Amelia Earhart, named after the famous, ill-fated aviator who died trying to circumnavigate the globe, has completed the same journey her namesake never did.
Earhart, 31, returned to Denver Friday — the same location where she started her journey 17 days earlier on June 25 — becoming the youngest woman to circumnavigate the globe in a single-engine plane.
“I feel like it’s a part of me. It’s what I was born to do. And now, we did it. We finished the flight around the world,” Earhart told NBC’s Nightly News.
Earhart is no relation to the famous flyer, but has been inspired by her namesake, saying her a connection is “much stronger than a bloodline.”
“Not a day goes by that I am not asked if Amelia Earhart is my real name,” Earhart wrote on her website prior to the journey. “Each and every time I am asked, I’m honored to be able to say yes.”
On our way back from Oakland to Denver, the Thunderbirds, a flight of 8 cruised right in front of us. Incredible! pic.twitter.com/w8RZnVmSio
— Amelia Earhart (@Amelia__Earhart) July 14, 2014
So honored that @joefryer and @NBCNightlyNews captured the heart of The Amelia Project. http://t.co/90wLiWgv6v pic.twitter.com/QlEGCpoHsJ
— Amelia Earhart (@Amelia__Earhart) July 13, 2014
Papua New Guinea… After we cleared a 4 hour customs check. Now you want to take a photo…;) #flywithamelia pic.twitter.com/2xdCfT0tHQ
— Amelia Earhart (@Amelia__Earhart) July 12, 2014
What should we do with the photo of Amelia that we had in the cockpit through the trip? #flywithamelia pic.twitter.com/RIp4JnK2Yp
— Amelia Earhart (@Amelia__Earhart) July 12, 2014
One of my favorite photos from the flight! Leaving PNG… @Lockton @GlobalAerospace @flywithty #flywithamelia pic.twitter.com/xePUsdp2QF
— Amelia Earhart (@Amelia__Earhart) July 11, 2014
The South Pacific has a way of reflecting light like nothing else I've ever seen. #flywithamelia @CanadaGooseInc pic.twitter.com/nyNs1BrU1d
— Amelia Earhart (@Amelia__Earhart) July 11, 2014
Each day the beauty gets more and more poetic. #flywithamelia pic.twitter.com/D9GNYOlk9l
— Amelia Earhart (@Amelia__Earhart) July 6, 2014
The modern-day Amelia received her name when her parents decided it would be a “cool opportunity” to name her after the adventurous aviator when they learned they were having a girl.
Ten years ago, Earhart started flying and she hasn’t stopped since. It was in high school that the young pilot formulated the plan to follow in her namesake’s footsteps and embark on the journey.
It took about a year and a half for the television and radio reporter to plan her trip.
Another leg, another trip packet filled with information on procedures, weather and flight planning! @SignatureFBO pic.twitter.com/WgjHF6KJFc
— Amelia Earhart (@Amelia__Earhart) July 6, 2014
Here's the Batu Tara volcano that @JeppDirect warned us about. Thank goodness that ash cloud stayed low. pic.twitter.com/nW0jdBYRzd
— Amelia Earhart (@Amelia__Earhart) July 6, 2014
Sitting pretty in the Aussie sunset light! #flywithamelia @PilatusAircraft @PWCanada @Honeywell_Aero pic.twitter.com/JoaJVPPCj6
— Amelia Earhart (@Amelia__Earhart) July 6, 2014
Earhart blew a kiss to friends and onlookers on the day of takeoff as she boarded the plane bound for Oakland, California, the city where her ambitious namesake began her own fatal journey.
“When I think about the feelings of opening up the hanger door on the morning of the flight and seeing the same view as Amelia saw — it’s really special to me,” she told Nightly News before takeoff.
Focus like this comes with a passionate pursuit toward a dream. #flywithamelia #gopro @GoPro pic.twitter.com/UGvCIdUB8S
— Amelia Earhart (@Amelia__Earhart) July 5, 2014
Earhart and copilot Shane Jordan made 17 stops, flew 24,300 nautical miles and landed in 14 countries, including Brazil, Singapore and Tanzania.
The modern-day Amelia experienced a solemn moment as she flew over Howland Island in the Pacific Ocean — the site believed to be the location of the 1937 death of her namesake.
“I was trembling as we flew over. I’m fumbling with my cameras, trying to capture the moment. And I finally set everything down and just looked,” Earhart told Nightly News. “I feel like we brought her home.”
We just circled Howland Island. I've always respected AE and her bravery but seeing this tiny island takes it to a wh http://t.co/F5krjwld1c
— Amelia Earhart (@Amelia__Earhart) July 9, 2014
Seeing Howland Island from the sky makes the trip feel complete. I get to pick up where she left off, with today's te http://t.co/I6Psyd1ZmQ
— Amelia Earhart (@Amelia__Earhart) July 9, 2014
Tonight on @NBCNightlyNews: @Amelia__Earhart finishes namesake's journey, circles island 1st Amelia never got to. pic.twitter.com/wGPY6hYCpr
— Joe Fryer (@joefryer) July 12, 2014
Earhart also serves as president of the Fly With Amelia Foundation, which provides education and scholarship opportunities to young women interested in aviation.
Image via Amelia Earhart, Twitter