March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate the achievements of women who helped shape history. One such story is of Saline resident Ann Pellegreno, who in 1967 completed the around-the-world flight route attempted by famed aviator Amelia Earhart three decades earlier, finishing a journey that had ended in mystery in 1937.
Pellegreno, who lived in Saline and worked in the Ann Arbor area, flew more than 28,000 miles around the globe in a vintage Lockheed 10 Electra, the same model aircraft Earhart had used. The trip followed Earhart’s path as closely as possible and began on the 30th anniversary of Earhart’s ill-fated flight.
“We had to equip a land plane. With a 1000-mile range to fly over the Pacific, which is a long, long way,” Pellegreno explained at a presentation in 2022 at the Tippie National Education Center. “We planned very, very carefully for this flight.”
Saline Teacher Turned Aviator
As a child growing up in a suburb south of Chicago, Ann Pellegreno’s fascination with flying began during trips to Midway Airport. When friends came to visit, she and her sister would accompany them to the terminal, then spend their spare change to pass through the turnstile to the observation deck. From there, Pellegreno watched the ritual of flight unfold, engines starting, aircraft taxiing into position, then racing down the runway and lifting into the sky. She would follow each plane until it became a tiny silver speck in the distance.
“I followed that silver speck as long as I could, and said, ‘Someday I want to be the one departing,’” said Pellegreno.
Pellegreno’s path to aviation ramped up locally. She attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where she studied music and graduated in 1958. After graduating, Pellegreno settled in the area and took a job as an English teacher at Saline Junior High School.
She earned her private pilot’s license and eventually her commercial license. Pellegreno also worked locally as a flight instructor at Ann Arbor Airport with Gordon Aviation, building the skills that would later prepare her for the historic journey.
Her interest in retracing Earhart’s flight began after she met Ypsilanti aircraft mechanic Leo Koepke, who had restored a Lockheed 10 Electra, the same type of aircraft Earhart flew. A wild idea took hold of the pair. Pellegreno would attempt to complete Earhart’s unfinished route.
Honoring an Aviation Legend
The flight was known as the Amelia Earhart Commemorative Flight, intended to honor one of aviation’s most influential pioneers.
Amelia Earhart was one of the most famous pilots of the early 20th century and a trailblazer for women in aviation. In 1937, she attempted to become the first woman to fly around the world along the equator. Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, disappeared over the Pacific Ocean near Howland Island during the final stages of the trip. Despite decades of searches and theories, the exact circumstances of her disappearance remain one of aviation’s enduring mysteries.
Preparing for a Global Journey
The effort required extensive planning and support from the local aviation community. Along with Koepke, Pellegreno assembled a crew that included Ann Arbor navigator William Polhemus and Air Force Col. William Payne as co-pilot.
The team also relied on help from aviation specialists in the Ann Arbor area who assisted with navigation equipment and preparation for the demanding flight.
“Everything we had was done by friends,” said Pellegreno. “A whole world helped us get on this flight and get around the world. Believe me, I owe everybody.”
Following the Earhart Route
On June 9, 1967, Pellegreno and her crew departed from Oakland, California, the same airport Earhart had used 30 years earlier. Their month-long journey included about 30 stops across multiple continents, from the United States to South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific.
The flight covered more than 10,000 miles over open water, with long stretches over the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Pellegreno and her crew experienced a lot of support and interest along the way. Some of the people remembered. Amelia Earhart 30 years earlier. She recalls the story of one local pilot in Lae, New Guinea. It was Earhart’s last stop before disappearing.
“When he was coming back, he saw Earhart take off in the air, and she flew,” said Pellegreno. “She took off very slowly, of course, and near the end of the runway is a road going across the runway. There’s a little hump. She bounced on that hump, throwing up a cloud of dust. The next thing that people on land saw she had disappeared below the cliff, and the next thing they saw her, she was climbing slowly, slowly away toward her destiny.”
One of the most significant moments came near Howland Island, a tiny uninhabited Pacific island where Earhart was attempting to land when she disappeared in 1937.
Visibility was low. Flying only 200 feet above the water, Pellegreno and her crew struggled to find the small plot in the central Pacific Ocean. After finally spotting the sliver of land, Pellegrenoreleased a wreath in tribute to the pioneering aviator, marking the spot where Earhart’s historic flight was believed to have ended.
Homecoming
Five days later, the team returned to California before making their way back to Michigan. Pellegreno’s final landing at Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti marked the completion of the commemorative journey.
When Pellegreno returned home, she was greeted by crowds and celebration. Her hometown of Saline welcomed her with a ticker-tape parade along Michigan Avenue, honoring the pilot who had successfully completed the route that Earhart never finished.
“We went home and in my little hometown [of Saline], south of Ann Arbor, where I taught school,” said Pellegreno. “And then the next Saturday, July 15, they had ‘Ann Day.’ The legislature proclaimed this. And by that time, they were just saying ‘Ann.’ And all the news things in the newspapers was just ‘Ann,’ because everybody knew who it was. And they had a parade.”
Theory on Earhart’s Disappearance
Pellegreno developed her own theory about what may have happened. In 1967, the timing carried an unusual symmetry. Pellegreno was 30 years old, flying a 30-year-old Lockheed 10 Electra, and retracing Earhart’s route 30 years after the disappearance.
Based on her own experience flying the route, Pellegreno believed Earhart likely came very close to her destination but missed tiny Howland Island and eventually ran out of fuel over the ocean. After searching the area from the air and experiencing the navigation challenges of the flight, Pellegreno concluded the mystery was probably less dramatic than many theories suggested — that Earhart simply ran out of fuel after failing to locate the remote island.
A Lasting Legacy
Pellegreno’s successful journey brought international attention to the Saline and Ann Arbor community and cemented her place in aviation history. Her story continues to be remembered as both a tribute to Earhart and a remarkable achievement in its own right.
For the Saline pilot who once taught in a local classroom and trained at the Ann Arbor airport, the historic flight remains a powerful example of determination, curiosity, and the enduring spirit of exploration.
Today, Pellegreno lives in Texas, but her connection to the historic flight continues to shape her life. Now 88 years old, she remains active, speaking about the journey, writing books about aviation history, and sharing her experiences with audiences around the country. Her story continues to inspire new generations of pilots and adventurers, reminding both women and men that determination and curiosity can carry someone farther than they ever imagined.
Sources
The Woman From Saline Who Completed Amelia Earhart’s Flight by Buddy Morehouse. Michigan Enjoyer
Earhart’s ‘air’ apparent by Alan Glenn. Michigan Today
Ann Pellegreno Presentation, B29B24Squadron, YouTube.Earhart Mystery Remains by Judith Marr, Lansing State Journal, Sep. 19, 1967
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