MARCH IN REVIEW: Amelia Earhart at March

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. John Hale
  • 452 AMW Historian
MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, Calif. --  Amelia Earhart was a regular visitor during Brig. Gen. Henry "Hap" Arnold's tenure as the commander of March Field. Arnold was a master of publicity and sought to take advantage of the American love affair with aviation that followed Charles Lindbergh's solo flight across the Atlantic in 1927. 

Beginning in 1932, to promote his beloved Air Corps, Arnold regularly held huge aerial reviews on Saturday mornings with as many planes as he could put in the air. The proximity to Hollywood meant Arnold had a continuous supply of willing stars and other personalities, Earhart among them, to attract even larger crowds. 

In this photo, taken in 1935, Earhart stands in front of a Boeing P-12 in one of March Field's spacious hangars. The P-12 was flown by the 17th Pursuit Group at March Field from 1931 to 1932, before being replaced by the Boeing P-26 "Peashooter," the Air Corps' first all-metal mono-wing fighter. 

Amelia, a Fox Searchlight feature movie that chronicles Amelia Earheat's life, was released in theaters Oct. 23.