All About Amelia

“Everyone has oceans to fly, if they have the heart to do it.  Is it reckless?  Maybe.  But what do dreams know of boundaries?” –Amelia Earhart

ELECTRA-FYING: Last night we were super fortunate to attend the unveiling of an amazing Amelia Earhart sculpture at The Museum of Flight.

The event was an artist's reception/recognition, as well as a cocktail hour for the museum's board of directors and biggest donors. So it was them and us, basically. We received an invite because Annabelle is part of Amelia's Aero Club at the museum, a program to help foster a love of flight and aerospace in  middle school aged girls.

The reception was held next to the amazing, restored Electra plane that is like the one Amelia piloted on her mission 'round the world. It's a beauty, with an interesting history. CJ can tell you more about it. 

On 27 November 2018, at The Museum of Flight, a statue of Amelia Earhart, best known as the first (known) woman to fly solo over the Atlantic Ocean, was unveiled to a small gathering of (hoity-toity, to put it bluntly) people in attendance. The statue was unveiled at the In Search of Amelia Earhart exhibit, which opened to the public in September 2009. While at the statue unveiling celebration, we noticed a large airplane, known as a Lockheed Model 10-E Electra. According to The Museum of Flight's website, the plane present at The Museum is the 15th of 149 manufactured planes of that model. The plane was acquired by Northwest Airlines in 1935, but was later acquired by the U.S. Air Force in 1942, after which ownership of the Electra was transferred to the Brazilian Air Force.

In March of 1997, Linda Finch took the Electra on a flight across the Atlantic Ocean to mark the 60th anniversary of Amelia Earhart's groundbreaking flight. However, Finch had to alter the route across the ocean, due to changes in politics and geography.

According to The Museum of Flight's website, the Electra has a Cruise Speed of 190 MPH, and a Maximum Speed of 202 MPH. The plane has a height of 10 feet and a length of 39 feet.

So, regarding CJ's 'hoity toity' comment - I'm sure he didn't mean it derisively, as everyone we met there was exceptionally friendly. What he, no doubt, meant, was that the (super small) crowd there were clearly the museum's movers and shakers. And then there was us. But we were super welcomed and people went out of their way to engage us.

The photo below shows Dottie Simpson, a major benefactor in getting the Electra to The Museum of Flight. In a MoF press release from 2013, when the Electra's procurement was announced, it's noted Dottie Simpson was 13 (about Annabelle's age) when Earhart disappeared. In the press release from 2013, Simpson said "The exhibit will be an inspiration to both girls and boys with dreams of a future in aviation or space."

Sadly, Dottie Simpson didn't live to see the event last night. She died in February of this year, at the age of 94. It just so happened, the statue unveiling last night was on Dottie's birthday, November 27. Below, her daughter, Anne, unshrouds the Amelia sculpture. 

Dottie's daughter, Anne Simpson, delivered a heartfelt tribute to her mother and Amelia. Simpson is a past member of the museum's board of trustees and was a Delta Air Lines captain. 

 Here's what Annabelle had to say about the event.

Yesterday at The Museum of Flight, there was a small unveiling ceremony for a statue of Amelia Earhart, the first female to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. The statue was created by artist Gary Lee Price, and now resides just behind a Lockheed Electra in the museum's Great Gallery.

The event we went to, an unveiling of the statue, was a rather small event with some of the most important donors and supporters of the project and the museum. We even had a chance to socialize with some people who had been working there for over 35 years! Also attending were some very well-known Seattle area experts such as James Reisbeck, founder of Reisbeck Engineering.

The bench is located in a corner dedicated to Ann and Dottie Simpson, whom were integral in acquiring the Lockheed Electra for the Museum. There was plenty of dedication and many thanks given during the event before the statue was unveiled. The statue itself was sculpted beautifully, and was the fourth out of dozens that were made to ensure perfection. It currently sits on display at the museum for all to see, and it's a remarkable likeness to Amelia herself.

 CJ and Annabelle each struck their best Amelia post in the photos below.

 I think CJ's expression is spot on!

Turns out we could own our own version of this bench for just under $50k!

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward." -Amelia Earhart