h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I asked the experts at Tigar to evaluate this theory and the pointed
out several things that they believe to be incorrect.


I'm afraid that you're the victim of some common Earhart
folklore.

That parallax was a causal, or at least contributing, factor in the
Earhart disappearance is an interesting but, unfortunately, untestable hypothesis. The same could be said for any number of theories about observational or computational errors that Noonan could have made. The indisputable fact would seem to be that an error or errors of some kind were made. I can't say that parallax wasn't one of them. I can, however, correct few factual errors in your paper.

>5 Mary S Lovell, the Sound of Wings (1989, p272) indicates that Fred
?was an almost pedantic navigator who planned the Lae takeoff at
>00:00 GMT for ease of celestial calculations.

Mary Lovell doesn't know whether the 00:00 GMT takeoff was intentional or coincidental. The departure was postponed several times and, at one point, was planned for 23:30 GMT on July 1st. There is nothing in the navigational records of Noonan's other flights to suggest that he made any attempt coordinate takeoff times to 00:00 GMT.

> Fred was reported to have had three chronometers on the flight,

The three chronometer thing dates from an interview AE gave at Burbank on March 6, 1937 and was published the Herald Tribune newspapers. In describing the navigator's station in the Electra, Earhart said, "Beside the chart table are mounted three chronometers, altimeter, airspeed indicator and air temperature gauge." Photos taken at about that time appear to show three chronometers mounted in the table itself. However, this was all before Noonan was even on the team. The navigator's station for the first World Flight attempt was designed by Paul Mantz and Harry Manning. By the time the Lae/Howland flight took place, the airplane had been wrecked and rebuilt, Manning was gone, and
Mantz was no longer acting as a technical consultant. The best source
we have (the Chater letter) suggests that Noonan had a single
chronometer. (see
http://www.tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Documents/Chater_Report.html)

> and both Fred and Amelia understood the critical importance of correct time for celestial navigation.

Yes. Or at least Fred understood that. The inability to receive time signals against which to check his chronometer delayed the flight's departure for 24 hours. (again see
http://www.tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Documents/Chater_Report.html)

> 7 The Itasca radio room logged the following transmission from
Amelia at 2.45am local: '...cloudy and overcast.' Again at 3.45am:
'..Earhart to Itasca, overcast.'

No. All references to Earhart saying anything about "overcast"
conditions appear for the first time in Commander Thompson's July 19th report "Radio Transcripts - Earhart Flight". The original logs contain no such language.
(see
http://www.tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Bulletins/37_ItascaLogs/
Itascalog.html)

> However, the sun rose near Howland 5.40am local time,..
You're forgetting that Itasca was using an 11.5 hour tme zone. Sunrise was at 06:10 or 06:15 depending on how you want to define it.

> As Fred and Amelia approached Howland island after a gruelling 21-hour
> flight from Lae City in New Guinea,

Earhart said, "We must be on you but cannot see you.." at 19 hours and 12 minutes into the flight.

> her last words indicated that she was at 1,000 feet (the only explanation for flying that low while searching for a small island is to get under overcast cloud cover)This transmission led the Itasca's Captain to conclude that Amelia was to the northwest of Howland, since that was the only cloud cover visible.

No. Weather observations on Howland that morning reported a scattered deck of cumulus with bases at 2,300 feet (very typical for mornings in that part of the Pacific). If you're flying above a scattered deck everything except what is directly below you is obscured. Descending below the scattered clouds to look for an island makes perfect sense. Thompson decided to search to the northwest because he reasoned that if the plane had passed to the south Earhart should have seen Baker Island.

> The Electra used by Amelia had a speed of about 130 MPH, a range of about 2,800 statute miles and an endurance of less than 22 hours.

I don't know where you got those numbers but Earhart flight-planned the airplane at 150 mph and its expected endurance with the 1,100 US gallon fuel load it had upon departure from Lae was a little over 24 hours (computed according to Lockheed Report No. 487 "Range Study of Lockheed electra Bimotor Airplane" by C.L. Johnson and W.C. Nelson, dated June 4, 1936)

> In this researcher's view, it is totally improbable that Amelia would have agreed to add over six hours10 to the flight by diverting to over-fly Truk....

I agree entirely.

> 12 Mary S Lovell, The Sound of Wings, 1989, p270, describes a petulant drinking binge by Fred in Lae.

Mary Lovell wasn't there. There is nothing in the historical record
about Noonan drinking. The tale is based on a story told by James
Collopy many years later.

> 13 Amelia was unable to leave her seat during the 20.2-hour flight and passed notes to Fred using an improvised bamboo fishing rod.

Not so. There was an automatic pilot and Noonan was also a licensed
pilot. It was perfectly possible, although admittedly a bit awkward,
to climb over the fuel tanks and move between the rear cabin and the
cockpit. There is ample evidence that Noonan spent most of his time in the copilot's seat. Both of them could go into the rear cabin to use the lavatory. The fishing pole was used to pass notes if Noonan was in the rear cabin, but it was a matter of convenience, not necessity.

Ric Gillespie
Executive Director
TIGHAR

Well. Phrd,

That is a good reference to your skill at research.

Now could you explain to me what is the difference between a

Pilot

Navigator

Thnks.

Christiane AR1

Dear Phred,

There is actually a very good reason for my asking this question - to which you have not replied.

Regards

CME

Sorry, I don't appear to be subscribed to this conversation.

A pilot flys the plane and makes takeoffs and landings. Since much of this is automated, the skills required are significantly less demanding that driving an automobile.

A navigator figures out where the aircraft is located and directs the pilot to a destination. The skills required include great intelligence, skill and presence of mind.

Oh Phred,

I thought your name was on posting No. 1.

Somewhere else I read that you felt that a pilot should know everything about navigation. I know that pilots HAVE to study navigation and have to plot their routes.

In the case of a first solo flight around the world, the navigaor was on the plane as the specialist. and in order to help Amelia Earhart in the task she was undertaking. Was the responsibioity for navigating hers as well?

That is why I wondered about your comment thata pilots HAD to also be a navigator. The reverse does not apply I believe.!!

Incidentally, i always thought that the take-off and landings were the most dangerous parts of the flight because they were the only ones which were not able to be automatic. Has that also changed?

I am glad that you ended your letter with a I can see that you are a big tease.
Regards

Christiane AR1

You are right Christiane. In that era (the Golden Age of Aviation), the navigator was also usually a pilot.

The age that required a skilled specialist navigator for long range overwater flights definitely ended with the introduction od astro-trackers, redundant doppler radars, computers, intertial guidance systems and global positioning satellites.

My time as a navigator was near the end of that era. Navigators are needed about as much in the modern age as firemen on locomotives...

Some early navigators like Harold Gatty A10501543 were inspired by genius.

Hi Phred,

thanks for the link to Gatty.

Do look up Jean Mermoz. He was at the Air Display at Le Touquet where I saw the first auto giro flying. Antoine de Saint Euxpery who also wrote "The Little Prince" was one his fellow pilots . Antoine has written some wonderful books abouth the Mail flight from Toulouse to Beunos Ayres.

In haste My and get dressed for my mad night out at the Barbican.