed.
5.
The king said to the boy, ‘Don’t be
afraid. Don’t shy away from telling me the truth.’
6.
Ashish smoothed his shirt carefully
before his interview.
Amelia 50 One-Word Questions
1. Where was Amelia Earhart
born?
o
Kansas
2. What did Amelia Earhart
love doing as a child?
o
Climbing trees, sledging, hunting rats
3. Who taught Amelia
Earhart to fly?
o
Anita Snook
4. When did Amelia Earhart
take her first flying lesson?
o
1921
5. What was the name of
the plane Amelia Earhart bought second-hand?
o
The Canary
6. What was Amelia
Earhart's first record?
o
Highest altitude reached by a woman
7. Who was the first
person to fly solo across the Atlantic?
o
Charles Lindbergh
8. Where did Amelia Earhart
make an emergency landing during her solo flight across the Atlantic?
o
Ireland
9. When did Amelia Earhart
become the first person to fly solo across the Pacific?
o
1935
10. What was Amelia
Earhart's final destination?
o
Howland Island
11. Who was Amelia
Earhart's navigator during her final flight?
o
Fred Noonan
12. What was the last
message received from Amelia Earhart?
o
"Running north and south"
13. When did the U.S.
government call off the search for Amelia Earhart?
o
19 July 1937
14. What was Amelia
Earhart's approach to challenges?
o
To overcome them
15. How did Amelia Earhart
view failure?
o
As a challenge
16. What was Amelia
Earhart's motto?
o
"I want to do it because I want to do it"
17. What did Amelia Earhart
break?
o
Conventional rules of behavior for women
18. Who did Amelia Earhart
inspire?
o
A generation of pilots
19. What remains a mystery?
o
Amelia Earhart's fate
20. Where is Amelia Earhart
commemorated?
o
Across the United States and in the aviation community
21. In what year was Amelia Earhart
born?
o
1897
22. In what year did Amelia Earhart
take her first flying lesson?
o
1921
23. In what year did Amelia Earhart
become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic?
o
1932
24. In what year did Amelia Earhart
become the first person to fly solo across the Pacific?
o
1935
25. In what year did Amelia Earhart
disappear?
o
1937
26. How did Amelia Earhart
feel after her first plane ride?
o
Excited
27. Why did Amelia Earhart
agree to cross the Atlantic in 1928?
o
To achieve fame
28. What did Amelia Earhart
believe about men and women?
o
Equal
29. What was the altitude
record Amelia Earhart set in an autogiro?
o
18,415 feet
30. How did Amelia Earhart
describe her final flight?
o
Difficult
31. What was the most
extensive air and sea search in naval history?
o
The search for Amelia Earhart
32. What has been found
about Amelia Earhart's disappearance?
o
Nothing
33. What did Amelia Earhart
break for women at the time?
o
Conventional rules of behavior for women
34. How did Amelia Earhart
view challenges?
o
To overcome them
35. What was Amelia
Earhart's motto?
o
"I want to do it because I want to do it"
36. What did Amelia Earhart
love doing as a child?
o
Climbing trees, sledging, hunting rats
37. Who taught Amelia
Earhart to fly?
o
Anita Snook
38. When did Amelia Earhart
take her first flying lesson?
o
1921
39. What was the name of
the plane Amelia Earhart bought second-hand?
o
The Canary
40. What was Amelia
Earhart's first record?
o
Highest altitude reached by a woman
41. Who was the first
person to fly solo across the Atlantic?
o
Charles Lindbergh
42. Where did Amelia Earhart
make an emergency landing during her solo flight across the Atlantic?
o
Ireland
43. When did Amelia Earhart
become the first person to fly solo across the Pacific?
o
1935
44. What was Amelia
Earhart's final destination?
o
Howland Island
45. Who was Amelia
Earhart's navigator during her final flight?
o
Fred Noonan
46. What was the last
message received from Amelia Earhart?
o
"Running north and south"
47. When did the U.S.
government call off the search for Amelia Earhart?
o
19 July 1937
48. What was Amelia
Earhart's approach to challenges?
o
To overcome them
49. How did Amelia Earhart
view failure?
o
As a challenge
50. What was Amelia
Earhart's motto?
o
"I want to do it because I want to do it"
51. What did Amelia Earhart
break for women at the time?
o
Conventional rules of behaviour for women
52. Who did Amelia Earhart
inspire?
o
A generation of pilots
53. What remains a mystery?
o
Amelia Earhart's fate
54. Where is Amelia Earhart
commemorated?
o
Across the United States and in the aviation community
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