Linda Finch

rdf:langString Linda Finch

rdf:langString Linda Finch

rdf:langString Linda Finch

rdf:langString San Antonio, Texas, U.S.

rdf:langString Amelia Earhart's letter to her husband, Last Flight 

rdf:langString Finch in June 2007

rdf:langString Aviator, aviation historian, businesswoman, author, spokesperson

rdf:langString Please know I am quite aware of the hazards. I want to do it because I want to do it. Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others.

rdf:langString The country is magnificent! The mountains are covered with jungle, and some of the small hills are covered with what looks like moss. It is very smooth, almost like a carpet in many shades of green.

rdf:langString Linda Finch (born March 13, 1951) is an American businesswoman, aviator, and aviation historian from San Antonio, Texas. Finch had 30 years of experience in the construction industry, making prefabricated buildings and operating healthcare facilities. She began her career managing nursing homes in her twenties, and owned several nursing homes in her thirties. Finch became interested in flying in her twenties, and purchased an airplane which she used in her nursing-home business. In her forties, during the 1990s, she added construction firms to her portfolio. Finch's primary aircraft interest was World War II-era planes. She has restored vintage aircraft, and has participated in air shows and airplane races throughout the United States. Finch flew over 8,000 hours, about three-quarters of which were in single-engine planes, vintage multi-engine aircraft, and warplanes in air shows around the world for about 20 years. Joining the then named Confederate Air Force (now Commemorative Air Force), she learned to fly World War II-era Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter aircraft. Finch is best known for her 1997 World Flight, which recreated (and completed) Amelia Earhart's world-record attempt. She flew a restored 1935 Lockheed Electra 10E, the same type of plane which Earhart flew in 1937 on her around-the-world attempt. Finch's Electra was modified, with a Global Positioning System, increased fuel capacity, and modern communications equipment. She followed Earhart's route as closely as she could, and completed the 26,000-mile trip around the world in 73 days. With Pratt & Whitney (who funded the restoration and flight), Finch established the You Can Soar educational and motivational program, which enabled students in 200,000 classrooms to follow her flight. Its website had about 30 million hits during her flight.