TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Amelia Earhart remains the most famous female pilot in aviation history. A trailblazer, she had a strong connection to Tucson and Southern Arizona.
In 1937, as she prepared to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world, she was one of the most famous people on the planet.
"Oh yes, she was a crowd gatherer," said Larry Herndon the Collections Curator at Pima Air & Space.
The museum in Tucson has the same type of plane Earhart flew on her ill-fated trip, a Lockheed Electra 10E. It is part of the Pima Air & Space Women in Flight exhibit.
Herndon says Earhart made many stops in Tucson throughout her flying career.
"It just so happens that Tucson is right in the middle between El Paso and San Diego," explained Harndon. "Tucson was the place to stop and get gas and get hosted by the great people of Tucson, Arizona."
But it was actually the folks in McNeal, Arizona, just north of Douglas, that first showed her great hospitality.
It was September of 1928. Three months earlier, she had become the first woman to fly the Atlantic. One month earlier, she had become the first woman to fly solo across North America.
That day, she was low on fuel flying across Southeast Arizona. Reports say mesquite tree needles punctured her tires but she was safe on the ground.
"They had a big dinner," Herndon said. "She hosted all the Ladies Aid Society of McNeal."
Earhart made a $1 donation to the organization before taking off again.
Her next trip to Southeast Arizona came with a whole lot more fanfare. In August of 1929, Earhart was part of the National Women's Air Derby. It was a nine-day, 2,800 mile cross-country race among the top female pilots in the country.
"On the third day of their derby and Amelia Earhart was part of that," said former Douglas Mayor Donald Huish. "She was currently in third place when she landed here. She had some engine troubles apparently on the way over here and was able to get them fixed and going. That really put us on the map."
The race is still remembered today at the Border Air Museum located at the Douglas Municipal Airport. The airport has the distinction of being the first international airport in the country, certified by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
Meantime, Amelia Earhart was making frequent trips to Tucson's Davis-Monthan Field, signing the pilot register three times.
"She landed in 1929, 1930 and '31," Herndon said. "The reason the fourth signature is not in the logbook is she landed in May 1937. About six months earlier, the logbook closed."
That was her final flight into Tucson and it was unscheduled. As she prepared for her flight around the world, her Lockheed Electra had engine trouble. The left engine caught fire and was damaged.
"These are radial engines, nine pistons," said Herndon. "Pretty much like a car engine. So, they could overheat, they could catch on fire. She did land here for that. Of course, the fine mechanics here in Tucson took care of it and she was on her way to New Orleans after that."
Less than a month later, Earhart set out on her round-the-world flight, leaving from Miami.
On July 2,1937, during a leg to Howland Island in the Central Pacific, her plane disappeared, apparently running out of fuel.
A naval search never turned up Earhart, her navigator or the plane.
But her legacy lives on to this day as a trailblazer in aviation.
"At that time aviation was pretty much dominated by males," Herndon said. "I think she set a great standard in bringing other females into the world of aviation. We have to admire her for that."