Amelia Earhart’s Electra: Spotted at Last?

Good morning! 

In today’s email:

• New Clues Revive Hope of Finding Amelia Earhart’s Aircraft

• Around the Skies: Mental Health in Aviation Act heads to Senate, Ex-Pilot pleads guilty in 2023 midair incident, Boeing 777X clears another testing milestone, Wheels Up tightens operations with new cuts, Smithsonian adds space for historic aircraft, Archer & Joby join White House eVTOL push

• PilotTube: Epic Fisk Arrival: Trent Palmer’s Oshkosh Adventure

THE BUSINESS OF AVIATION

New Evidence Rekindles Quest for Amelia Earhart

A bold new expedition is gearing up to chase one of aviation’s most enduring mysteries: the disappearance of Amelia Earhart. Backed by Purdue University—where Earhart once served as a faculty member—the mission will set out this November to explore a promising lead at Nikumaroro, a remote Pacific island. Researchers believe a “visual anomaly” spotted in satellite images of a lagoon could be the long-lost wreckage of Earhart’s Lockheed 10-E Electra, which vanished with navigator Fred Noonan 88 years ago.

Dubbed the “Taraia Object,” the anomaly appears to match the size and shape of the Electra and may have been briefly revealed by shifting sands during a 2015 storm. Investigators say it could be the best chance yet to confirm what really happened on Earhart’s fateful 1937 flight. If the site yields results, a follow-up excavation is planned to recover and preserve any aircraft remains.

The Nikumaroro theory is supported by tantalizing clues: distress calls believed to be from Earhart traced to the island, artifacts like a woman’s shoe, sextant box and glass bottles and even human bones found in the 1940s. To believers, these fragments paint a compelling picture of Earhart and Noonan’s final chapter. Still, skeptics argue the evidence is circumstantial, with some researchers dismissing the satellite imagery as nothing more than a coconut tree.

For Purdue, however, the search is deeply personal. The university helped fund Earhart’s original Electra and now hopes to one day bring it home to Indiana. As Steven Schultz of the Purdue Research Foundation put it: “We believe we owe it to Amelia and her legacy at Purdue to fulfill her wishes, if possible.” Whether the expedition uncovers answers or more questions, it carries the spirit of adventure Earhart embodied—pushing boundaries and chasing horizons.

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AROUND THE SKIES

🛩️ The Mental Health in Aviation Act is moving to the Senate, aiming to modernize how the FAA handles mental health for pilots and controllers. It lowers barriers to care, expands examiner training and reclassifies medications so aviators can seek help without risking their careers. With $13.7 million a year to boost medical staff and input from pilots, doctors and industry groups, leaders call it a win for both safety and sanity—proof that healthier pilots mean safer skies.

🛩️ Former Alaska Airlines pilot Joseph Emerson has pleaded guilty to trying to shut down both engines during a 2023 Horizon Air flight. Riding in the jumpseat, he pulled the fire handles before the crew reset them and safely diverted to Portland with over 80 on board. Emerson has already been sentenced in state court and now awaits federal sentencing in November.

🛩️ Amid hail, storms and heavy winds, Boeing’s 777X has finished a demanding series of brake certification trials in Oklahoma. Over 63 days, the team pushed the jet through hard-braking scenarios using 117 new wheels to prove its six-wheel gear can take the heat. It’s a tough milestone cleared as Boeing drives the long-delayed 777X toward a 2026 debut.

🛩️ Wheels Up is cutting more jobs, with pilots taking the biggest hit in its latest round of layoffs. The move comes after an $83 million Q2 net loss, even as the company showed signs of narrowing losses and improved gross profit. Backed by Delta, the operator is tightening its belt as it works to steady its climb in a turbulent market.

🛩️ The Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center is set for its first expansion since 2003, adding 44,000 square feet to display even more historic aircraft. Highlights will include the B-26 Flak-Bait, a B-17 Flying Fortress and a Pearl Harbor–surviving Sikorsky JRS-1. Opening in 2028, the project will also refresh existing exhibits, making one of America’s top aviation museums an even bigger draw.

Archer and Joby Aviation are joining the White House’s new eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, a federal effort to fast-track electric air taxis in U.S. cities. The initiative will pair manufacturers with states, cities and airlines like United to test real-world operations. With Archer’s Midnight aircraft and Joby’s 40,000 miles of flight testing, the program marks a big step toward making quiet, all-electric air taxis part of daily travel.

PilotTube

YouTuber and bush pilot Trent Palmer made his way into Oshkosh 2025 via the legendary Fisk Arrival, capturing epic views along the way. From winding over Wisconsin’s lakes to sliding into the world’s busiest airspace, his flight was equal parts adventure and artistry. The video showcases not just the skill required to join the Oshkosh flow, but also the magic of arriving by air. For aviation fans, it’s a front-row seat to the ultimate summer pilgrimage.

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