Linda Finch (born March 13, 1951) is an American businesswoman, aviator, and aviation historian from San Antonio, Texas. Finch had 30 years of experience in the construction industry, making prefabricated buildings and operating healthcare facilities. She began her career managing nursing homes in her twenties, and owned several nursing homes in her thirties. Finch became interested in flying in her twenties, and purchased an airplane which she used in her nursing-home business. In her forties, during the 1990s, she added construction firms to her portfolio. Finch's primary aircraft interest was World War II-era planes. She has restored vintage aircraft, and has participated in air shows and airplane races throughout the United States. Finch flew over 8,000 hours, about three-quarters of which were in single-engine planes, vintage multi-engine aircraft, and warplanes in air shows around the world for about 20 years. Joining the then named Confederate Air Force (now Commemorative Air Force), she learned to fly World War II-era Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter aircraft. Finch is best known for her 1997 World Flight, which recreated (and completed) Amelia Earhart's world-record attempt. She flew a restored 1935 Lockheed Electra 10E, the same type of plane which Earhart flew in 1937 on her around-the-world attempt. Finch's Electra was modified, with a Global Positioning System, increased fuel capacity, and modern communications equipment. She followed Earhart's route as closely as she could, and completed the 26,000-mile trip around the world in 73 days. With Pratt & Whitney (who funded the restoration and flight), Finch established the You Can Soar educational and motivational program, which enabled students in 200,000 classrooms to follow her flight. Its website had about 30 million hits during her flight. Early life and education Finch was born in San Antonio, Texas on March 13, 1951. Her mother was Mary Beth Duerler; her father, Leslie Duerler, worked for Southwestern Bell and AT&T. Finch lived with her brothers Michael and Jerry in Highland Hills, a middle-class neighborhood in southern San Antonio. In her early teens, the family moved to a more prosperous suburb of the city. Finch began dating a young man from the local Army base and, when he received orders to go to Vietnam, they eloped in Mexico before he shipped out. Sixteen years old, she dropped out of John Marshall High School. They had a daughter, Julie, in February 1969 (just before Finch's 18th birthday); a year later, the couple ended