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Featuring Tony Romeo — founder of Deep Sea Vision — whose recent discovery on Pacific Ocean floor is capturing the world's attention; programs hosted during Amelia Earhart Festival in Amelia's Atchison, Kan., hometown

ATCHISON, Kan., June 19, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The , home to Muriel, the world's last remaining Lockheed Electra 10-E that is identical to the plane Amelia flew on her final flight, is proud to announce two special public programs — on Fri., July 19, and on Sat., July 20 — that will bring leading experts in the search for Amelia's plane to her Atchison, Kan., hometown during the annual Amelia Earhart Festival.

Both programs will feature Tony Romeo, founder of , who has captured the world's attention with his company's recent discovery on the Pacific Ocean floor that has reignited the hope of finding Amelia's plane. Sponsored in part by SkyWest, Garmin, Southwest Airlines and The Adair Foundation, the programs are free to the public; advance registration for and is required (seating is limited).

"We look forward to joining Atchison's celebration of Amelia's courageous life and seeing the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum's stunning Lockheed Electra 10-E that is exactly like the plane Deep Sea Vision believes we have found," saidTony Romeo, founder and CEO of Deep Sea Vision. "We're determined to bring closure to what happened to this groundbreaking pilot and women's rights advocate who continues to be among the world's most admired women. Amelia's perseverance, intelligence and ambition inspire us forward as we heed her timeless wisdom: 'Never interrupt someone doing what you said couldn't be done.'"

WHEN: Friday, July 19, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CST

WHERE: Fox Theatre Atchison, 612 Commercial Street, Atchison, Kan.

WHAT: On July 2, 1937, the world heard from Amelia Earhart for the last time. She, and her navigator, Fred Noonan, disappeared during her attempt to circumnavigate the world. In the final stages of completing the record-breaking flight, Amelia and her Lockheed Electra 10-E aircraft vanished over the Pacific Ocean — becoming one of the world's greatest mysteries of our time.

Since then, many explorers have unsuccessfully attempted to locate Amelia and her Lockheed Electra 10-E. Recently, a new discovery by Deep Sea Vision, a South Carolina-based marine robotics company specializing in deep ocean exploration, has captured the world's attention and reignited debate in the search for the renowned aviator — and has some believing Amelia's plane may have, at last, been found.

A moderated panel conversation featuring Deep Sea Vision's founder Tony Romeo — together with leading explorers and experts in the search for Amelia — will consider where they believe the famed aviator's plane may be, reasons for its disappearance, and evidence supporting their claims.

Moderator:

• Dorothy Cochrane — Curator, Aeronautics Department, National Air and Space Museum

Panelists:

• Tony Romeo — Founder and CEO, Deep Sea Vision
• Lloyd Romeo — Project Manager, Deep Sea Vision
• Gary LaPook — Celestial navigation expert with The Stratus Project, a UK-based search for Amelia's plane
• Liz Smith — Date Line Theory expert, ocean exploration and science documentary producer

For more about and to register to attend this free program, visit

WHEN: Saturday, July 20, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. CST

WHERE: O'Malley-McAllister Auditorium at Benedictine College, 1020 N. 2nd Street, Atchison, Kan.

WHAT: scanned more than 5,200 square miles of the Pacific Ocean floor near Howland Island where Amelia was expected to land during her attempt to circumnavigate the world in 1937. During Deep Sea Vision's 90-day expedition, the 16-person crew used the most advanced unmanned, underwater drone that captured a sonar image of an aircraft-shaped object that Deep Sea Vision believes matches the dimensions of Amelia's Lockheed Electra 10-E plane.

WHO: Tony Romeo, pilot, former Air Force intelligence officer and CEO of Deep Sea Vision — together with his brother, Lloyd Romeo, Deep Sea Vision's project manager who is also a pilot — will share highlights from their search for Amelia's Lockheed Electra 10-E and the company's plans to launch its confirmation expedition with a high-powered camera to search for more evidence, such as the aircraft's "NR16020" registration number. The conversation will be moderated by Amelia Rose Earhart, a pilot, author and artist who honored her namesake by completing a global circumnavigation flight in 2014.

For more about and to register to attend this free program, visit

WHEN: Thursday, July 18; 6:15 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. CST

WHERE: Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum, 16701 286th Road, Atchison, Kan. (Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport)

WHAT: The Museum will host a benefit concert, "AN EVENING INSPIRED BY AMELIA," premiering a new composition written by Kansas City composer Dana Mengel. The five-movement piece beautifully conveys the dramatic arc of Amelia's triumphant life and will be performed by the Amazing Strings Ensemble. Tickets are $25 and include a reception where guests will have the opportunity to meet Deep Sea Vision explorers Tony Romeo and Lloyd Romeo. The event is sponsored by Blish-Mize Company and all proceeds support educational programming at the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum.

For more about AN EVENING INSPIRED BY AMELIA and to purchase tickets, visit

AMELIA EARHART FESTIVAL

WHEN: Friday, July 19 and Saturday, July 20

WHAT: The is hosted every third weekend in July to celebrate Amelia's birthday (July 24, 1897) in her Atchison, Kan., hometown. The Festival will feature a line-up of events including a "Concert in the Sky"fireworks show on Sat., July 21, that was recently ranked #3 For more about the Festival, visit or follow .

Each year, the Festival honors a woman who exemplifies Amelia's life with the Amelia Earhart Pioneering Achievement Award. The 2024 recipient, Kamia Bradley, a First Officer for SkyWest Airlines, will share her story of overcoming homelessness to achieve her dream of flight during the Festival's "Empowered Women" Symposium at 10:30 a.m. CST on Sat., July 20, in the O'Malley-McAllister Auditorium at Benedictine College, 1020 N. 2nd Street.

Past Amelia Earhart Pioneering Achievement Award recipients include Kathy Sullivan, first American woman to walk in space and veteran of three shuttle missions, Mae Jemison, former NASA astronaut and first Black woman to travel into space; Eileen Collins, former NASA astronaut and first woman to pilot the Space Shuttle; Col. Nicole Malachowski, first woman Thunderbird pilot and U.S. Air Force veteran; among others.

"We're honored to bring an esteemed panel of explorers and experts together in Amelia's beloved Kansas hometown to lead a renewed national conversation about what happened to the world's most celebrated pilot who made history as the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean," said Karen Seaberg, founder of the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum. "The search for Amelia and her Lockheed Electra 10-E continues to be one of the greatest mysteries of our time."

For media interested in scheduling onsite interviews, please contact Vanessa Bonavia at [email protected] or call 913.980.3167; Images for media use are available in the

For individuals and companies interested in sponsoring these programs, contact Maggie Collins at [email protected] or call 913.660.5012

ABOUT THE AMELIA EARHART HANGAR MUSEUM

The opened on April 14, 2023, to honor the pioneering aviation legacy of Amelia Earhart in her Atchison, Kan., hometown, and inspire future generations in the pursuit of flight. The centerpiece of the state-of-the art Museum is — the world's last remaining Lockheed Electra 10-E aircraft that is identical to the plane Amelia piloted on her fateful, final flight. Surrounding Muriel are 14 interactive STEM and history storytelling exhibit areas that take visitors through Amelia's extraordinary life — from growing up in Atchison to the height of her worldwide fame as the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Named among "," the Museum was recently voted #4 on . For more, visit and follow "AEHangarMuseum" on and

Media Contact

Vanessa Bonavia, V Communications, LLC, 1 913-980-3167, [email protected],  

SOURCE Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum