Lockheed Vega 5b, flown by Amelia Earhart in her 1932 transatlantic solo flight.

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At the age of 34, on the morning of 20 May 1932 Earhart set off from
Harbour Grace, Newfoundland with the latest copy of a local newspaper
(the dated copy was intended to confirm the date of the flight). She
intended to fly to Paris in her single engine Lockheed Vega 5b (pictured above) to
emulate Charles Lindbergh's solo flight. Her technical advisor for
the flight was famed Norwegian American aviator Bernt Balchen who
helped prepare her aircraft. He also played the role of "decoy" for
the press as he was ostensibly preparing Earhart's Vega for his own
Arctic flight. After a flight lasting 14 hours, 56 minutes during
which she contended with strong northerly winds, icy conditions and
mechanical problems, Earhart landed in a pasture at Culmore, north of
Derry, Northern Ireland. The landing was witnessed by Cecil King and
T. Sawyer. When a farm hand asked, "Have you flown far?" Amelia
replied, "From America." The site now is the home of a small museum,
the Amelia Earhart Centre.

As the first woman to fly solo non-stop across the Atlantic, Earhart
received the Distinguished Flying Cross from Congress, the Cross of
Knight of the Legion of Honor from the French Government and the Gold
Medal of the National Geographic Society from President Herbert
Hoover. As her fame grew, she developed friendships with many people
in high offices, most notably, Eleanor Roosevelt, the "First Lady."
Roosevelt shared many of Earhart's interests and passions, especially
women's causes. After flying with Earhart, Roosevelt actually
obtained a student permit but did not pursue her plans to learn to
fly. The two friends communicated frequently throughout their lives.
Another famous flyer, Jacqueline Cochran, who the public considered
Amelia's greatest rival, also became a confidant and friend during
this period.