Amelia took her first flight as a passenger at an air show and that 10-minute experience sealed her future career. In 1921 she purchased her first aircraft, bright yellow, which she nicknamed the 'Canary'. She later sold it because it seemed unlikely she could make a living from flying, but in 1928 Amelia was invited to become the first woman to fly the Atlantic, following Charles Lindberg's solo transatlantic flight from in 1927. She jumped at the chance, though she was forced to travel as a passenger, and this established 'Lady Lindy' in the public eye. Soon she returned to flying, and setting her own records on her own terms. Her final flight was at attempt to circumnavigate the world, but US coastal vessel Ithaca lost radio contact with the plane 100 miles out from Howloon Island and searches yielded no trace of them.