3. Earhart first flew the Atlantic as a passenger
By April, 1928, Amelia Earhart had about 500 hours in the air as a pilot. Interviewed by several involved in the project, including Putnam, she agreed to join the venture as a passenger. Mrs. Guest possessed a stubborn streak. Determined to place a woman at the forefront of the plan, she directed Earhart’s contract to designate her as Flight Commander. Both Stultz and Gordon were junior to her. Because of her position as commander Earhart assumed the task of keeping the flight’s log. At the time Earhart had little training for flying on instruments. The flight departed Trepassey Harbor, Newfoundland, on June 17, 1928. It landed in Southampton after a flight of 20 hours, and 40 minutes.
The crew returned to the United States and a reception at the White House, a ticker-tape parade in New York, and a frenzied press lauding primarily Earhart. She became known as the Queen of the Air, and due to her slight build, similar to Lindbergh’s, as Lady Lindy. She authored a book on the flight, based on the log she had kept, which Putnam took it upon himself to publish and promote. A lecture tour followed. As a celebrity, she endorse a clothing line, travel gear including luggage, and controversially, Lucky Strike cigarettes. Public smoking by women was still frowned upon, and the cigarette advertisements cost her a contract to produce articles for McCall’s Magazine.
Read More: 40 Basic Rights Women Did Not Have Until The 1970s.