By Dede Biles | dbiles@ aikenstandard.com

 A 71-year-old Aiken resident is preparing to embark on his third expedition to search for Amelia Earhart, who disappeared in 1937 along with her twin-engine Lockheed Electra aircraft and her navigator, Fred Noonan.

“I’m like a little kid waiting for Santa Claus to come down the chimney,” said Michael Carra following a presentation to the Town and Country Club at St. John’s Methodist Church earlier this month.

In August, Carra will travel to Papua New Guinea, where he believes Earhart’s plane crashed while she was attempting to become the first female pilot to fly around the world.

Carra also journeyed to that country in 2021 and 2022 to look for the legendary aviatrix.

While speaking to the Town and Country Club, he showed a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) image of what he believes is Earhart’s Lockheed Electra in the jungle.

And if it’s not, “I’ve got 13 other targets to look at” in a roughly 12-square mile area, Carra said.

Based on his research and information collected during his previous two trips with the aid of a helicopter and drones, Carra told the Aiken Standard that he is “90% confident” that his search later this year will be successful.

The Discovery Channel funded Carra’s first expedition and also aired a documentary, “Finding Amelia,” in 2024 that focused on his experiences.

A generous donor, who wants to remain anonymous, will be covering the costs of Carra’s third journey to Papua New Guinea.

Carra met his benefactor through the Palm Springs Air Museum in California at its vice chairman/manager, Fred Bell. The museum is also sponsoring Carra.

While in Papua New Guinea, Carra and his team will sleep on a live-aboard boat and will go ashore to search for Earhart’s plane during the daytime.

“I called the cameramen from the first two expeditions, and they went, ‘Absolutely, we’re in,’” Carra said. “And one of the top metal detectors in the world, who was on the first expedition and the second one, said he’s coming back also.”

Earhart’s aircraft vanished 88 years ago after taking off from Lae on the island of New Guinea.

Many people believe the Lockheed Electra went down near Howland Island in the central Pacific Ocean.

But Carra thinks Earhart at some point, decided to turn the plane around and head back toward Lae.

Howland Island is tiny, and it’s possible Earhart and Noonan were unable to locate it.

Helping Carra narrow down the search for Earhart’s Lockheed Electra to Papua New Guinea a report in the Australian War Archives about a group of Australian soldiers who found an airplane there in 1945. The report was first discovered by an Australian researcher in the early 1990’s.

One of the soldiers took a metal tag from that discovery, and the series of numbers and letters on it were only ever used for one plane “in aviation history…and it’s Amelia’s,” Carra said.

Papua New Guinea was the site of intense battles during World War II. Hundreds of planes were shot down or crashed there.

“If it were easy, she would have been found by now,” Carra said. “It’s amazing she has been gone all this time. I’m convinced that this is the greatest American mystery in our history. I think people have always wanted her to be found and they’re still enamored with her.

“With a little bit of luck, we’re going to get it done on this next trip [in August],” he added. “I’m getting too old for this, but I want to go back one more time.”

For more information about Carra, visit AdvanceServicesProductions.com.

Michael Carra is an Aviation and Military Historian, and a professional speaker.

Amelia Earhart 1928.

Amelia with Autogiro.

Amelia with Autogiro.

Distinguished Flying Cross - 1932 - First woman ever

Amelia Earhart standing in the cockpit of the Lockheed Electra 10E under construction.

Amelia Earhart standing in the cockpit of the Lockheed Electra 10E under construction.

Nurse in World War One - contracted Spanish Flu and was hospitalized for 1 year.

Leather cap worn by Amelia Earhart sold 2 years ago (2022) for $825,000!!!

Publicity photo with the Electra.

Movie Stars Myrna Loy Cary Grant wanted their picture taken with Amelia Earhart!!

Purdue University where Amelia taught.