Fred Noonan author of an article in "Journal of Navigation", Vol. 9, No. 3, December 2011, avers that due to insufficient fuel reserves from 1912 GMT, no land other than Howland itself and Baker at 45 miles could be reached. With a maximum ferry range of 2,740 statute miles even the closest islands Winslow Reef and McKean Island at 210 and 350 miles away respectively, were unreachable. Although Fred Noonan has left a much smaller mark in popular culture than Amelia Earhart's, his legacy is remembered sporadically. Noonan is often mentioned in W.P. Kinsella's novels. Noonan was portrayed by actor David Graf
Tommy Noonan (1944). After serving in the U.S. Navy, Noonan made his film debut in "George White's Scandals" (1945). He teamed with Peter Marshall to form a comedy team in the late 1940s. The team's performances were limited because they continued their individual careers, "working together only when both were available at the same time". Working as Noonan and Marshall, they appeared on television, nightclubs, and in the films "Starlift" (1951), "FBI Girl" (1951) (in a brief appearance), "The Rookie" (1959), and "Swingin' Along" (1962). The duo went their separate ways after the release of "Swingin' Along". In 1953, Noonan appeared in