A 10-year negotiation concluded this year resulting in the acquirement of 16mm footage of Amelia Earhart by The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR), which may provide new clues to the mystery of her disappearance.
According to History, Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, as well as setting many flying records and advancing the female presence in aviation.
Suddenly in 1937, during her second attempt around the world, she and her navigator never arrived at their destination of Howland Island, north of the equator of the Pacific Ocean. Earhart’s disappearance could be considered one of the biggest mysteries of the 20th century.
The U.S. military in Hawaii were a great help to Amelia while she prepared for her flight from Luke Field, Ford Island to Howland Island in March, 1937. Without their expertise in providing support at Wheeler Field and at Ford Island, our world flight would have been delayed. pic.twitter.com/LLM0nwe7Fu
— Fred Noonan (@FredNoonan) February 17, 2019
In the new footage obtained by TIGHAR, the rear right side of Earhart’s plane can be seen with what looks like an aluminum patch. This patch resembles a damaged metal artifact that was found in 1991, and researchers speculated they could be the same piece of aluminum. The problem is that this cannot be concluded by mere sight, as the video footage is of poor quality.
Old Video Footage Needs A Makeover
The footage is nearly 82 years old, and this means that in order for TIGHAR’s forensic analyst Jeff Glickman to analyze the old film, it must be scanned at high resolution through special equipment—which costs a pretty penny, according to TIGHAR.
Fortunately for Glickman, the footage was shot at 24 frames per second. This means they have 24 photos of Earhart’s plane, Electra, per second of film. It’s “like hitting the lottery,” according to Glickman.
“The end product should be a seeing-is-believing comparison between the patch and the artifact that will prove – or disprove – that they are one and the same,” stated TIGHAR.
Finding Amelia with Hard Facts and Sound Science
Ric Gillespie's popular powerpoint presentation explains the evidence for the wreckage of the Earhart Electra being in the deep water off the west end of Nikumaroro and the plan for finding it.
由 TIGHAR 发布于 2016年8月30日周二
A Letter of Authenticity
The authenticity of the footage has been confirmed by a letter from the photographer dated July 2, 1937, according to TIGHAR. According to the previous owner, she obtained the film after a divorce settlement, and a relative of her ex-husband was the one who shot the film. Here is a short excerpt:
“…we met up with Amelia Putnam in Lae day before yesterday. Had lunch with her and her navigator and they have plenty of what it takes when they hop off from Lae for a little spot less than a mile in diameter right out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. … I got a movie of them yesterday morning taking off for a little test flight, then after they got back, I got a fairly close up of her…”
TIGHAR has not released the footage, but you may visit their website for more information.
“Please don’t be concerned. It just seems that I must try this flight. I’ve weighed it all carefully. With it behind me life will be fuller and richer. I can be content. Afterward it will be fun to grow old.” – Amelia Earhart pic.twitter.com/OzNBihwTNF
— Fred Noonan (@FredNoonan) February 3, 2019
