Logging Her First Atlantic Crossing

 

On this day in 1928, American aviator Amelia Earhart became the 1st woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean by aircraft. After Charles Lindbergh's May 20 solo flight across the Atlantic in 1927, Amy Guest (1873–1959) expressed interest in being the first woman to fly (or be flown) across the Atlantic Ocean. She deemed it too perilous so the project coordinators sought out Earhart, who had no training for instrument flying, so she accompanied co-pilots, Wilmer Stultz and Louis Gordon on the flight. Her duty was to log the entire flight. She became an overnight celebrity, partially due to her slim physique and facial resemblance to Lindbergh. On May 20, 1932, Earhart did fly solo across the Atlantic using a considerably shorter route than Lindbergh's 3,600 miles plus, landing after approximately 2,000 miles near Londonderry, Northern Ireland.