One Man’s Search for Amelia Earhart’s Airplane

In the summer of 1937, a nation was in mourning over a national tragedy. The world’s most famed female flyer, Amelia Earhart, had disappeared amid a riveting voyage to become the first woman aviator to circumnavigate the globe.

The 39-year-old Atchison, Kansas native already had quite a list of aerial accomplishments. In 1928, she became the first female pilot to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Four years later, she did the transatlantic flight solo and without a stop. Then, taking a giant leap forward...