Earhart Flies Solo: Hawaii to California
Amelia Earhart took off from Wheeler Field in Honolulu on January 11, 1935, and flew 2,408 miles of open Pacific Ocean solo to Oakland, California. No one had ever made this crossing alone. Ten pilots had already died attempting Pacific flights. Earhart navigated without radar or GPS, relying on dead reckoning and the stars above an ocean that offered zero landmarks for eighteen hours. She carried a thermos of hot chocolate and listened to the Metropolitan Opera on her radio to stay awake. When she landed in Oakland, a crowd of 10,000 people was waiting. The flight proved that transpacific commercial aviation was feasible and cemented Earhart's reputation as the most famous aviator alive. Two years later, she disappeared over the central Pacific while attempting to circumnavigate the globe.
January 11, 1935
91 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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