“No.
Amelia was a mediocre pilot.
In the end, she simply got lost over the Pacific and ran out of gas.”
This. Much like today’s coverage of women in uniform, the media hyped her image way past her actual abilities. And nature finally caught up to illustrate the reality vice the comfortable fiction.
I cannot vouch for her skills, but Fred Noonan was the navigator. If they were lost, it was his fault.
I read that they’d stripped-out a lot of hardware/ instruments to lighten the plane, to carry more fuel. I wonder if they took out the fuel gauge?
Anyone know?