Amelia Earhart's Distant Relative to Recreate Her Historic Flight

By Andrea Billups

08/01/2013 at 07:35 AM EDT

Amelia Rose Earhart and Amelia Earhart

Time & Life Pictures

A distant relative of famed aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart is recreating her historic flight around the globe, in hopes she'll inspire others to fly off in the spirit of their dreams.

Amelia Rose Earhart, a 30-year-old TV weather reporter and news anchor at Denver's KUSA, shares her famous relative's name – and her passion, too.

Amelia Rose will join Patrick Carter, an adventurer and businessman from Fayetteville, Ark., on a 100-hour flight next summer that is designed to approximate Amelia Earhart's original 1937 trip, the Detroit Free Press reports.

The female aviation pioneer made it three-quarters of the way along her own ill-fated 29,000-mile flight along with navigator Fred Noonan. Their small aircraft vanished hear Howland Island in the Pacific Ocean and was never found, sparking a decades-long investigation, expensive air and sea searches using the latest technology, and a worldwide fascination over what might have happened to the brave pair.

"Amelia Earhart said adventure is worthwhile in itself, " said Amelia Rose, who hopes her efforts will encourage others to follow their dreams.

"I think there's a new focus on adventure that we've only seen in the last five to 10 years. But whatever your version of flying is – it could be starting a business, it could be something entrepreneurial – we want to encourage people to pursue their own adventure."

Of her family history, she added: "I grew up hearing about Amelia, not only at home but also in school. There hasn't been a day in my life that somebody hasn't said something to me about Amelia Earhart. It's a daily connection."

The two pilots have been training on a PC-12 NG aircraft for the flight, working out the details of their journey. Their plane is much different than the original Lockheed Electra aircraft that Amelia Earhart flew – it is a $4.6 million, state of the art, 2014-model provided for the voyage by Pilatus Business Aircraft, which is co-sponsoring their journey.

Earhart said she began flying lessons in 2004. She received her instrument rating just two months ago, but told the Free Press she wasn't yet nervous. Her co-pilot is a former corporate and Cessna test-pilot.

"It's been the most amazing adventure that hasn't even happened yet," she said.