Dakar nestles far out the peninsula of Cape Verde, the most westerly point of the African continent. It was the capital of French West Africa. On the morning of June 9, Earhart and Noonan flew the 164 miles from St. Louis to Dakar. The Dakar Quakam airport was situated on a jutting point of land and excellent. Because of it location and condition, the airport held a commanding position on the route between Western Europe and Brazil. As Amelia writes, "from Miami to Natal we followed the regular route of Pan American Airways. From Natal to Dakar (we) were in the groove of long established transport service."
Reaching Africa was a significant part of Amelia's flight. President Franklin Roosevelt's wife, Eleanor, mentioned Earhart reaching Africa in her newspaper column, My Day, "Amelia Earhart reached Africa safely and was the first woman who has made the eastward crossing of the South Atlantic by plane." Before she continued eastward, Amelia had the Electra, including the engine, thoroughly checked.
