Ann Dearing Holtgren Pellegreno Chicago, Illinois
In 1967, Ann Pellegreno and a crew of three successfully flew a similar
aircraft (a Lockheed 10A Electra) to complete a world flight that closely
mirrored Amelia Earhart's flight plan in 1937. On the 30th anniversary of
Earhart's disappearance, Pellegreno dropped a wreath in her honor over
tiny Howland Island and returned to Oakland, California, completing the
28,000-mile (45,000 km) commemorative flight on July 7, 1967.
Ann’s decision to retrace Earhart's round-the-world flight route in a
Lockheed Electra can be found in the encouragement of her airplane
mechanic, Lee Koepke, in 1962. Koepke owned a twin-engine Lockheed
Electra 10A that he was restoring at the time, a sister ship to that flown by
Amelia Earhart on her fateful world flight in 1937.The first article of the
historic commemorative event appeared in a Detroit newspaper on
March 6, 1967. In April and May of that year the Electra was retrofitted
with final fuel equipment for the flight at Javelin Aircraft in Wichita,
Kansas. On June 9, she and her crew of three took off from Oakland,
California in the plane. Her crew was made up of William L. Polhemus
(navigator), William "Bill" R. Payne (co-pilot) and Lee Koepke (owner and
restorer of the Electra). Oakland, to take off from the same airport from
which Earhart departed 30 years prior. It was wheels-up on this
commemorative round-the-world flight on June 9 when she took off from
Oakland flying east on their journey. Pellegreno and her team followed
the same route Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan followed in 1937, but
for better re-fueling connections landed at differing airports. They
carried 2,000 sets of philatelic covers that would be canceled at various
cities on their path, to be sold to collectors to help finance their flight.
Unlike the 1937 flight, Pellegreno's Electra was equipped with state-of-
the-art radio and navigation equipment.
After a refueling stop at Nauru in the Pacific, Pellegreno flew to Howland
Island, making a tribute fly-over at approximately the same time and on
the same day as Earhart and Noonan would have arrived there 30 years
before on July 2, 1937. On that day, July 2, 1967, Pellegreno personally
dropped a wreath commemorating the history-making round-the-world
effort of Earhart and Noonan. Pellegreno found Earhart's flight-planned
destination – tiny Howland Island – dropped a wreath, and returned to
Oakland on July 7.
She arrived back at Oakland having completed the 28,000-mile
commemorative flight. She then returned the Electra to Willow Run
arriving there on July 10. On July 15, the Michigan Legislature declared it
"Ann Pellegreno Day" and had a parade in her home town of Saline,
Michigan.
Personal story from Ann:
I am in the front seat of an Aeronca 7-AC. My flight instructor is in the rear
seat. We are taking off from a grass runway at Young Field, located west
of Ann Arbor, Michigan. This is my first flying lesson!
After visiting my husband's brother, a Navy pilot, during the summer of
1959, my husband Don and I decided to eat hamburger for a year, join the
Young Field Flying Club, and learn to fly. This we did.
As a child I had built a solid wooden model of a Piper Cub, and, yes,
painted it yellow. When taken to Midway Airport, near Chicago, my
parents would give my sister Lois and me each a dime for the turnstile
allowing access to the observation deck. There I watched silver wings
disappear in the distance, never dreaming that in 1967 I would pilot a
silver-winged 1937 Lockheed 10 Electra around the world following the
Earhart Trail. By that time, I had acquired a commercial license,
instrument rating, and was a CFII. Also on my "ticket" were private,
commercial, and instrument ground instructor ratings.
Learning to fly opened a whole new venue on life with airplanes, persons
who flew and worked on them, helping my husband build or restore a
variety of airplanes, and hanging out at airports. During fifty years of
flying, my life has been peopled with wonderful aviation experiences.
What a neat way to wile away the hours!
In 1967, Ann Pellegreno and a crew of three successfully flew a similar
aircraft (a Lockheed 10A Electra) to complete a world flight that closely
mirrored Amelia Earhart's flight plan in 1937. On the 30th anniversary of
Earhart's disappearance, Pellegreno dropped a wreath in her honor over
tiny Howland Island and returned to Oakland, California, completing the
28,000-mile (45,000 km) commemorative flight on July 7, 1967.
Ann’s decision to retrace Earhart's round-the-world flight route in a
Lockheed Electra can be found in the encouragement of her airplane
mechanic, Lee Koepke, in 1962. Koepke owned a twin-engine Lockheed
Electra 10A that he was restoring at the time, a sister ship to that flown by
Amelia Earhart on her fateful world flight in 1937.The first article of the
historic commemorative event appeared in a Detroit newspaper on
March 6, 1967. In April and May of that year the Electra was retrofitted
with final fuel equipment for the flight at Javelin Aircraft in Wichita,
Kansas. On June 9, she and her crew of three took off from Oakland,
California in the plane. Her crew was made up of William L. Polhemus
(navigator), William "Bill" R. Payne (co-pilot) and Lee Koepke (owner and
restorer of the Electra). Oakland, to take off from the same airport from
which Earhart departed 30 years prior. It was wheels-up on this
commemorative round-the-world flight on June 9 when she took off from
Oakland flying east on their journey. Pellegreno and her team followed
the same route Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan followed in 1937, but
for better re-fueling connections landed at differing airports. They
carried 2,000 sets of philatelic covers that would be canceled at various
cities on their path, to be sold to collectors to help finance their flight.
Unlike the 1937 flight, Pellegreno's Electra was equipped with state-of-
the-art radio and navigation equipment.
After a refueling stop at Nauru in the Pacific, Pellegreno flew to Howland
Island, making a tribute fly-over at approximately the same time and on
the same day as Earhart and Noonan would have arrived there 30 years
before on July 2, 1937. On that day, July 2, 1967, Pellegreno personally
dropped a wreath commemorating the history-making round-the-world
effort of Earhart and Noonan. Pellegreno found Earhart's flight-planned
destination – tiny Howland Island – dropped a wreath, and returned to
Oakland on July 7.
She arrived back at Oakland having completed the 28,000-mile
commemorative flight. She then returned the Electra to Willow Run
arriving there on July 10. On July 15, the Michigan Legislature declared it
"Ann Pellegreno Day" and had a parade in her home town of Saline,
Michigan.
Personal story from Ann:
I am in the front seat of an Aeronca 7-AC. My flight instructor is in the rear
seat. We are taking off from a grass runway at Young Field, located west
of Ann Arbor, Michigan. This is my first flying lesson!
After visiting my husband's brother, a Navy pilot, during the summer of
1959, my husband Don and I decided to eat hamburger for a year, join the
Young Field Flying Club, and learn to fly. This we did.
As a child I had built a solid wooden model of a Piper Cub, and, yes,
painted it yellow. When taken to Midway Airport, near Chicago, my
parents would give my sister Lois and me each a dime for the turnstile
allowing access to the observation deck. There I watched silver wings
disappear in the distance, never dreaming that in 1967 I would pilot a
silver-winged 1937 Lockheed 10 Electra around the world following the
Earhart Trail. By that time, I had acquired a commercial license,
instrument rating, and was a CFII. Also on my "ticket" were private,
commercial, and instrument ground instructor ratings.
Learning to fly opened a whole new venue on life with airplanes, persons
who flew and worked on them, helping my husband build or restore a
variety of airplanes, and hanging out at airports. During fifty years of
flying, my life has been peopled with wonderful aviation experiences.
What a neat way to wile away the hours!
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