A Dream on Wings of the Past
Once again, a plane, a pilot, and a dream. And once again, the world is watching and hoping.
In 1937, the pilot was Amelia Earhart, a pioneer of aviation whose plane vanished over the Pacific during a flight around the world, creating a mystery that has engendered a stream of books and articles purporting to explain it.
On Monday, the pilot was Linda Finch, a San Antonio resident determined to complete what Earhart started--piloting the same type of plane and closely following Earhart’s route along the equator.
“Beautiful,” said John Lee, 68, standing on a lawn chair at Burbank airport, snapping photographs as Finch landed the rare Lockheed 10-E Electra on Monday. “Absolutely incredible.”
Wearing a khaki flying suit, Finch emerged to face a crowd of reporters and well-wishers, delivering a simple and timeless message culled from Earhart’s life and vision.
“I believe Amelia set the records . . . to teach us that we too can do extraordinary things,” Finch said.
In Earhart’s life, Finch found a lesson, not of dashed hopes and lost dreams, but of determination, drive and boundless possibilities. This message is at the heart of her decision to embark on the journey that will include stops in 34 countries and is expected to take 2 1/2 months.
“She was such an amazing person that we just had to finish the trip for her,” Finch said.
Finch, a 46-year-old mother of three who owns nursing homes and retirement communities, lives in Texas and has been involved in aviation for more than 20 years. Her interest in the Electra as a restoration project led her to Earhart.
Earhart lived for a time in North Hollywood--where a library bears her name and a statue of her in 1930s flying gear overlooks the busy intersection of Tujunga Avenue and Magnolia Boulevard. From 1935 to 1937, she flew from the Burbank airport, then known as Lockheed Airport.
Finch restored the Electra she is flying using photographs of Earhart’s plane and others obtained by Lockheed, then added the latest in electronic gear. Earhart’s flight probably failed largely because of navigation problems, and Finch’s plane is equipped with a satellite navigation system that will fix her exact position at any time to within a few feet.
She won’t stop at Howland Island in the Pacific--Earhart’s last stop before she vanished--because runways are no longer there. She will also bypass parts of Africa because of political turmoil.
