Copyright 2001 America Hurrah
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Refueling her Lockheed Vega NC-965-Y
The officer at far left may be Lieutenant Curtiss LeMay who was stationed at Wheeler in 1935. He was involved in her departure inspection before she was allowed to take off.
Topping off the Lockheed Vega
Amelia mentions in her book that there had been a tropical downpour in Honolulu.
The Weather Bureau warned her that if she didn't take off that afternoon, she
would be held up indefinitely by storms coming across the Pacific Ocean.
Then there was a break in the weather. She returned to the
field and had the last few gallons put in the plane.
Standard Oil truck
The Standard Oil truck was used in refueling her plane. In a later photo she is still sitting at the truck as the plane is warmed up, ready for take-off.
The Lockheed Vega
The Vega has been refueled and stands on the apron. Her identification can be
seen on the wing. NR-965-Y.
Amelia is not shown in this photo, but is probably with the
group at left, as everyone else seems to be looking in her direction.
The Lockheed Vega taxiing
The Vega has revved up, but Amelia still sits on the running board of the
Standard Oil truck at right. I determined this by looking at the photo with a
magnifying class. She is talking with a boy, who probably has asked for her
autograph.
In the distance the peaks of the Waianae mountain range.
The hangars were heavily damaged in the Japanese attack, December 7, 1941.
Is this Amelia Earhart taking off for Oakland?
At first I thought the photos were taken the day she departed for Oakland, but
they were not.
Newspaper accounts at the time state
that 200 people were at the flight line when she took off; fewer than 25 are
shown in these photos.
She left at 4:45 p.m. Hawaiian time,
and the position of the sun is much higher in these pictures.
She wore a brown fur line jacket. Who
ever took these snapshots would have included one with her in flight gear.
Amelia was in Honolulu for two weeks
and came to the field when tests had to be made. These images are from one of
those days.
Arrival in Oakland, January 13, 1935
Even before the Vega had come to a stop, thousands of her fans stormed onto the Oakland Airport runway to greet Amelia Earhart. Notice there is not a policeman in sight.