Evening star., 1937-03-26
MISS EARHART'S
FAITH UNSHAKEN
Says Accident Has Failed
to Change Attitude on
World Flight Project.
BY AMELIA EARHART.

BY AMELIA EARHART.
BURBANK, Calf, March 26 (N.A.N.A).
My fourth voyage between Hawaii and
the mainland-two by air and two py
boat-has been completed. The last
return yesterday on the steamer
Malolo, was not my intention when
took off week ago. However, the
best laid plans of mice and pilots go
awry and very awry mine have gone.
The accident which ended the pres
ent flight was high price to pay. But
already in retrospect it seems as If
the knowledge gained on the way were
almost worth the cost. Imean in such
things as better arrangements OF navi-
cation facilities and radio, exact re-
actions of the plane under heavy load
conditions at various attitudes and its
superb performance in taking of. And
above all, a continuity Of faith in the
equipment on the part Of the pilot.
Has the accident shaken your con-
fidence?
Feels Better About Ship.
That question has been asked me
several times today. The answer is
very clear in my mind. Nothing has
happened to change my attitude to-
ward the original project. Instead, !
feel better about the ship itself than
/ ever have.
And am more eager than ever to
fly it again in pioneer flying. One has
to take the rough with the smooth
The accident was just "one OF those
things It might have been so much
worse that I'm really very thankful
The plane behaved beautifully. Its
performance In every way was all that
could be asked. Out Of this expert
ence, If any one has cause to lament,
it is the Electra itself. For I put
burdens upon her which in normal
flying she was not built to bear. She
carried heavy overload AS a mat
ter of fact, very few times since we
started our partnership have I flown
her without one Come to think OF
it, most Of my flying for some years
has been with overloaded planes seek
AAAS AAoeo4lSS kSl 1OA IldtlSC ~ IlldC GllC
problems-and the risks-of this phase
of the flight were not nfamiliar to me
of the flight were not unfamiliar to me.
AS to loads, the performance data
show that hereafter I need not take
quite so much gasoline on these long
Pacific hops This, coupled with a
smaller crew, means fewer pounds to
carry.
Time of Repair Unknown.
Not until the crippled plane is
brought back to the Lockheed plant
here at Burbank will I know the true
extent Of her injuries or the time re-
quired to cure them. And, alas, the
costs. Unfortunately, the latter must
play very important part in any
plans for the future.
II all goes well, I hope the plane
may be reconditioned in from 80 to
60 days. Then, if I feel as 1 now do
the flight will start all over again and
III assay my third crossing to
Honolulu
I've read with interest that this
time I'm to try for a speed record
That is not corerct. The course
chosen is not for speed 1 intend tc
follow my original leisurely plan as
nearly as possible, though perhaps
changed weather conditions at the
postponed date may require some
devtations in that route
Looking back realize what remark
ably pleasant passage was the l6-hour
hop from Oakland to Honolulu. And
that despite not very favorable
weather conditions.
Fred Noonan's navigation proved
all one could expect. Throughout the
night the stars told him (via his bub-
BILE octane) where we were, while
Harry Manning worked the radio.
Use Direction Finder.
At one point Fred told me to DROP
down through the clouds and steer
a certain course, when within a cou-
pie of hundred miles of Hawaii.
Keep the Makapuu beacon 10 de-
grees on the starboard bow" he
ordered.
What he meant was that I should
tune my Bendix radio direction finder
to indicate the location of the beacon
then head the plane as directed.
This is the first time I've used this
recently developed instrument Or
this Pacific hop 1t was one Of the
most interesting and valuable or
board, and performed perfectly. ]
doubt if I'd try the flight to tiny How.
land Island without it supplementine
Fred Noonan's skill. BY the way
Fred is definitely signed up" tc
accompany me on the next take-off
There1l be only two of us when we
start again. Manning is obliged tt
return to his command on the Allan
tic, and' Paul Mantz has had his
Honolulu ride
A silver lining to the present clouc
is the fact that now for a time shall
not have to write any more accounts
for The Evening Star. Hard as my
reporting may have been on readers
doubt if they can know what chore
reporting or trying to report can bt
to one whose other jobs include trying
to herd an airplane around the
Equator. A little later, when the
flight Is resumed, hope to do better
job, reporter wise as well as pilot-wise
Copyright, 1887, by the North American
Newspaper Alliance, Inc)