Amelia Earhart suceeds in round the world flight

MacCaulay

Banned
She goes on to form the WASPs in WWII. Becomes the grand old dame of aviation

Aviatrix. She'd be the grand old aviatrix. :D

I wonder if she could parlay that fame into a combat posting. Probably not, and I don't know if she'd want to, but it's something to think about. Heck, even Limburgh took some shots at the Japanese even though he wasn't officially in the USAAC.
 
WI the flight were successful?


Derek,

She adds another record to her list. Nearly all her records were "Woman Records". You know, first "First Woman To Do X, Y, or Z." Might have meant something 80 years ago, but today it's kind of sad. First Woman on a Pogo Stick, First Lefthanded Hottentot on a Bumper Car, sounds rather condescending in 2009, don't you think?

Would it have any effect on aviation?

Not really. She helped keep aviation in the public eye, but she was far from the only person doing that. Her sex did help raise the point that aviation careers weren't just for daredevils and stuntmen, but WW2 was the event that really made the argument.

Would it have any effect on the status of women?

Again, not really. Maybe an earlier ERA, maybe an earlier failure to pass the ERA.

It was the Pill that actually emancipated women. Until then women like Earhart merely kept the topic under conversation.

Truth be told, Earhart was a poor pilot. Lucky, but poor. She really didn't have enough hours in the Electra to attempt the trip. She pranged badly enough during her first attempt to warrant a complete rebuild of the aircraft, something she blamed on a blown tire and many observers - including her own entourage - blamed on pilot error.

Other than raising money, she did little to prepare for the trip either. For example, she didn't even bother to learn how to operate the plane's radio and didn't know Morse.

There will be no women fighter pilots in WW2 if she lives. Women ferry pilots might come about earlier, but they won't get anywhere near combat. Society wasn't ready for that.


Bill
 
I could see her possibly getting into politics in America, maybe a Congresswoman, or she could possibly get the government to allow women to serve in the Air Force. I consider her a role model, even though I am 14 and a boy, she showed that just because you are of a certain sex, race, or origin, you can do anything you want. She might possibly get a Nobel Prize.
 

Sachyriel

Banned
Pictures of the Japanese activities are shown to Americans earlier, allowing them to hold different readiness exercises, perhaps with different men, with a butterfly flapping so hard it makes a British Carrier convoy in Pearl Harbour stick around for a while to scare off the Japanese some time late 1941?
 
Derek,

She adds another record to her list. Nearly all her records were "Woman Records". You know, first "First Woman To Do X, Y, or Z." Might have meant something 80 years ago, but today it's kind of sad. First Woman on a Pogo Stick, First Lefthanded Hottentot on a Bumper Car, sounds rather condescending in 2009, don't you think?
Well, at the time, Earhart was attempting to be the first PILOT to fly around the world at the Equator...

There will be no women fighter pilots in WW2 if she lives. Women ferry pilots might come about earlier, but they won't get anywhere near combat. Society wasn't ready for that.
Not in the US, anyway...
 
There will be no women fighter pilots in WW2 if she lives. Women ferry pilots might come about earlier, but they won't get anywhere near combat. Society wasn't ready for that.


Bill

But Comrade Cameron, there were distaff fighter pilots--Екатерина Васильевна Буданова, for example. Of course, Comrade, they fought in the Great Patriotic War, not WWII. http://wio.ru/aces/gal-f.htm :D
 
Well, at the time, Earhart was attempting to be the first PILOT to fly around the world at the Equator...


Orville,

Please note the use of the word nearly in my phrase "Nearly all her records were "Woman Records". The word is there for a reason.

Next, please note that she failed to be the first person to fly around the world at the Equator twice and her second failure to do so killed both her and Noonan.

Earhart has remained famous at the level she has because she died. If she had succeeded she'd be a trivia question on a cocktail napkin and her accomplishments would only be trotted every "Women's History Month".


Bill
 
But Comrade Cameron, there were distaff fighter pilots--Екатерина Васильевна Буданова, for example. Of course, Comrade, they fought in the Great Patriotic War, not WWII.


Phil,

I knew about the Soviets. They were called the "Night Witches" or some such by the Germans.



Renner and MacCauley referred to the WASP program earlier and I was speaking to that. Earhart succeeding will not result in female fighter pilots flying for the US.


Bill
 
Phil,

I knew about the Soviets. They were called the "Night Witches" or some such by the Germans.



Renner and MacCauley referred to the WASP program earlier and I was speaking to that. Earhart succeeding will not result in female fighter pilots flying for the US.


Bill
Smiley along with quasi Cominternspeak prose was intended to indicate that I was funning you, Comrade Bill. :D

Back on topic, I think in the very unlikely event that if Earhart would have succeeded, she would have been more than than just a footnotr or trivia question. Instead, I can see her story being made into an "A" movie, with a suitable star playing her, just as Jimmy Stewart portrayed Lindbergh.
 
Last edited:
Derek,

She adds another record to her list. Nearly all her records were "Woman Records". You know, first "First Woman To Do X, Y, or Z." Might have meant something 80 years ago, but today it's kind of sad.
Bill
Well, we are still waiting for the "first woman on the Moon..."
 
Probably no to both answers, the only effect would have been fewer conspiracy theories and possibly a bit more intelligence about Japan if you believe some of them
 
Top