Amelia earhart: Who was she? By
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| Amelia Earhart at Trepassey, 20 May 1932
On the morning of May 20, 1932, a 34 year old Amelia Earhart took off from Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, carrying with her the latest copy of a local newspaper to confirm the date of the flight. The plan was to fly to Paris in her single engine Lockheed Vega 5B in emulation of Charles Lindbergh's 1927 solo flight. After a flight of 14 hours, 56 minutes during which she contended with strong winds, icy conditions, a fuel leak, and mechanical problems, Earhart landed in a pasture at Culmore, north of Derry, Northern Ireland. The landing was witnessed by Cecil King and T. Sawyer. When the first person there, Dan McCallion, asked, "Have you flown far?" Earhart replied, "From America." “Holy mother of God!” was the exclamation from the Irishman. The site now is the home of a small museum, the Amelia Earhart Centre. For her flight, Earhart received the Distinguished Flying Cross from the U.S. Congress; the Cross of Knight of the Legion of Honor from the French Government; and the Gold Medal of the National Geographic Society from President Herbert Hoover. As her fame grew, she formed friendships with many people in high offices, most notably President Franklin Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt (President and First Lady from 1933–1945). Eleanor Roosevelt shared many of Earhart's interests and passions, especially women's causes. After flying with Earhart, Roosevelt obtained a student permit but did not pursue her plans to learn to fly. The two friends communicated frequently throughout their lives. Another famous flyer, Jacqueline Cochran, considered Earhart's greatest rival by both media and the public, was also a confidante and friend during this period. 
Rare (one of 50) Atlantic Flight cover, addressed to Earhart's technical advisor Berndt Balchen 
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