Chasing Earhart

A little over a year ago we stepped away from the Amelia Earhart/Fred Noonan disappearance case forever; having nothing further to add to a project that spanned almost 15 years at the time. But it turns out, we couldn’t stay away for long. Just like you’ll hear time and time again in this case, we got pulled back in as new developments in multiple theories have come to the surface and are ready to be discussed. Tonight, we’re back in a limited engagement with a first for us at Chasing Earhart as our returning show brings us brothers Mike & Robert Ashmore to discuss an alternate version of one of the cornerstone hypotheses’ in this ever-changing case. We’ve been away for a while now, but now we’re back as promised with new developments and interesting turns.

Our journey is over. We created something that I didn’t know that we could. And we did it together. And now as I look back on everything that we accomplished, I can finally move forward into an exciting future. One of hope. One of faith. And one where the skies are the limit. I think Amelia would appreciate that. So, goodbye Amelia & Fred. Wherever you are...

We’ve reached the final time that we’ll be discussing theory on this podcast. It’s been a long road, but we wanted to wrap with fresh faces, new ideas and a twist on this story that you’ll never see coming. If you’re familiar with this podcast or with Vanished Amelia Earhart, you’ve likely heard of the Hawaii Clipper, but you might know its fate. And no one listening would ever know that its fate is tied in with the woman we’ve been discussing for 79 episodes of our show. Tonight, we go out on a bang on this, the “go home” episode of Chasing Earhart, we’re joined by Guy Noffsinger, Jeff Reigel, and Jim Janicki of Expedition 5 to discuss the Lost Clipper and the search to find its 15-member passengers and crew and why that flight was in fact on a rescue mission to bring back none other than Amelia Earhart.

Within the Congressional Armed Services Committee, the Intelligence Community retains a non-itemized appropriation referred to simply as “the black hole”. For over two decades, part of the funding of that program went toward analyzing whether or not the human mind could be used to gather reliable information. What you are about to hear is the report that the US Intelligence Community would have received had they targeted the Amelia Earhart mystery in the interest of the people of the United States of America. Tonight, with just 3 more episodes of the podcast to go, author and investigator Scott Seeds joins us via Zoom to discuss operation stargate, the world flight mystery and how remote viewing may hold the answer to the greatest mystery of all time.

On this 82nd anniversary of the vanishing of Amelia Earhart & Fred Noonan, we bring you a special message from Chris Williamson & the Chasing Earhart Project.

"So many young readers are focused today on looking for heroes; looking for people who they can look up to; looking for people they can be inspired by. Amelia is a natural fit for that." Jim Buckley is a prolific author of nonfiction for young readers, with more than 150 books to his credit (and still typing!). He is the author of more than a dozen titles in The New York Times' best-selling "Who Was...?" biography series, including the Wright Brothers, Milton Hershey, Betsy Ross, Jules Verne, and Blackbeard. Buckley has written more than thirty DK Readers on a wide variety of topics, plus two recent long-form bios of Adolf Hitler and Bonnie and Clyde for Aladdin Books. For Spring 2019, he created the first book in a new series for Aladdin—a bio of astronaut Michael Collins. Buckley is the co-author of Time Inc./Liberty Street's "X-Why-Z" series and wrote and produced the Animal Planet Animal Atlas for Liberty Street. A former editor at Sports Illustrated and the National Football League, he lives in Santa Barbara, California, where he runs a successful book producing company. Tonight on the 77th episode of the Chasing Earhart podcast, Jim joins us via Zoom to discuss his groundbreaking book "Amelia Earhart: Pioneer of the Sky" a part of the "Show Me History" series. Jim gives us his thoughts on the books creation and unique format, his ideas of making Amelia relatable to the next generation of young readers and why he believes Amelia's legacy should live on for continued generations to come.

I have always known that Amelia Earhart’s reach in legacy and inspiration loomed large over modern day aviation, aerospace and STEM. However, when we started this project many years ago, even I didn’t understand just how deep that reach stretched. Tonight, we’re all gonna find out. Amelia Earhart’s legacy and inspiration touches us all. And what she set out to achieve so long ago, is showing today if we look hard enough. A lot of people might argue that AE’s reach extends only to certain people, demographics or fields. However tonight, you’re all gonna find out, that AE’s legacy is alive and thriving in ways that will blow your mind. At just 15 years old, Julie Seven Sage is a living breathing example of what Amelia Earhart wanted to inspire in the 1930’s. If tonight’s episode tells you anything, it’s that Julie and young men and women like her are taking a legacy set so long ago to heights that would impress even Amelia Earhart herself.

"It’s interesting when I watch people watch the documentary. When her face comes up on the screen, people just light up. I think she’s one of those people that is sort of an iconic figure for all the best reasons." "Fly Like A Girl" is more than just a film. It’s a movement of young girls and women relentlessly pursuing their passion for aviation. A field currently dominated by men. Hearing first-hand stories from girls and women who dared to aim higher. From a lego-loving young girl who includes female pilots in her toy airplanes, to a courageous woman who helped lead shuttle missions to space, "Fly Like A Girl" shows us that women are in charge of their own destiny. As part of the Indie Atlantic Films team, for over twelve years, filmmaker Katie Wiatt has produced, edited, and directed films for both broadcast and web. And now, Katie has made her feature-length directorial debut with the extraordinary documentary "Fly Like a Girl." Tonight, as season two of the Chasing Earhart podcasts winds down and before we fly off into the sunset Katie joins us to discuss this groundbreaking film, her thoughts on women in aviation and why she felt that Amelia Earhart deserves a place in “Fly Like a Girl"

Dr. Lois Frankel is a guest that when you look at her bio or research her career, you would never in a million years think she’d pop up as a project guest for Chasing Earhart. But oh, how little do you know…. Dr. Frankel is the president of corporate coaching international and she literally wrote the book on coaching people to succeed in businesses both large and small around the globe. Some of her best-selling books include “Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office” “Nice Girls Don’t Get Rich” and “Nice Girls Just Don’t Get it”. But as you can probably imagine, those aren’t the books she's here to talk about tonight. She's here to talk about another book she Dr. Frankel recently released, and that book is called “Alternate Flight Plan: The Lost Diary of Amelia Earhart”. Yes, Dr. Frankel is an Earhart author and tonight she joins us on episode 74 of the Chasing Earhart podcast to discuss her book, Amelia's impact, and legacy and why so many people around the world still believe in Amelia Earhart.

In part, it’s the way that we identify with these individuals; the notion of getting lost at sea; the horror of that and how deeply in our core as individuals we fear something like that happening. That reaches into something that’s very personal for everybody. Forensic image processing and analyzation is one of the most crucial areas of expertise in the entire Amelia Earhart/Fred Noonan disappearance case. Used by multiple hypothesis’ in the case, it’s become a combination or art and science that has been responsible for much of the advancement in the investigation. Tonight, season two of the Chasing Earhart podcast continues with a project guest that has been highly involved both in that field and in this case. Tonight, we discuss both the science and the process of forensic image processing via Zoom with Jeff Glickman of PHOTEK. Jeff gives us his thoughts on his work on the castaway hypothesis, the anomaly in the now famous “Bevington Image” and how he arrived at his declaration on that image and why he believes that the Amelia Earhart case continues to capture and enthrall the entire world.

"As years go on, it’s not just the flight but it’s about a woman, it’s about encouraging people to be in aviation. It’s about the era." Perhaps no other institution on the planet is more recognizable than the Smithsonian. The air and space museum on Washington DC houses some of the most iconic aviation exhibits on the planet. And the museum staff are some of the most knowledgeable experts that can be found. One of the most well-known exhibits there is Amelia Earhart’s Lockheed Vega. The plane that she set the transatlantic record in, now stands proudly in the “Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight” Gallery. Could it be possible that one day Amelia’s Lockheed Electra; the holy grail of aviation may find its way into the same gallery? Tonight, season two continues with the 72nd episode of the Chasing Earhart podcast. We’re joined by project guests Dorothy Cochrane & Tom Crouch of Air & Space to discuss the ongoing role that the Smithsonian plays in the investigation of the disappearance, Amelia Earhart’s impact and legacy and why they believe that Amelia Earhart stood for much more than flying “for the fun of it”.

“This 50th anniversary, I’m doing it for my crew. They’re all gone now; they were about ten years older than I was. Of course, I miss them, but I can think of them. All my animals, my crew, my family; they’re all close to my heart and they’ll always be there. But this was the beginning of sharing this will people like you and people all over the world.” In 2017, on the 50th anniversary of her world flight, aviation icon and project guest Ann Holtgren Pellegreno gave a special reflective presentation in Atchison Kansas at the Atchison Public Library during the Amelia Earhart Festival. We caught it on film. Tonight, episode 71 continues our ICON series with both a regular audio release of the podcast AND for the first time ever, this very special audio/video version of the podcast presented exclusively on our YouTube channel. This film is dedicated to the crew of the The 1967 Earhart Commemorative Flight: pilot, Ann Holtgren Pellegreno, copilot Bill Payne, navigator Bill Polhemus, and owner and restorer Lee Koepke. All material contained in this presentation is owned by Ann HoltgrenPellegreno. A ChrisEvan Films production.

“I truly believe that this was a woman who was an adventurer and who wanted to break barriers in many, many ways.” Tonight, you’ll hear from an author that takes a different approach to her writing and her thoughts on Amelia Earhart’s relevance. Project guest Patricia Lakin has written multiple children’s books including the well received and long lasting “Amelia Earhart: More Than a Flyer”. Tonight, we continue our children’s series on the landmark 70th episode of the Chasing Earhart podcast, as Patty joins us via Zoom from her home in New York to discuss Amelia Earhart’s childhood and how it shaped her destiny to become “more than a flyer”.

“This wasn’t about a flight. This really was about what Amelia worked so hard to teach. Amelia didn’t fly and do these things to say ‘look what I can do’. She did it to say ‘look what you can do’.” The moments you hear at the opening of tonight's episode, took place 21 years ago on what was the 60th anniversary of Amelia Earhart’s circumnavigation attempt around the world. Project guest Linda Finch arriving in Oakland, in the same manner in which Amelia would have arrived, to crowds of adoring fans, admires and media is not only inspiring but bittersweet. 21 years later, on the 69th episode of the Chasing Earhart podcast and the continuation of our ICON series, Linda joins us via Zoom to reflect on her world flight, Amelia’s impact and legacy, and the message that Amelia stood for that Linda so strongly believes in.

“I think Amelia is more well known than possibly even Lindberg. Amelia is just part of the psyche of the public. She was a really positive role model doing some amazing things; certainly laying it all out there on the line. The mystery of the disappearance adds to her story." Considered by many to be a purist when it comes to locating Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Electra 10E, Dana Timmer has been an advocate for the "Ditch & Sink" hypothesis since he started investigating the events that occurred on the morning of July the 2nd 1937. Working with and earning the professional respect of many of the world's premier experts in nautical exploration, Dana led the very first deep water search for Amelia Earhart, Fred Noonan and their Lockheed Electra 10E in 1999 and he's been feverishly working this case ever since. Working with the team of Michael Williamson and Arthur Wright at Williamson & Associates, Dana believes that it's just a matter of "when" for the location and retrieval of the holy grail of aviation. Tonight, on the 68th episode of the Chasing Earhart podcast Dana joins us via Zoom from Vienna Austria along with Mike Williamson and Arthur Wright joining us from Seattle Washington to discuss "Expedition Amelia" and why they collectively believe that the interest, in this case, is high, the technology is there and the time to end Amelia's story is now.

"A lot of it was just imagining myself in Earhart’s shoes on Nikumaroro and thinking about what she’d do." Our first three-peat on the podcast, Dr. Tom King formally of TIGHAR returns for a different kind of discussion on his third sit down with us. Dr. King's latest novel, "Amelia Earhart Unrescued" is a prequel to his earlier novel "13 Bones" and takes a unique approach in telling the story of the final days of Amelia Earhart's life as she battled the elements, and herself on Nikumaroro Island. Combining his thirty years of research on the "castaway hypothesis" with some creative liberty and elements of fiction, Dr. King provides an interesting look at what Amelia Earhart must have endured if she ended up on Nikumaroro on the morning of July the 2nd 1937. Tonight, as season two of the Chasing Earhart podcast continues, Dr. King joins us via Zoom to discuss his new novel, his thoughts on what might have happened to Amelia Earhart had she successfully returned from her world flight and recent events regarding his career and professional future in Archaeology.

"I think her story resonates with anybody who’s ever been told no they can’t do something and maybe have been frustrated with that answer. There’s this little girl who really pushed her boundaries and whether or not she was courageous or foolhardy I think at the end of the day the courageousness is what we focus on. Her story inspires readers to say “Maybe I can try something”. Project guest Dr. Mona Kerby is a lifelong educator and librarian. Writing for children in a way that has been praised by critics, educators and fans alike Dr. Kerby has a unique way of relating larger than life icons as everyday people. Tonight on the 66th episode of the Chasing Earhart podcast, Dr. Kerby joins us via Zoom from her home in Maryland to breakdown and discuss her book "Amelia Earhart Courage in the Sky, the process of relating Amelia Earhart to children and why she believes that Amelia's story resonates with anyone that has ever struggled to accomplish their dreams.

Following the disappearance of aviation icons Amelia Earhart, Fred Noonan and their Lockheed Electra 10E in 1937, the world speculates on their fate; creating multiple theories to explain their vanishing over the Pacific Ocean. In 2018, documentarian Chris Williamson begins an investigation over a decade in the making. Shortly after his investigation begins, he soon finds there’s much more to this story than anyone ever thought possible. The first scripted podcast from ChrisEvan Films, Inc. “Vanished: Amelia Earhart” brings together a full audio drama production from the team that brings you the “Chasing Earhart Podcast”. Look out for the first episode of "Vansihed: Amelia Earhart" on January 5th 2019 on all major podcast platforms.

“Amelia Earhart was an explorer and an adventurer who took risks and someone who was doing so in a time where it may not have been attractive or easy to do something like that as a woman. I kind of see somebody who doesn’t really care what the status quo is and is doing whatever the hell she wants anyway.” Emily Calandrelli is a lot of things. A speaker, an author a STEM advocate and a scientist. For us though she is yet another living embodiment of what Amelia Earhart stood for all those years ago. Using her powerful platform to motivate and empower young women to act, Emily is recognized all around the world as her alter ego "The Space Gal" in her rousing Ted Talks and discussions that stir emotion and action. Tonight on the 65th episode of the Chasing Earhart podcast, Emily joins us via Zoom to discuss the current state of STEM, what needs to be done to improve the numbers of women in STEM and why she believes that the adventures of Amelia Earhart send shockwaves through STEM and aviation that still last to this day.

“The defiant human spirit is something that we all have the potential to tap into and that’s what Amelia had; she had this defiant spirit and the defiant spirit is saying “ I’m not gonna let life beat me; I’m gonna go out and live fully and fearlessly”. It’s about getting out there and doing the things that ignite you.” Janine Shepherd is a living, breathing miracle. A former cross-country ski champion, Janine was on her way to the Winter Olympics when tragedy struck in the form of an accident that left her body broken. Fighting for her very life, Janine brought herself back from the brink of death to become one of the world's most recognizable motivational speakers. Finding a second life in aviation as well as motivational speaking, Janine has shaped the hearts and hopes of millions of people all over the world. Tonight, season two of the Chasing Earhart podcast continues our icon series by welcoming Janine via Zoom to talk about her near life-ending accident, life's second chances and why she believes that Amelia Earhart demonstrated grit and tenacity by living a life filled with the "defiant human spirit".