Free Amelia by Nancy Nahra

flagged, nor had his interest in Earhart.
    The public wanted to know practical details about Earhart, including what she ate to keep herself strong and alert on a long solo flight. Her flying and eating habits did not change much over the years. Usually, she made sure to bring tomato juice, her favorite. For variety, she might drink hot chocolate or soup. Most of the time, she also had a hard-boiled egg. She preferred foods she could eat with one hand.
    At that time, the news media respected boundaries in reporting the private lives of famous people. That’s why the public did not read scandalous stories about the relationship between Earhart and Vidal.
    Of course, there were stories, unofficial and unconfirmed at the time. One such piece concerned the intimate subject of underwear.
    Newspapers always assumed that articles about a woman pilot had to include details of how she dressed. (Stories of Rugh Elder are full of fashion.) But some details of Earhart’s clothing were not for public consumption, at least not in her day. According to Earhart’s biographer Susan Butler, Amelia wore men’s underwear on her long flights. But there’s more to it, says Butler. She wore boxer shorts given her by Gene Vidal. Her choice had to do with comfort. Since she found it too embarrassing to buy boxers for herself, she asked Vidal.
    Other, more public evidence also points an intimate relationship with Vidal. Their attending the Olympics together fed the rumors, but gossipy stories about Earhart and a lover also had to compete with the accounts of her flight home after the Olympics. She set a new women’s record for the fastest non-stop transcontinental flight: Los Angeles to Newark in nineteen hours and five minutes.
High-Flying Friends
    Earhart could have rested on her laurels, but what she wanted most was to set more records. Nevertheless, she always found time for what she considered fun, which now included some of the world’s most famous people, starting with Eleanor Roosevelt.
    Earhart heard from Mrs. Roosevelt months before they met. After her solo Atlantic crossing, it was Eleanor Roosevelt, rather than Franklin, who sent congratulations. He was governor of New York at the time, on his way to being elected president in November 1932. In those days, the inaugural ceremonies for the newly elected president and vice president were held in March, so by the time Earhart met Eleanor Roosevelt, she was living in the White House. The two women liked each other immediately, even before realizing how similar their ideas. Beyond that, Earhart was surprised at Mrs. Roosevelt’s interest in aviation. She wanted to go for a ride with Earhart. George Putnam loved the idea, sensing an opportunity for priceless publicity.
    Mrs. Roosevelt invited Earhart and Putnam to a formal White House dinner. Putnam, knowing in advance that the evening would include a plane ride, made a point of asking Earhart to dress in a minutely correct and formal way: a long gown, of course, but also gloves and a fancy wrap, again highlighting her womanly gentility for the reporters.
    Earhart had arranged the use of an airline plane, wanting her friend to be comfortable for the dramatic night flight, which went off without a hitch. Mrs. Roosevelt now had the zeal of a convert when it came to flying. Not only did she want to do it again, she also asked Earhart to make arrangements for her to have flying lessons so that she could get a pilot’s license.
    Earhart helped Mrs. Roosevelt through the formalities, and by flying with her got her to the permit stage. She was making happy progress until it came to the next step, telling the president of her plans to earn a pilot’s license. After discussing the proposition, the sticking point came down to a baffling and characteristically male objection: The president said he saw no point in his wife getting a license because she couldn’t afford to buy a plane.
    Publicly, Mrs. Roosevelt remained a booster for aviation, and,