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Amelia Earhart's Reckless Final Flights

The aviator’s publicity-mad husband, George Palmer Putnam, kept pushing her to risk her life for the sake of fame.

A deal was also struck with Gimbels department store to sell “commemorative covers”—decorated envelopes bearing buyers’ home addresses that would be packed into the Electra’s nose and postmarked at stops along the route, as proof that Earhart was completing her itinerary. As far as I know, I’ve only got one obsession—a small and probably typical feminine fear of growing old—so I won’t feel completely cheated if I fail to come back.” Allen, recognizing the news value of these words, wanted to publish a story about the interview, but Earhart asked him to hold off until after the journey. Putnam later recalled seeing her off in the hangar: “There in the dim chill we perched briefly on cold concrete steps, and the feel of her hands in mine told more than the words we did not speak could have told.” The Electra’s twin engines roared, and Earhart taxied toward departure.

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