Linda Finch
Encyclopedia
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, businesswoman born in 1951. She is an operator of nursing home
Nursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
s in Texas. Finch also is an aviatrix and an aviation historian. She has totally restored six vintage aircraft and partially restored many others. Finch has over 20 year’s experience in the acquisition, restoration, maintenance and flying of historic vintage aircraft.
Aircraft career
During Finch’s early 20s she decided that she wanted to learn to fly a World War II F4U CorsairF4U Corsair
The Vought F4U Corsair was a carrier-capable fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Demand for the aircraft soon overwhelmed Vought's manufacturing capability, resulting in production by Goodyear and Brewster: Goodyear-built Corsairs were designated FG and...
fighter aircraft. Whenever she could afford it she purchased flying and training lessons. Finch finally obtained her pilot's license in 1972. After graduating from a rented Grumman trainer in 1980 to her own Piper Arrow, Finch flew regularly to nursing homes that she managed throughout Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. In her 30s, she bought a North American
North American Aviation
North American Aviation was a major US aerospace manufacturer, responsible for a number of historic aircraft, including the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 Mustang fighter, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the F-86 Sabre jet fighter, the X-15 rocket plane, and the XB-70, as well as Apollo Command and Service...
T-6 Texan
T-6 Texan
The North American Aviation T-6 Texan was a single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces, United States Navy, Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s...
, a wartime trainer which she completely restored, modified and raced, primarily to prepare her to fly the Corsair.
Early in her flying career, Finch joined the Confederate Air Force
Commemorative Air Force
The Commemorative Air Force , formerly known as the Confederate Air Force, is a Texas-based non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and showing historical aircraft at airshows primarily throughout the U.S. and Canada...
(now Commemorative Air Force) Association to acquire the flying skills necessary to handle warbird
Warbird
Warbird is a term used, predominantly in North America, to describe vintage military aircraft.- Naming :Although the term originally implied piston-driven aircraft from the World War II era, it is now often extended to include all military aircraft, including jet-powered aircraft, that are no...
s, including the T-6 and Corsair. One difficult lesson to learn was how to land a P-47 numerous times without power. This was taught to her so she would learn how the plane would handle in emergencies. Finch is the head coordinator and primary sponsor of the Commemorative Air Force Republic P-47D Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
"Tarheel Hal", (S/N: 44-90368, marked as 44-33240). She is a major fundraiser
Fundraiser
A fundraiser is an event or campaign whose primary purpose is to raise money for a cause. See also: fundraising. A fundraiser can also be an individual or company whose primary job is to raise money for a specific charity or non-profit organization...
for the restoration and marketing of this rare aircraft, of which it is reported that there are only a small number still flying. She is also a licensed, trained pilot and mechanic for this type of aircraft.
Finch has logged more than 8,000 flying hours with approximately 5,900 of these flying hours in vintage multi-engine aircraft, warbirds and tail draggers. She has flown in numerous air shows around the world for more than 10 years.
World Flight 1997
Finch’s main notability is that she had faithfully recreated the ill-fated last flight of Amelia EarhartAmelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean...
. To fulfill Amelia Earhart's dream, the recreation of the 1937 around-the-world flight of Earhart was known as "World Flight 1997." Finch’s flight marked the 60th anniversary of Earhart's failed effort as well as centennial of her birth.
History records that Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, the first woman to fly nonstop across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and first woman to fly from Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
to the west coast of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The whole world was watching Amelia Earhart when she began her global attempt and of course then mourned her when the plane came up missing without a trace. Earhart was lost somewhere in the south Pacific Ocean. Finch hoped in her recreation of the Earhart circumnavigation, that children around the world would understand Earhart’s courage, hope and determination.
Other pilots have retraced the 1937 flight, notably Ann Pellegreno
Ann Pellegreno
Ann Dearing Holtgren Pellegreno has been a professional musician, teacher, author, lecturer, and farmer. In 1967, Pellegreno and a crew of three successfully flew a similar aircraft to complete a world flight that closely mirrored Amelia Earhart's flight plan in 1937...
in a Lockheed Model 10A Electra
Lockheed Model 10 Electra
The Lockheed Model 10 Electra was a twin-engine, all-metal monoplane airliner developed by the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in the 1930s to compete with the Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2...
in 1967, but this was the first in an aircraft almost identical to Earhart's Lockheed Model 10 Electra
Lockheed Model 10 Electra
The Lockheed Model 10 Electra was a twin-engine, all-metal monoplane airliner developed by the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in the 1930s to compete with the Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2...
aircraft. Finch flew a restored 1935 Lockheed Electra 10E, the same make and model aircraft as Earhart on her last journey. Finch did this historic flight by herself but with the help of five navigators, provided by the Jeppeson Company, including Denny Ghirendelli, each navigator flying part of the route.
Preparations
The uniqueness of Finch’s flight is that it was done in a rare 1935 Electra 10E.Finch came up with the idea of recreating Earhart's flight in 1994 when she found the remains of one of only two flight-worthy Electra 10Es in existence. Finch came upon it sitting outside next to a hangar at a small grass strip airport near Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
Chippewa Falls is a city located on the Chippewa River in Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 13,661 at the 2010 census. Incorporated as a city in 1869, it is the county seat of Chippewa County....
where it had been sitting for years; the wings were off, the engines had been sold and various other parts were missing. Finch spent nearly every penny she had (a total of $330,000) to purchase the hulk and haul it back to her hometown in Texas. She set about restoring it with the help of a four and a half million dollar donation from aircraft engine manufacturer, Pratt & Whitney. This company designed and built the original Wasp radial engines that powered Amelia Earhart's Electra. Using original drawings and old vintage photographs, the 1935 aircraft was accurately restored right down to its rivets.
The Electra was methodically and meticulously put back together with great attention to original specifications. The only exception to the original is that Finch's Electra was equipped with modern navigation and communication equipment whereas Earhart's had primitive radio communications by today's standards.Finch’s aircraft was outfitted with a Global Positioning System
Global Positioning System
The Global Positioning System is a space-based global navigation satellite system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites...
for world navigation and tracking electronics as she hopped across the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean between the islands. Finch was never out of communications thanks to a laptop computer and satellite links and she was always accompanied by a Grumman Albatross support aircraft flown by veteran pilot Reid Dennis. Amelia Earhart's communication problems in 1937 was one of the primary causes of her not being able to locate Howland Island.
For extra insurance on long stretches, Finch’s Electra 10E was modified to carry 1,800 gallons of fuel, nearly twice the capacity of Earhart's that reputedly carried between 800 to 1,200 gallons of fuel.
Recreation of historic flight
Finch’s recreated flight began from Oakland International AirportOakland International Airport
Oakland International Airport , also known as Metropolitan Oakland International Airport, is a public airport located south of the central business district of Oakland, a city in Alameda County, California, United States...
at Oakland, California, on March 17, 1997. This was 60 years later to the month of Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean...
's 1937 infamous around-the-world flight attempt in her twin-engine plane. Finch’s flight took 10 weeks to complete as she flew in increments of eight hours to 12 hours at a time on average. This was her length between landings where she had rest periods.
Retracing the flight path of Amelia Earhart, Finch closely followed the same route that Earhart flew, stopping at 36 way-points in 18 countries before finishing the trip two and a half months (a total of 73 days) later when she landed back at the Oakland Airport on May 28. The trip was about 26,000-miles long. Finch's plane was equipped with a video camera supplied by the National Geographic Society
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
. Safety requirements were maintained by the use of a chase plane, radar, and modern navigational and communication equipment. Earhart had none of these modern electronic equipment devices. The Electra's cabin is not pressurized and it does not carry oxygen and, like Earhart, Finch had to fly below 10,000 ft for much of the flight.
Finch touched down on five continent
Continent
A continent is one of several very large landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, with seven regions commonly regarded as continents—they are : Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia.Plate tectonics is...
s while mirroring Earhart's route and stops as best she could. She was unable to secure permission to overfly Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
and made more stops while crossing the Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
than were planned by Earhart because some areas didn't have the right fuel for the restored Electra. Her next to last leg was an eight-hour flight from Christmas Island
Christmas Island
The Territory of Christmas Island is a territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean. It is located northwest of the Western Australian city of Perth, south of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, and ENE of the Cocos Islands....
to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. In that leg Finch did not land at Howland Island
Howland Island
Howland Island is an uninhabited coral island located just north of the equator in the central Pacific Ocean, about southwest of Honolulu. The island lies almost halfway between Hawaii and Australia and is an unincorporated, unorganized territory of the United States. Geographically, it is part...
, the destination that Earhart never reached, because of the deteriorated state of the airfield on the one-mile-long island. She did however drop a single wreath over Howland Island from her aircraft in honor of the pioneering aviatrix. Finch’s last leg on May 28 was an estimated 15-hour flight between Hawaii and Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
.At the time of this historic flight in 1997, Finch was 46-years-old, five years older than Earhart's age on her final flight.
Finch believed that Earhart's courage, heroism and limitless vision are powerful inspirations for young people of all ages. Finch tied her flight to an educational program called "You Can Soar." Finch’s team developed a comprehensive free multimedia educational outreach program as part of the historic recreated flight. It reached a million at-risk and minority middle school students and their teachers in the United States as they followed her progress daily. Finch met with groups of school children at all her stops in the United States and many of her stops overseas. The World Flight 1997 official web site had a multimedia school program that used the flight to teach geography, science, weather and mathematics to students. As well, the high-tech computer and communication equipment in her aircraft allowed children in some 200,000 classrooms around the world to chart her progress via the Internet. The website was accessed approximately 30 million times. Finch said she used a laptop in the cockpit of the Electra to answer e-mail messages and she spent four or five hours every day after landing to keep in touch with her businesses and her three children: Julies, Leslie and adopted Daughter Katie (ages 28, 21 and two at the time).
After finishing the historic flight, Finch said to the spectators and media gathered at Oakland International Airport
Oakland International Airport
Oakland International Airport , also known as Metropolitan Oakland International Airport, is a public airport located south of the central business district of Oakland, a city in Alameda County, California, United States...
:
Following the world flight, Finch appeared at numerous aviation-related events including the EAA Convention
Experimental Aircraft Association
The Experimental Aircraft Association is an international organization of aviation enthusiasts based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Since its inception it has grown internationally with over 160,000 members and about 1,000 chapters worldwide....
in Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
As of the census of 2000, there were 62,916 people, 24,082 households, and 13,654 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,662.2 people per square mile . There were 25,420 housing units at an average density of 1,075.6 per square mile...
, to describe the "wonderful ride." The Lockheed Electra 10E, S/N 1015, N72GT used in the historic flight, as of early 2008, is registered in Cody, Wyoming
Cody, Wyoming
Cody is a city in Park County, Wyoming, United States. It is named after William Frederick Cody, primarily known as Buffalo Bill, from William Cody's part in the creation of the original town. The population was 9,520 at the 2010 census...
, and hangared in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
.