Early aviator regarded highly as redoubtable trailblazer, primarily? (7)

I believe the answer is:

earhart

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'early aviator' is the definition.
'earhart' can be an answer for 'aviator' (I've seen this before). I am not certain of the 'early' bit.

'regarded highly as redoubtable trailblazer primarily?' is the wordplay.
'regarded' becomes 'ear' (I can't justify this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'primarily?' says to take the initial letters (I've seen 'primarily' mean this).
The first letters of 'highly as redoubtable trailblazer' is 'hart'.
'ear'+'hart'='EARHART'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for earhart that I've seen before include "Amelia __ , aviator, d. 1937" , "Amelia ....... was American flying pioneer" , "they failed to find her" , "Amelia . . . . . . ., U.S. pioneer aviator" , "Flying ace" .)

I've seen this clue in The Everyman puzzle in The Observer.

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