Hi everyone, I'm Amelia Earhart. I currently hold the record as the youngest woman to circumnavigate the globe in a single-engine aircraft. AMA!

If you had a different name do you think you'd be doing something else?

100% yes. I am SO lucky my parents gave me this name. I used to hate it but honestly, it has set me on this course of incredible adventure and aviation opportunity. That's why I run my foundation- to help girls that want to fly get the same chances I get.

I'm an adult male. Will you teach me how to fly?

Not an instructor yet, but I can point you in the right direction!

How many sunsets/sunrises did you see?

16 each

Tell us the truth - where have you been hiding for the last 78 years?!

Just chillin' in Denver ;) Never heard that one before!

I'm a high school girl trying to get my pilots license and I have very little money to put into it, do you have any advice for me?

There are so many resources and so FEW that apply for scholarships... check this out https://www.wai.org/education/scholarships.cfm and email me if you need help.

How's traffic looking on I-25 for the afternoon commute?

That brings back some memories... a little northbound congestion through the bridges, a crash SB 225 at Parker ;)

The day my pup was on the Reddit front page... had a few requests for the link: https://www.reddit.com/r/aww/comments/3g8gjt/puppy_on_his_first_flight/

What's the highest you've ever been?

When I flew around the world, I cruised at an average altitude of 27,000 feet.

Did you ever wish you had a big ass-magnifying glass so you could burn people like ants?

You know, it never crossed my mind ;)

I think it's great you share the same name as the explorer Amelia. I'm glad you're embracing it. When I first read this, I thought it was a joke.

Do you like Top Gear/James May?

ever seen his U2 flight?

Do you want to get higher? like 70k feet as he's done, or does that not interest you? What are your thoughts on space exploration?

Space- absolutely yes. Glad you checked out the thread and didn't write it off as a joke ;)

Top Gear- yup.

Why did you leave 9news? You were the only reason I watched :(. I am sure you wanted to do more but miss ya!

I had this calling to fly around the world! It was so strong that I quit the day job to risk a bigger outcome. Thankfully, I had tons of support (mentors with great advice) and it all worked out.

An amazing life goal to be sure! So whats next? Mars?

Yes please ;)

Hey, what's the worst name joke you've ever gotten? And what was your response?

They are so cheesy I don't even want to repeat...

"I found you!"

"Amelia should just fly us there"

and on and on ;)

Hi Amelia:

I'm apart of our Civil Air Patrol Squadron here in Columbus, GA (SER-GA-098); the next time you are in the area would you be willing to speak to our cadets? How does one make that arrangement with you?

Thanks for being an inspiration to so many young people!

Thanks! I am actually flying to Savannah tomorrow to give a speech. Here's my speakers info: http://www.theguildagency.com/speakers/amelia-rose-earhart/

Hi mate,

Propellers or jet engines and why?

For me it's propellers. Can't beat the sound of a majestic Rolls Royce Merlin being followed by the whistle of a fuel injected V12 Jumo!

More importantly, when are we going to grab some lunch?

Cheers,

B

Props for sure... but I reserve the right to change my mind at anytime. ;)

Lunch, absolutely. Let's get DG to join us!

What do you think really happened to Amelia Earhart?

It is so hard to go with one theory or another. I watch all the teams that are out there looking for AE and let them do the research. I figure, I will focus on her life and legacy and support the missions in any way I can.

Your parents must have given you that name on purpose. Why? Did they have a particular interest in aviation and Amelia Mary Earhart and her place in history, or was that something you developed on your own?

They had the same last name, same spelling and honestly, I think they thought it would set me a part. She's been a great role model for me growing up and while I used to hate the name as a kid, it's something I would never change.

Hi Amelia! I just received my PPL three weeks ago and there is nothing more that is love to do than fly around the world! How did you do it? How did you finance something like that? Is there something I can do to be able to achieve this?

Absolutely! The flight around the world took over 2 years to plan and I had incredible support from sponsors like Pilatus, Honeywell Aerospace and Jeppesen... I started a foundation to help young women learn to fly and that was the best part of the process. I'd be happy to do into further detail outside of the AMA.

On a different note, I know your passion and namesake are all about flying... I have enjoyed your posts since finding your page. But what about your personal life? Who do you do for fun, hobbies, extracurricular activities? Significant others that you spend time with?

I love being out in the sunshine! My car currently holds a kayak, my mountain bike, my tango shoes, golf clubs, flight bag and who knows what else. Living in Colorado is the best. Wish I could see Mom and Dad more, but they visit a lot too.

Wow...that's quite a diverse set of hobbies...and all in one place. Haha. But I get it. :)

Gotta be ready for anything ;)

I noticed you recently became a commercial pilot. Congratulations. What are your plans for continued training? Flight instructor? Multi-engine?

Thanks! That was a fun rating. Yes, I'd like to instruct, probably later on in life. Def multi-engine... I have a thing for the King Air.

It really is amazing to see how many inappropriate meesages you get on your social media,(I'm scared to think of some of the private messages) how do you put up with it and not want to just explode on them?

Yeah, it gets old. I really appreciate how polite everyone here has been. Honestly, I tune it out and know that the person on the other end only gets satisfaction if I were to respond.

Thank you all for the great questions and comments...

I need to sign out, but it’s been fun! Please check out www.xtiaircraft.com when you have a chance!

Also, follow me on Twitter @amelia__earhart and on FB: Amelia Rose Earhart

What does your ideal breakfast consist of?

I am about 90% paleo these days so I do a mix of grilled veggies and a poached egg.

Where's the toughest place you've landed and why?

Papua New Guinea... hands down. It was a whole different world in terms of communication, transportation, fuel. When I landed in Lae we were accused of landing at the wrong airport, which was not the case at all.

Did you run into any issues on your trip around the world? Technical or non technical?

Weather was a major issue to watch. Thunderstorms with limited fuel quantities was the biggest concern. I studied climate data from the last 100 years to determine the best time of year and specific dates to go.

With TV, flying, some modeling and the spokesperson work you've done your image is everything. How hard is it to control and how do you balance that in your every day life?

I am super lucky that my image is of a happy, healthy, active girl who by no means needs to look perfect at all times. My favorite memories are when I have been exhausted, dirty, and tired with new stories to tell. That's when people look really beautiful, in my opinion.

Hi Amelia, another Amelia and ex-aviatrix here! I learned how to fly before I learned how to drive. 

A few easy questions: 1. At what age did you begin to fly? 2. At what age did you solo? 3. Did your parents name you Amelia after the infamous Amelia Earhart? 4. How much did being named Amelia Earhart influence your decision to start flying? 5. Which has been your favorite aircraft to fly?

Hey Amelia!

1) 21 2) 23 3) Yes 4) 100%- at first it felt like I had to become a pilot, now I love it more than anything 5) My fav is the PC-12 because of the trip, but I also love the ole 182 RG because I just got my commercial in it.

Do you think you would ever return to 9news as a reporter?

At this point, I am all about aviation projects... plus I don't miss getting up for the AM show. I do however, miss all my buddies... especially Danielle Grant!

You two were hilarious! I remember you were high fiving her through the green screen once and she could barely keep it together.

Every single day we were picking on one another with stuff like that. Miss that girl so much!

Did you feel any pressure under the name that you have or was this something you always wanted to do? :)

Absolutely I do. Now, I know who I am and what I want to do in aviation, but growing up I always felt like I had to do something big. It was freeing to complete the flight around the world, now I want to help others find their place in aviation.

Did it hurt when you died?

add to list of bad jokes

You get to fly around the world again with anyone as your copilot. Who would you choose? If your only options were John Travolta or Dennis Quaid, who would choose then?

Ha! Tim Ferriss is choice #1...

I'd go with John ;)

Where is the aircraft going to be built?

Denver, CO

How much of the flying did you do on the circumnavigation? How did you devide the work load between you and your crew?

My co-pilot was the awesome Shane Jordan. I was PIC on the flight and we divided up communication, entering flight plans, etc. The amount of work was absolutely daunting (and SO MUCH FUN)

Do you practice using computer flight simulator? Which one?

I really never have... other than the sims I trained in for the PC-12 at Flight Safety. What would you recommend?

I liked Microsoft Flight Simulator (the old one from MS-DOS). I tried also Microsoft Flight (the latest) and it was cool.

Nice- heard they are pretty pricey

What's your favorite aircraft? And what car do you drive?

Favorite is still the PC-12 and I drive a 2015 4-Runner

What's an average day in your life consist of?

I am a super early riser, I either do yoga or go to the gym, work on my book, consulting projects, craft new speech topics and do a lot of social media. I have a pup that is here with me now... in fact he was Reddit famous for a day!

Who is the reddit famous puppy? Can we see him?

https://www.reddit.com/r/aww/comments/3g8gjt/puppy_on_his_first_flight/

Have you given any thought to working with NASA? (Aeronautics!)

That would be a dream come true! I wish I would have started toward that path earlier in life!

Have you heard any of the "Amelia Earhart: Fearless Flyer" episodes of the Thrilling Adventure Hour podcasts?

I have not- will check it out! thanks!

Now that you've flown around the world and earned your commercial certificate what's your next personal aviation goal?

Help get the TriFan600 up and flying so we can see this amazing tech come to life! Also, my instructor rating, a little down the line.

Have you ever had any scary experiences or mishaps while flying?

Electrical failure, comms failure, but never an engine out or anything too serious. So much of our training as pilots goes toward emergency procedures.

Reckon you'll get a 737 type rating or larger?

Doubtful... I like the smaller stuff