We’ve all been on a pretty incredible run lately. This little rebrand idea for the show I had about a year ago, was only supposed to be a couple of new episodes. Never in a million years did I think we’d still be going with more debuts, returning guests and new revelations. The last year has been one of the most tumultuous years in the history of t…

The longer this rebrand goes, the more I continue to be surprised. Years ago, I reached out to a man that was a part of my original 25. He’s perhaps the most well known name in the entire Earhart case. Some people also consider him to be a bit of a polarizing figure. When I reached out, I was a nobody - I had no contacts, no experience except my ow…

Over 15 years ago now, I sat down to make a list of dream participants for what would become the Chasing Earhart project. I came up with a list of 25 names and on that list was a man who’s been associated with the search for Amelia Earhart since the first deep ocean expedition for her took place in 1999. In fact, he’s the man who led that search al…

In 2014, as this project was in pre-research, the world was fixated on an around the world flight that dominated the media and much of the aviation related conversation that year. Chief among the many reasons why was the pilot - a woman who shares a namesake with the biggest aviation icon to ever fly the skies. On July 11th, 2014 Amelia Rose Earhar…

One of my very favorite parts of the rebrand for this show has been the flood of new voices that we’ve been able to bring into the ongoing conversation regarding the life, legacy and disappearance of Amelia Earhart. Over the years, a lot of attention has been paid to AE’s upbringing in Atchison, Kansas - and for good reason. Every year, thousands a…

“It is interesting to note that because of Earhart and Noonan’s particular course, they did cross local midnight on their flight path causing the local date to move forward one day and, for several hours, the pair was alive on July 3rd – one day after they officially disappeared.” Over the last few months of recording this show, I’ve started hearin…

You know, anytime I get the chance to sit down and record another conversation for this show, I consider it an honor. I try to never forget why I’m doing this. The reasons are very important to me. In all the conversations we’ve had for this show, we’ve only ever had one of Amelia’s family members as a guest - that was back in 2018 when Amy Kleppne…

About 2 years ago, my book Rabbit Hole: The Vanishing of Amelia Earhart & Fred Noonan was released, and I could only think of one place to launch it - Atchison Kansas, during the Amelia Earhart festival. It remains as one of my very favorite moments of this entire crazy ride. I knew then, that a deep ocean search was about to take place somewhere o…

Of all the people I’ve met during my experience running the Chasing Earhart project, there is one person that you may be surprised to know has never been on this show, despite how close we’ve become over the years. We’re about to right that wrong, right now. In 2019, when I reached out to her, she had no iron in this fire, and very little knowledge…

Several years ago, during the first season of Vanished, I met a historian and researcher out of the UK that immediately caught my interest. Tonight, you’ll see why. We’ve got a very kindred fascination and love for the Earhart story, and some of the behind the scenes work he’s been quietly doing is the exact representation of what historical resear…

Jill Meyers is a public speaker, mentor, aerospace engineer and so much more. You can learn more about her and tonight's conversation at: LINKS & SHOW NOTES Her Official Website Jill Meyers on LinkedIn Jill Meyers on Instagram SHOW NOTES & FURTHER READING 'Katharine Wright Trophy Honors Jill Meyers, Aeronautical Engineer and Pilot' @ Flying Magazin…

For years, I’ve been discussing a dream expedition that would bring some of this case's brightest minds together in a collaboration that could rewrite history forever. Sometimes, when you’re investigating a scene like the one unfolding in Buka, you get lucky enough to pull an ace. And boy have we ever got one for you tonight. Dick Spink is one of m…

If you know me, you know how much I adore the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum in Atchison Kansas. It’s a place that’s special to me for many reasons. Back in 2017, my wife and I brought our production for the Chasing Earhart documentary there, and we were welcomed with open arms. So much so, that we were allowed to shoot over 20 interview segments…

You know what’s really wild? You never know when to stop pursuing something. When it seems hopeless - sometimes, you get a hand from a source you never dreamed possible. The following audio is only possible because of the folks over at Pratt & Whitney’s Dependable Engines Association who were kind enough to invite project guest Bill Snavely to disc…

For over 100 episodes of this show, I’ve sat behind my microphone and asked some of the biggest names in the Earhart world for answers to the questions that have been burning in my mind all my life. Never in a million years did I ever think the show could flip the format and pull off what we’re about to do. Tonight, in a very different approach to …

About five years ago, we visited Atchison, Kansas to film segments of our documentary during the Amelia Earhart festival. While we were there, we met two women that would become an integral part of Chasing Earhart project, working with us on events and helping us gain a sense of credibility in the Earhart historical record. While they both prefer t…

One of the reasons I wanted to record these new conversations for the show, is because I’d finally have the chance to speak to some guests that I’d always been a very big fan of. And tonight is certainly no exception. Mike Harris has been investigating the Amelia Earhart case for decades, and his research has laid the foundation for others to furth…

A couple of years ago, before we ended this show’s original run, I sat down with Guy Noffsinger, Jim Janicki, and Jeff Riegel of the Lost Clipper Team. The story they told me then, and the one that continues tonight, is utterly amazing. It’s a story that the world may not be ready to accept or believe. Was the crew of the lost Clipper really sent t…

Several months ago, we returned to the Amelia Earhart festival in Atchison Kansas to celebrate the release of my first book Rabbit Hole: The Vanishing of Amelia Earhart & Fred Noonan. While I was there, I discovered that Mandy Horvath was also there receiving the Amelia Earhart Pioneer achievement award. We didn’t get to cross paths then; but we ha…

Hey folks - I bet you never thought you’d hear this show again. It’s been a while since the podcast ended, but in the last few months, I’ve quietly been working on what I consider to be the next chapter in the evolution of this show. Earlier this year, I began hearing from people that wanted the podcast to continue. At first, I really didn’t feel i…

A little over a year ago we stepped away from the Amelia Earhart/Fred Noonan disappearance case forever; having nothing further to add to a project that spanned almost 15 years at the time. But it turns out, we couldn’t stay away for long. Just like you’ll hear time and time again in this case, we got pulled back in as new developments in multiple …

Our journey is over. We created something that I didn’t know that we could. And we did it together. And now as I look back on everything that we accomplished, I can finally move forward into an exciting future. One of hope. One of faith. And one where the skies are the limit. I think Amelia would appreciate that. So, goodbye Amelia & Fred. Wherever…

We’ve reached the final time that we’ll be discussing theory on this podcast. It’s been a long road, but we wanted to wrap with fresh faces, new ideas and a twist on this story that you’ll never see coming. If you’re familiar with this podcast or with Vanished Amelia Earhart, you’ve likely heard of the Hawaii Clipper, but you might know its fate. A…

Within the Congressional Armed Services Committee, the Intelligence Community retains a non-itemized appropriation referred to simply as “the black hole”. For over two decades, part of the funding of that program went toward analyzing whether or not the human mind could be used to gather reliable information. What you are about to hear is the repor…

On this 82nd anniversary of the vanishing of Amelia Earhart & Fred Noonan, we bring you a special message from Chris Williamson & the Chasing Earhart Project.Chasing Earhart

"So many young readers are focused today on looking for heroes; looking for people who they can look up to; looking for people they can be inspired by. Amelia is a natural fit for that." Jim Buckley is a prolific author of nonfiction for young readers, with more than 150 books to his credit (and still typing!). He is the author of more than a dozen…

I have always known that Amelia Earhart’s reach in legacy and inspiration loomed large over modern day aviation, aerospace and STEM. However, when we started this project many years ago, even I didn’t understand just how deep that reach stretched. Tonight, we’re all gonna find out. Amelia Earhart’s legacy and inspiration touches us all. And what sh…

"It’s interesting when I watch people watch the documentary. When her face comes up on the screen, people just light up. I think she’s one of those people that is sort of an iconic figure for all the best reasons." "Fly Like A Girl" is more than just a film. It’s a movement of young girls and women relentlessly pursuing their passion for aviation. …

Dr. Lois Frankel is a guest that when you look at her bio or research her career, you would never in a million years think she’d pop up as a project guest for Chasing Earhart. But oh, how little do you know…. Dr. Frankel is the president of corporate coaching international and she literally wrote the book on coaching people to succeed in businesses…

In part, it’s the way that we identify with these individuals; the notion of getting lost at sea; the horror of that and how deeply in our core as individuals we fear something like that happening. That reaches into something that’s very personal for everybody. Forensic image processing and analyzation is one of the most crucial areas of expertise …

"As years go on, it’s not just the flight but it’s about a woman, it’s about encouraging people to be in aviation. It’s about the era." Perhaps no other institution on the planet is more recognizable than the Smithsonian. The air and space museum on Washington DC houses some of the most iconic aviation exhibits on the planet. And the museum staff a…

“This 50th anniversary, I’m doing it for my crew. They’re all gone now; they were about ten years older than I was. Of course, I miss them, but I can think of them. All my animals, my crew, my family; they’re all close to my heart and they’ll always be there. But this was the beginning of sharing this will people like you and people all over the wo…

“I truly believe that this was a woman who was an adventurer and who wanted to break barriers in many, many ways.” Tonight, you’ll hear from an author that takes a different approach to her writing and her thoughts on Amelia Earhart’s relevance. Project guest Patricia Lakin has written multiple children’s books including the well received and long …

“This wasn’t about a flight. This really was about what Amelia worked so hard to teach. Amelia didn’t fly and do these things to say ‘look what I can do’. She did it to say ‘look what you can do’.” The moments you hear at the opening of tonight's episode, took place 21 years ago on what was the 60th anniversary of Amelia Earhart’s circumnavigation …

“I think Amelia is more well known than possibly even Lindberg. Amelia is just part of the psyche of the public. She was a really positive role model doing some amazing things; certainly laying it all out there on the line. The mystery of the disappearance adds to her story." Considered by many to be a purist when it comes to locating Amelia Earhar…

"A lot of it was just imagining myself in Earhart’s shoes on Nikumaroro and thinking about what she’d do." Our first three-peat on the podcast, Dr. Tom King formally of TIGHAR returns for a different kind of discussion on his third sit down with us. Dr. King's latest novel, "Amelia Earhart Unrescued" is a prequel to his earlier novel "13 Bones" and…

"I think her story resonates with anybody who’s ever been told no they can’t do something and maybe have been frustrated with that answer. There’s this little girl who really pushed her boundaries and whether or not she was courageous or foolhardy I think at the end of the day the courageousness is what we focus on. Her story inspires readers to sa…

Following the disappearance of aviation icons Amelia Earhart, Fred Noonan and their Lockheed Electra 10E in 1937, the world speculates on their fate; creating multiple theories to explain their vanishing over the Pacific Ocean. In 2018, documentarian Chris Williamson begins an investigation over a decade in the making. Shortly after his investigati…

“Amelia Earhart was an explorer and an adventurer who took risks and someone who was doing so in a time where it may not have been attractive or easy to do something like that as a woman. I kind of see somebody who doesn’t really care what the status quo is and is doing whatever the hell she wants anyway.” Emily Calandrelli is a lot of things. A sp…

“The defiant human spirit is something that we all have the potential to tap into and that’s what Amelia had; she had this defiant spirit and the defiant spirit is saying “ I’m not gonna let life beat me; I’m gonna go out and live fully and fearlessly”. It’s about getting out there and doing the things that ignite you.” Janine Shepherd is a living,…

“I think for women she was a symbol of freedom and independence and her fame made her larger than life. Her story and her disappearance live on as the ultimate historical mystery. That idea keeps her alive in people’s minds in a way that a lot of figures from history aren’t.” Of all the missing persons cases in history, perhaps no other has capture…

“She was one of those first women to push through those mail dominate field barriers; she inspired women to go into these male-dominated fields, go into aviation. She was a big start in this whole idea; getting into schools and telling her story. She continues to have that impact on girls. This is something that you can do if you really want it”. B…

“There’s no doubt in my mind that because of the status that Earhart had in her lifetime; she opened people’s minds. People that probably had never had anyone encourage them to have a career outside of the home. She was able to do that for women. People still pick up on that love she had for empowering other women. This is why we get two-year-old g…

“I think the fact that she along with the other women had the foresight to put together a group of women that would let the world know that women fly and let them know what women can do. I think she’ll go down in history forever for having done that.” I can’t stress this enough. Bee Haydu is a legend. Over ten years ago when doing pre-research for …

“Sally Ride once said, “you can’t be what you can’t see”. Amelia and women of that era got up in an airplane and flew and landed and got out and people went “wow that’s a girl!” It’s the same with Shaesta stepping out of the airplane and people asking, “where’s the pilot?” You just need to make it known that you really can be anything you want to b…

"You’re not gonna be happy when you know what really happened to her. It’s not going to feel better; knowing she crashed in the ocean or got captured and tortured by the Japanese. I know it feels bad now that it’s a mystery but half the solutions this mystery has are terrible. Be prepared for a sad, sad ending to this story. " David Avallone is nev…

“That’s where I first had that connection where I had read about Amelia Earhart; that moment was when I realized the opportunity she gave to a lot of women and the empowerment that she was able to give a lot of women to follow their dreams in STEM.” A member of Forbes prestigious “30 under 30” Paige Kasselen has spent her career in uncharted waters…

“When you find the airplane; no matter where it is. You now have an obligation to explain what happened. How did it get there and to explain the last moments of Amelia Earhart; her story is unfinished at this point, and we need to finish it.” Part of our original 25, project guest Tom Dettweiler has lived a life on the ocean. Taking part in some of…

"It seems that Japan would never admit to their role in the capture of Amelia Earhart. The records are gone; you're not gonna find them" ​Les Kinney has been researching the Amelia Earhart case for over a decade. Part of what is now known as our original twenty-five, Les has been on the Chasing Earhart radar equally as long. After finding what is n…

In 1926, there were countless ways to die in an airplane. Propeller blades snapped and broke, and planes went down. Wings failed, folding backward or tearing away completely. Control sticks got stuck, sending airships hurtling toward crowds or hangars. And all too often, engines just stopped in mid-flight, forcing pilots to scan the ground below fo…