Amelia Page #5

and they cost...

$36,000, after a generous discount

from Lockheed.

It may as well be a billion.

Not to mention at least another $36,000

to have it modified and ready.

And your surprise is you robbed a bank?

No, actually, a university.

I persuaded Ed Elliott to create

an Amelia Earhart Fund

for Aeronautical Research at Purdue.

I suggested a budget amount of $80,000

for a suitable flying laboratory.

The Electra?

Your Electra, Amelia.

George!

Well, there is one thing. The trustees and

the donors, they have to be on board also.

Well, that's my job.

I'll do a series of lectures...

No, there will be no more horses,

no more hoops, for my Amelia.

Thank you, George.

Even if you don't care if she lives or dies,

you know her death

will not be a plus for aviation women,

or your next campaign.

What if she doesn't die?

What if she just circumnavigates

the globe and it's a plus for everyone?

The closest land west of Hawaii is

beyond the range of the Electra.

She'll refuel in the air.

She doesn't have the flying skills.

She's taking bigger risks.

Yes. I'm aware of that.

Don't be so proud of it.

I understand the danger, fellas.

I've studied the route.

What have you come up with?

This is Howland Island.

It's halfway

between Honolulu and New Guinea.

It has no elevation, no trees,

hardly anyone knows or cares that it exists.

It would be

almost impossible to spot from the air.

It's really tiny, like a grain of sand

in a thousand miles of nowhere.

If you miss this island,

you're out of fuel with 2,000 miles to go.

But I'll have Fred Noonan,

the best celestial navigator around.

In fact,

she's taking Fred along for the whole trip.

Giving up my little arrogance about solo.

Safety first, yes?

You've always had Amelia's

best interest at heart.

And for that, we're both grateful.

Stay for supper?

I'd like to, but I'd better be getting back.

Please tell Gore hello for me.

Give him this. He can track the time zones.

He misses you.

He doesn't understand, really.

Is the new gasket up to spec, Jim?

Everything's good, Miss Earhart.

Hello, Fred.

Ma'am.

- Good to see you.

- And you.

Thank you.

Are we sizing me up?

I'm told midair refueling

would be beyond my abilities.

You have to put in time,

learn the technique.

Even so, 20, it works, 20, you crash,

so you're cooked anyway.

Better odds of hitting that island?

How do you feel about 100?

Even with cloud cover?

Pan Am told you I'm the best

celestial navigator they've ever seen.

They did.

Someone else told you

I got a drinking problem.

Which is a big part

of why we're here, right?

Everyone I ever worked for will tell you,

nothing's interfered

with my performance, not once.

We'd be looking for

an island less than two miles long,

with nothing higher on it than 18 feet.

That's what you'd be looking for.

I'd be looking for coordinates on a map.

How can I lose?

Amelia Earhart

leaves Oakland for Honolulu,

setting out on the most

dangerous aeronautic feat ever attempted:

To traverse the waistline of the world.

How about

a smile for the people back in the States?

Miss Earhart, look this way.

Thank you.

- Thank you.

Take care of her, Fred.

That's great. Thanks.

One big one

for the camera, Miss Amelia!

You know, we've got so much fuel

we can't possibly get off the ground.

Much safer than flying.

Well, we'll need enough

for a third pass at Howland

after you miss it

the first couple times around.

Good thinking.

Thank you!

One more,

please, Miss Earhart.

Right here, Amelia!

Good luck, Fred!

Good luck, Amelia!

Clear!

No!

You all right?

Good reaction cutting the switch!

You saved our ass!

Come on, Fred!

Right engine, get the right

engine! Hose on there, right underneath.

- We need tetrachloride here.

- Pyrene, pyrene.

Sam,

make sure you get a picture of that.

Make sure

you get a good shot of their faces!

Turn her up. Okay, go.

I'll make it good, G.P.,

I swear to you I will.

I'll make it back and more, I promise.

The book sales, the lectures,

this flight

will keep us going another three years.

Maybe.

No, it will, I promise.

Our sales, our prices are going to double.

This just showed them

how dangerous it all is.

They were taking it for granted.

They thought I was competent.

Here.

I meant, maybe...

Maybe we can just stop it.

You mean after?

Or even now.

So my exit would be a stupid crash

and withdrawing from

a world-publicized attempt

to finally do something

no man had done before.

It would ruin us in the bargain.

- Mmm-hmm. Yes.

- We'd have nothing.

Mmm-hmm. It's true.

And I'd be fine with that.

That's because you're an idiot.

Lucky for you.

And what if it's

not something I need to show the world?

What if it's something I need to show me?

I don't really have a choice,

I have to reverse the route.

I'd be facing hurricanes in the

Caribbean, monsoons in Africa.

Yeah, but you'll be flying Howland last.

- When I'm most tired.

- Yeah.

So, I just won't get tired.

What's the timetable on the plane?

Three weeks. She'll be good as new.

We have a remarkable crew here.

- The best that money can...

- Money can buy.

...buy, yeah.

All the money wasted

that's never coming back.

You cut the engines.

It would've cost a bundle more

to replace a burnt-out plane.

Not to mention a burnt-up pilot.

I overreacted.

The plane was too heavy, I should've used

more rudder instead of the throttle. I...

It's only money.

We'll figure this out. We always do.

Have you considered, Miss Earhart,

that your enthusiasm as a pilot

outweighs your ability, as demonstrated

by the disaster in Honolulu?

People are saying that you're reckless,

a better celebrity than pilot.

Enthusiastic? Yes.

Reckless? Not on your life.

I'm a flier pursuing my passion

for the fun of it, that's all.

Thank you. A future flier!

You can do it, Amelia!

Mr. Noonan, over here!

Miss Earhart!

We love you, Amelia!

She will fly the world's full circumference,

24,902 miles,

to travel across the South Atlantic,

crossing Africa, over India,

and across the wide Pacific...

After this 'round-the-world flight,

Miss Earhart,

are you gonna give up long-distance flying?

Not while there's still life left in me.

Always ready for a new adventure.

Great, great.

Fred, you're on.

Hey, Fred,

give us a big smile for the camera!

Come back to me.

Always.

Hurry up, come on! Hurry up!

Miss Earhart!

Just one more picture, please!

Just one more, please!

Miss Earhart,

over here! Miss Earhart!

See you.

A fairyland of

beauty lay below and about me

so lovely as to distract

a pilot's attention from the task at hand,

that of herding a heavy plane

out of that great upland saucer

and over the mountains that make its rim.

What is this thing, huh?

Whole thing's made of mud.

It's beautiful.

It's like working with you.

Come on, Amelia.

Amelia Earhart has

reached Calcutta...

Dad! Dad! It's a bulletin!

...but heavy rains have

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes