Robert Ballard to look for Amelia Earhart

[JohnB]

It seems odd that Ballard would say, "I'm going to look for X" without having a pretty good idea of where to find X.

Why not just go do your search, then tell people when you found it?

In a word...
publicity.
He no longer works for the government and the USN allowed him to use its resources that he used to find the Titanic. Some of his past searches (for PT-109, etc.) were sponsored in part by the Discovery channel.
In 2003 he started the Center for Ocean Exploration and Archaeological Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island.
My guess is a successful search..or any search with a TV deal..would bring money and notoriety for his center.

Sorry to sound cynical, but I bet underwater searches eat up a lot of money.

[Dan Jones]

I'm sure he's not working for free - this job is probably a well paying gig all by itself. But when he says "It's not here" afterwards (and pardon me for jumping to conclusions) that should be the last nail in the coffin to this theory.

[David Billings]

The Pea and Shell Game

Firstly TIGHAR said, "The Electra landed on the reef flat and taxied in under the shade of a Ren tree...." whence I suppose, AE&FN got out and ate their cucumber sandwiches in the shade...
Then, it could not be seen by the Corsair flyover because, AE & FN were under the trees, somehow getting it over (pushing it ?) to a cleared patch which was a makeshift runway (looked like one anway)....
Then it cpuld not be seen becaus it was hidden in the Scavoela plants which cover the island...
Then we hear that the left gear collapsed on landing. It has to be the Left Gear because AE had to run the Right Engine in order to make calls. No explanation was given why Lt. Lambrecht didn't see it....
Then we read that due to a storm the Electra is washed into the Lagoon, where...glug., glug, glug, it sinks into the silt.... forever...
BUt "NO", that's not the end Folks...Lastly, It emerges from the silt of the lagoon and makes it back to the reef flat and from there gets washed over the edge where Mr. Ballard will find it.

Any guesses were it will be if he doesn't find it ?

[PinecastleAAF]

The tv show will be like Al Capone's vault, huge hype with nothing at all to show for it. Since Ballard supposedly specifically mentioned the "Bevington" object it is clear to me he has not done his homework with regard to Tighar's claims of evidence. Tighars psedo-science is very well known and does not take much work to discount. A perfect example is the sextant box from the Bushnell. Tighar flat out dismissed suggestions the box was left behind by the Bushnell, calling the idea bizarre and banning members from their forum for suggesting such, then later it's proved it was in fact left behind by the Navy. Yep, that's how Tighar does science.

Remember when Ric claimed to have solved the mystery based on a shoe sole 27 years ago?

This cartoonist must have been psychic, he even has the Titanic in there lol.

Last edited by PinecastleAAF on Thu Aug 01, 2019 2:33 pm, edited 2 times in total.

[JohnB]

Aww...you guys are going to hurt Ric's feelings.
And probably Stephan's too. Until my responses to his posts on this topic, we were friends. I hope we still are.

Obviously, RG wants his supporters to have a very selective memory. He's done and said some silly stuff over the years, yet people keep sending him checks.

[Stephan Wilkinson]

"Until my responses to his posts on this topic, we were friends. I hope we still are."
Amelia's not THAT important.

[JohnB]

Good to hear.

[Baldeagle]

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/12/scie ... e=Homepage


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[menards]

[ZRX61]

Comment on Tighars FB page:

"TIGHAR I offered to accompany the expedition and also arrange for a PhD marine biologist with extensive experience at Niku to come along. They declined the offer. I'm okay with that."

In other words "bugger off"

[David Billings]

The TIGHAR Forum produces the first excuse scenario...

Richard has said that a nightmare scenario would be if the electra is now buried under the broken-off stern of the S.S. Norwich City ........if Dr. Ballard comes up empty-handed....

[quemerford]

The TIGHAR Forum produces the first excuse scenario...

Richard has said that a nightmare scenario would be if the electra is now buried under the broken-off stern of the S.S. Norwich City ........if Dr. Ballard comes up empty-handed....

And the only way they'll know for sure is if they find nothing. So they need to stop looking as soon as they find nothing. Because then they'll know where she is. And Fred of course: we shouldn't ever forget Fred.

[PinecastleAAF]

Well guess what, he found nothing. Who could have predicted that?

[David Billings]

Well guess what, he found nothing. Who could have predicted that?

.....ME

[quemerford]

Ah but they haven't finished finding nothing yet! It's doubtful they ever will.