A drop-in from Amelia Earhart
- Share via
July 2, 1933: On the second day of the 13th annual National Air Races at Los Angeles Municipal Airport, Amelia Earhart flew in from Wichita, Kan., asked for a drink of water and booked a room at the Ambassador Hotel, The Times reported.
“I never had so much happen on a transcontinental trip,” she told the newspaper. “The hatch of my ship blew off in a rainstorm and I had to land in Arizona to fix it.”
The event at what is now Los Angeles International Airport drew 38,000 spectators.
“Airmen shot their bullet-like racing ships around the pylon courses of the field -- they rolled, looped and flew upside-down while the crowd gasped time and again as the latest thrills of stunt aeronautics were unfolded,” The Times said.
A parachute jumper from Chicago came crashing down on three people in the stands, leaving them bruised and scratched.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
