5 Chapter 4 Amelia Takes Off

Chapter 4 Amelia Takes Off With her pilot's license in hand, Amelia flew in some air shows. Most pilots were men, so a young woman attracted a lot of attention. Amelia didn't like to be on display. But she worked in the shows to earn money. She had to keep on flying. Then Amelia's friend and teacher, Neta Snook, got married. Just as Amelia feared, her friend's flying days were over. Neta would now be a wife and mother. So Amelia needed another instructor. She teamed up with an expert named Monte Montijo. Monte had flown in the army. He also did stunt work flying in the movies. Monte taught Amelia a lot. She even learned to do tricks in the air like huge upside-down loops.

Now she felt like trying for a flying record. Amelia wanted to see how high she could go. Amelia didn't tell anyone her plans. She had an instrument put in her plane. It measured how high above ground the plane was. In the early 1920s, planes didn't fly as high as they do today. One reason was because the cockpits were open. At higher altitudes there is not much oxygen to breathe. Amelia knew she could pass out if she went too high. But she was willing to risk it.

It took two attempts. Amelia flew through fog and sleet. She finally made it to fourteen thousand feet—more than two and a half miles high. Then her plane's engine began to fail. Amelia brought her plane down fast. She was just barely able to make a safe landing. But she had her record. Although Amelia loved to fly, she soon found out that she couldn't support herself just by flying. There were no big airlines or airplanes yet. People did not travel by plane. In fact, most people never expected to take a ride in a plane. In 1924, Amelia

temporarily gave up on her dream. She sold the Canary and used the money to buy a car. You might guess that Amelia would pick a practical automobile like the Ford Model T. She didn't. She bought a fancy yellow convertible. If she couldn't fly in the air, she would at least have the feeling of flying across the ground. Amelia named her car the Yellow Peril. She and her mother drove across country and headed for the East Coast.

Amelia went back to Columbia University. But again, it wasn't for long. She had to drop out again; as usual, the problem was money. Sam Chapman followed Amelia out East. He proposed marriage again. It was tempting. Amelia was now 28 years old. Most people thought women this age were already "old maids." If Amelia married Sam, she wouldn't have to worry so much about money. However, Sam would want

her to stay at home and have children. Amelia had to decide. To her, the choice was very clear. Amelia told her sister Muriel of her decision. "I don't want to marry him," Amelia said. "I don't want to marry anyone." Amelia couldn't stand the thought of giving up her freedom. The next job Amelia found was in Boston. She worked at Denison House where she took care of poor children. Amelia really liked the job. She knew she was doing something worthwhile.