Chasing Earhart

He grew up watching "In Search Of" and someday wanting to search for Amelia Earhart. Fast forward to present day, and he's doing just that. An archeologist with TIGHAR, and an Emmy award winner for “Indy in the 60s”, Gary Quigg has a fascinating back story and an area of expertise that makes him an incredible asset to the Chasing Earhart project. For episode twenty - three of the podcast Gary chats with us about how Amelia came into his life, the work that TIGHAR continues to do on Niku and gives us his professional thoughts on Amelia's last flight and lasting legacy.

She has written one of the most iconic and influential biographies on Amelia Earhart of all time. The inspiration for the 2009 film "Amelia" starring Hilary Swank, Richard Gere, and Ewan McGregor, "East to the Dawn" traces Amelia all the way back to her grandparents to give us one of the deepest biographical dives ever put on paper. In episode twenty - two of the Chasing Earhart podcast, we welcome author and project guest Susan Butler to talk about Amelia's life from the cradle to the disappearance in one of the most intimate and revealing interviews we have ever done.

For 80 years, the disappearance of Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan has remained a mystery. But an ongoing analysis of recently found aircraft wreckage by a specialty lab team from Parker Hannifin Corporation may finally prove where she and her co-pilot disappeared. The investigation highlights one of many ways that Parker Hannifin solves the world’s greatest engineering challenges. In episode Twenty-One of the Chasing Earhart podcast, we sit down with Jon Jeffery; Formally of Parker Aerospace and current CEO of Hummingbird Technologies to discuss Amelia Research, Inc. and the vital role he played in convincing Parker Aerospace to sponsor one of the most iconic Amelia Earhart research trips of all time.

Welcome back to the Chasing Earhart podcast and the final part of our conversation with Chief Leo Bellarts. In part three of our conversation and episode twenty of the podcast, we continue to go line by line through the radio logs with Leo as our guide, as he breaks it down and walks us through the final moments of Amelia and Fred’s world flight on July 2nd 1937.

A short while ago we reached out to Aaron; one of the co hosts over at the hugely popular Generation Why podcast and we inquired about doing something together for Chasing Earhart. The Chasing Earhart team was greatly impressed with their take on the Amelia Earhart case and we were excited about the opportunity to feature Aaron and Justin in the project. They were kind enough to invite our project creator Chris Williamson to sit in on a Patreon exclusive episode that served as a follow up to their original episode back in 2015. Aaron and Chris had a wonderfully insightful and interesting conversation about Amelia Earhart, her impact and legacy, the Chasing Earhart project and Amelia's reach beyond aviation. This is that conversation. Thanks to Aaron, Justin and Generation Why our listeners are getting a very special bonus episode that they are kind enough to allow us to release on our feed. Enjoy this very special conversation!

Welcome back to the Chasing Earhart podcast and our continuing conversation with Chief Radio man on the Itasca, Leo Bellarts. In episode nineteen, we continue talking with Leo about that fateful day in 1937 when Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan disappeared without a trace. Leo continues his intimate and in-depth thoughts on what went wrong from the unique vantage point of the people that were on the other end of Amelia Earhart’s radio. Continuing our multi-part retrospective interview, the Chasing Earhart team takes you back to 1973 and the home of Leo Bellarts where he recalls the day that has gone down in history as the single greatest aviation mystery of all time.

"KHQQ Calling Itasca! We must be on you but cannot see you!" On episode 18 of the Chasing Earhart podcast we continue our "ICON" series with part one of our interview with chief radio man of the Itasca Leo Bellarts. The last person to speak with Amelia Earhart before she disappeared, Mr. Bellarts gives us an intimate and in depth interview discussing little known stories about that fateful day and helps us clear up some of the facts of those final few hours of Amelia and Fred's final flight. Splitting an episode into two parts for the first time, the Chasing Earhart team takes this original interview from early 1973 conducted between aviation pioneer and legendary Earhart researcher Elgen Long and Leo Bellarts and brings it into the modern age. This is one episode you do not want to miss!

Andrew McKenna was the Dive Team leader on the Niku IX expedition. He has been a TIGHAR member since 1990 and currently serves on the organization’s Board of Directors. The son of famous paleontologist Malcolm McKenna, Andrew’s archaeological eye was trained from childhood helping his father on fossil hunts in the Gobi Desert and other remote locations. Andrew participated in underwater and onshore archaeological operations on four previous TIGHAR expeditions to Nikumaroro (2001, 2007, 2010, & 2015) and was on the TIGHAR team that surveyed the Maid of Harlech in Wales in 2007. In Episode Seventeen of the Chasing Earhart podcast, Andrew gives us his thoughts on the work that TIGHAR has done on Nikumaroro over the course of the last 28 years as well as the role underwater exploration and maritime archeology plays in the search for Amelia  Earhart, Fred Noonan and their Lockheed Electra.

Considered by many to be one of the most respected Amelia Earhart researchers around, Ron Bright is an extraordinary asset to Chasing Earhart. Among the topics discussed in episode sixteen of the Chasing Earhart podcast will be Ron's work on the "Weihsein Telegram", the various disappearance hypothesis' regarding Amelia and Fred, Amelia's impact and legacy in 2017 and his personal feelings on whether or not the mystery of Amelia Earhart will ever be solved.

Ellie Norman is a busy high schooler from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her life is filled with school, sports, music, theater, pets, and family, but there is nothing that interests her more than Amelia Earhart. For as long as she can remember, Amelia has been her inspiration and role model, and Ellie never wants to stop learning about her. From first learning about her in the picture book, Amelia and Eleanor Go For A Ride, to her National History Day Project in 8th grade, this interest has grown into a lifelong passion. Her research culminated in an National History Day project, in which she created a website about Amelia's life and legacy called Soaring for Equality. Since then, she has been getting more involved in the search with TIGHAR and hopes to someday help solve this mystery and continue to spread the story of Amelia Earhart. In episode 15 of the Chasing Earhart podcast, we discuss with Ellie the important of Amelia Earhart as she related to children and young adults, why the world should still care about Amelia, and Amelia's personal impact on Ellie's life. This is what Chasing Earhart is all about. We are honored to present to the world, Ellie Norman!

"I didn't go out looking for this story. This story found me." Dick Spink has many titles: Mount Vernon High School science teacher, boat builder, and Amelia Earhart investigator. He never intended to hunt for Amelia Earhart’s airplane. He specializes in boats. He put himself through Washington State University designing and fabricating aluminum boats. He now holds on to a day job teaching at Mount Vernon High School, but he’s also a naval architect and licensed master. He sells boat kits all over the world, from Singapore to Africa, and often builds clients’ boats on site. Which is how he found himself in the north Pacific, in the Marshall Islands, and deep into a quest to solve the most enduring of aviation mysteries. “Right now, to think I’m a leading researcher on Amelia Earhart? A farmer’s kid and school teacher from Mount Vernon? Unbelievable,” says Spink, a broad smile across his boyish face. He wears a brown fedora, a la Indiana Jones, and a brown leather aviator jacket with a Boeing logo embroidered on the front. Spink says he received the coat when he told his Earhart story to a fascinated group of Boeing Company executives. ​A major player in the Japanese capture hypothesis, Dick gave us a revealing and candid interview that will expand on the recent documentary "Amelia Earhart: The Lost Evidence" and will allow listeners an inside look at Dick's work in the Marshall Islands. ​

Sylvia Wrigley is a pilot and aviation writer who has been obsessing about aviation safety for over a decade. Sylvia has authored many aviation books including "Unable to Reach You By Radio: The Tragedy of Amelia Earhart", "You Fly Like a Woman", "The Mystery of Malaysia Airlines flight 370" and her incredibly fascinating "Why Planes Crash Case Files: 2001" and "Why Planes Crash Case Files: 2002". In episode thirteen of the Chasing Earhart podcast, we discuss the world flight of Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan from her perspective and we go over the factors of why planes crash; applying those factors to the world flight. Enjoy this incredibly enlightening and educational episode with project guest Sylvia Wrigley!

In episode twelve of the Chasing Earhart podcast, we chat with author and educator Kate Jerome about her book "Who Was Amelia Earhart" which is part of the New York Times Best Selling Series of "Who Was" books. "Who Was Amelia Earhart" is still on the Amazon best seller list, 15 years after it's release and serves as a staple for children and young adults that are wanting an introduction to Amelia Earhart. Among the topics discussed in this episode, are Amelia's relevance; both when she was alive as well as today, the importance her parents played in shaping her spirit and why children in the 21st century continue to latch onto the story and example that Amelia set almost 100 years ago. Enjoy this wonderfully engaging and thought provoking interview with Kate Jerome!

Considered by many within and outside of the Earhart community as the foremost authority on celestial navigation in the world, Gary LaPook has been interested in Amelia Earhart since the 90's; studying the flight at length from multiple facets using multiple skill sets. Recorded live on location in Gary's living room in Moorpark, California we spoke at length about the world flight, Amelia Earhart's impact and legacy, burden of proof and the inner workings of celestial navigation. We got into the mind of navigator Fred Noonan and the monumental responsibility that he carried during one of the most incredible flights in aviation history. Get out your paper and pencils; celestial navigation 101 is now in session!

This dramatic controversial novel is not your typical Amelia Earhart biography or dry report. Two expert pilots ask pivotal questions and provide valuable pieces to the 75 yr. old puzzle about Earhart's mysterious disappearance. Were they on a secret mission to photograph Japanese installations? Who kidnapped them? Was FDR part of the government cover-up that continues to this day? And most importantly, were Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan betrayed? The answers to these questions and many more in episode 10 of the Chasing Earhart podcast!