Amelia Earhart takes off to complete her namesake’s flight | Video

Amelia Rose Earhart she is inspired by her name to make this expedition. She leaves California today in a single-engine Pilatus PC-12 NG.

Credit: John S. Miller Photography

Credit: John S. Miller Photography

Amelia Rose Earhart she is inspired by her name to make this expedition. She leaves California today in a single-engine Pilatus PC-12 NG.

Update: You can track Amelia Earhart's progress here.

It's been 77 years since the famed female aviator Amelia Earhart tried to circumnavigate the globe. Her plane mysteriously disappeared over the Pacific.

Thursday, a 31-year-old woman with the same first and last name started off on the same journey to "close her flight plan," she told NPR.

Although they are not related, Amelia Rose Earhart said she is inspired by her name to make this expedition. She leaves Oakland, California, at 11 a.m. (Eastern time) today in a single-engine Pilatus PC-12 NG.

She plans to fly basically along the equator, not following the original Earhart's path.

She also is giving away 10 scholarships to young women so they can learn to fly and extend their horizons.

She tweets as @Amelia__Earhart and she's ameliaroseearhart on Instagram. Use the hashtag: #flywithamelia to connect with her as she circles the globe.

Interested in following her journey? There are a couple ways you can track her flight: here, on AmeliaEarhartProject.com, or on FlightAware.