Dole Air Race
Encyclopedia
The Dole Air Race, also known as the Dole Derby, was a tragic air race to cross the Pacific Ocean
from northern California to the Territory of Hawaii
in August 1927. Of the 15-18 entrant airplanes, 11 were certified to compete but three crashed before the race, resulting in three deaths. Eight eventually participated in the race, with two crashing on takeoff and two going missing during the race. A third, forced to return for repairs, took off again to search for the missing and was itself never seen again. In all, before, during, and after the race, ten lives were lost and six airplanes were total losses. Two of the eight planes successfully landed in Hawaii.
pineapple
magnate, put up a prize of US$25,000 for the first fixed-wing aircraft to fly the 3870 kilometres (2,404.7 mi) from Oakland, California
to Honolulu, Hawaii
, and US$10,000 for second place.
Lieutenants Lester J. Maitland
and Albert F. Hegenberger flew a three-engine Atlantic-Fokker C-2
military aircraft from Oakland Municipal Airport
to Wheeler Army Airfield
on Oahu
in 25 hours and 50 minutes. Ernie Smith and Captain C.H. Carter had arrived earlier for the attempt, but due to mechanical difficulties, took off two hours after Maitland, and returned with a broken windshield. Carter quit after the record was lost, but Smith hired Emory Bronte as a navigator, and the City of Oakland, a small Travel Air 5000
civilian monoplane, took off again on July 14th. Upon running out of fuel 26 hours and 36 minutes later, they crash-landed in a thorn tree on Molokai
. Dole disqualified both of them from his prizes because they did not land in Honolulu (The Air Corps flight had been planned months prior to the prize announcement and had no intent to land other than at Wheeler).
The drawing for starting position in the Dole race was held on 8 August in the office of C. W. Saunders, California director of the National Aeronautics Association, in the Matson Building in San Francisco, California
.
Two days after the drawing, United States Navy
Lieutenants George D. Covell and R. S. Waggener took off from San Diego, California
in their Tremaine Humming Bird, to fly to Oakland, flew into a fog bank, crashed into an ocean cliff, and died. The next day, Arthur V. Rogers took off for a test flight at Western Air Express Field at Montebello, California
, circled, came about to land, suddenly dived into the ground, and died.
Meanwhile, Mildred Doran, Auggy Pedlar, and navigator Manley Lawling were flying into Oakland when their aircraft developed engine trouble. They successfully landed in a wheat field in the San Joaquin Valley
, but had trouble making repairs because they no longer had any tools. Doran was quoted as stating, "We threw [the tools] off at Long Beach because they were in the way and cluttering things up." Lawling was later replaced by Vilas R. Knope when Lawling could not satisfy the race committee of his navigational skills. He reportedly got lost over Oakland.
Then, on 11 August, as J. L. Giffin and Theodore S. Lundgren approached Oakland, their aircraft, an International CF-10 Triplane, the Pride of Los Angeles, crashed into San Francisco Bay
. The two men were unhurt, though.
By 16 August, the starting lineup had diminished to eight:
The initial take offs were plagued with trouble. Just before 11am, Oklahoma took off. The crew would eventually abort the flight over San Francisco. She was followed by El Encanto, which had not cleared the runway before she swerved and crashed. Pabco Flyer lifted momentarily into the air, then crashed some 7000 feet from the runway. Their crews were not hurt. Golden Eagle took off smoothly and flew out of sight. Miss Doran succeeded in taking off, but circled back and landed less than ten minutes later. Then Dallas Spirit returned to Oakland. Aloha and Woolaroc took off uneventfully, and Miss Doran succeeded on her second attempt. Pabco Flyer also tried and crashed a second time.
Woolaroc won the race in 26 hours, 17 minutes, earning Goebel and Davis US$25,000.
Aloha arrived in 28 hours, 16 minutes, earning Jensen and Schluter US$10,000. Neither Golden Eagle nor Miss Doran were ever seen again.
The search for the Golden Eagle and Miss Doran was aided by three submarines, , , and . After repairing Dallas Spirit, Erwin and Eichwaldt joined the search leaving Oakland for Honolulu. They were never seen again, either.
Woolaroc has survived and is on display at the Woolaroc Museum
in Oklahoma
.
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
from northern California to the Territory of Hawaii
Territory of Hawaii
The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 7, 1898, until August 21, 1959, when its territory, with the exception of Johnston Atoll, was admitted to the Union as the fiftieth U.S. state, the State of Hawaii.The U.S...
in August 1927. Of the 15-18 entrant airplanes, 11 were certified to compete but three crashed before the race, resulting in three deaths. Eight eventually participated in the race, with two crashing on takeoff and two going missing during the race. A third, forced to return for repairs, took off again to search for the missing and was itself never seen again. In all, before, during, and after the race, ten lives were lost and six airplanes were total losses. Two of the eight planes successfully landed in Hawaii.
The Dole prize
Inspired by Charles A. Lindbergh's successful trans-Atlantic flight, James D. Dole, the HawaiiHawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
pineapple
Pineapple
Pineapple is the common name for a tropical plant and its edible fruit, which is actually a multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries. It was given the name pineapple due to its resemblance to a pine cone. The pineapple is by far the most economically important plant in the Bromeliaceae...
magnate, put up a prize of US$25,000 for the first fixed-wing aircraft to fly the 3870 kilometres (2,404.7 mi) from Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
to Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
, and US$10,000 for second place.
The Transpacific Record
The first transpacific flight had already taken place, twice over. On 28 June, about a month after Dole posted the prizes, Air CorpsUnited States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
Lieutenants Lester J. Maitland
Lester J. Maitland
Lester James Maitland was an aviation pioneer and career officer in the United States Army Air Forces and its predecessors. Maitland began his career as a Reserve pilot in the U.S. Army Air Service during World War I and rose to brigadier general in the Michigan Air National Guard following World...
and Albert F. Hegenberger flew a three-engine Atlantic-Fokker C-2
Fokker F.VII
The Fokker F.VII, also known as the Fokker Trimotor, was an airliner produced in the 1920s by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker, Fokker's American subsidiary Atlantic Aircraft Corporation, and other companies under licence....
military aircraft from Oakland Municipal Airport
Oakland International Airport
Oakland International Airport , also known as Metropolitan Oakland International Airport, is a public airport located south of the central business district of Oakland, a city in Alameda County, California, United States...
to Wheeler Army Airfield
Wheeler Army Airfield
Wheeler Army Airfield , also known as Wheeler Field and formerly as Wheeler Air Force Base, is a United States Army post located in the City & County of Honolulu and in the Wahiawa District of the Island of O'ahu, Hawaii...
on Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
in 25 hours and 50 minutes. Ernie Smith and Captain C.H. Carter had arrived earlier for the attempt, but due to mechanical difficulties, took off two hours after Maitland, and returned with a broken windshield. Carter quit after the record was lost, but Smith hired Emory Bronte as a navigator, and the City of Oakland, a small Travel Air 5000
Travel Air 5000
-External links:*...
civilian monoplane, took off again on July 14th. Upon running out of fuel 26 hours and 36 minutes later, they crash-landed in a thorn tree on Molokai
Molokai
Molokai or Molokai is an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is 38 by 10 miles in size with a land area of , making it the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the 27th largest island in the United States. It lies east of Oahu across the 25-mile wide Kaiwi Channel and north of...
. Dole disqualified both of them from his prizes because they did not land in Honolulu (The Air Corps flight had been planned months prior to the prize announcement and had no intent to land other than at Wheeler).
The Dole Air Derby
The race began on 16 August 1927. The fifteen competitors were seen off by a crowd estimated to include 75,000 to 100,000 persons.The drawing for starting position in the Dole race was held on 8 August in the office of C. W. Saunders, California director of the National Aeronautics Association, in the Matson Building in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
.
Two days after the drawing, United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Lieutenants George D. Covell and R. S. Waggener took off from San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
in their Tremaine Humming Bird, to fly to Oakland, flew into a fog bank, crashed into an ocean cliff, and died. The next day, Arthur V. Rogers took off for a test flight at Western Air Express Field at Montebello, California
Montebello, California
Montebello is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, in the southwestern part of the San Gabriel Valley. It is located on of land just east of downtown Los Angeles. It is considered part of the Gateway Cities, and the city is a member of the Gateway Cities Council of...
, circled, came about to land, suddenly dived into the ground, and died.
Meanwhile, Mildred Doran, Auggy Pedlar, and navigator Manley Lawling were flying into Oakland when their aircraft developed engine trouble. They successfully landed in a wheat field in the San Joaquin Valley
San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
, but had trouble making repairs because they no longer had any tools. Doran was quoted as stating, "We threw [the tools] off at Long Beach because they were in the way and cluttering things up." Lawling was later replaced by Vilas R. Knope when Lawling could not satisfy the race committee of his navigational skills. He reportedly got lost over Oakland.
Then, on 11 August, as J. L. Giffin and Theodore S. Lundgren approached Oakland, their aircraft, an International CF-10 Triplane, the Pride of Los Angeles, crashed into San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
. The two men were unhurt, though.
By 16 August, the starting lineup had diminished to eight:
- Woolaroc, a Travel Air 5000Travel Air 5000-External links:*...
, NX869, flown by Arthur C. Goebel and navigated by William V. Davis Jr. - Aloha, a Breese-Wilde 5 MonoplaneBreese-Wilde Model 5|-See also:-External links:*Images of the Aloha , , , , *Images of the Pabco Pacific Flyer...
, NX914, flown by Martin Jensen and navigated by Paul Schluter - El Encanto, a Goddard Special metal monoplane, NX5074, flown by Norman A. Goddard and Kenneth C. Hawkins, which was heavily favored in the pre-race odds
- Oklahoma, a Travel Air 5000Travel Air 5000-External links:*...
sister ship of Woolaroc, 'NX911, piloted by Bennett GriffinBennett GriffinBennett Hill Griffin was an American aviator. Griffin was born in Mississippi in 1895, but was raised in Oklahoma arriving around 1900. In 1932, Griffin along with Jimmie Mattern attempted to break the world record for aerial circumnavigation set by Wiley Post and Harold Gatty...
and navigated by Al Henley - Pabco Flyer, a Breese-Wilde MonoplaneBreese-Wilde Model 5|-See also:-External links:*Images of the Aloha , , , , *Images of the Pabco Pacific Flyer...
, NX646, flown alone by Livingston Gilson IrvingLivingston Gilson IrvingLivingston Gilson Irving DSC, was an American World War I pilot.-Text of citations:Distinguished Service Cross - for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 103d Aero Squadron, 3d Pursuit Group, U.S. Army Air Service, A.E.F., near Bantheville, France, 10 October 1918... - Golden Eagle, the prototype Lockheed Vega 1Lockheed CorporationThe Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
monoplaneMonoplaneA monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. Since the late 1930s it has been the most common form for a fixed wing aircraft.-Types of monoplane:...
, NX913, flown by Jack Frost and navigated by Gordon Scott - Miss Doran, a Buhl CA-5 Air Sedan, NC2915, flown by Auggy Pedlar, navigated by Vilas R. Knope, and carrying Mildred Doran
- Dallas SpiritDallas SpiritDallas Spirit, , was a custom built aircraft designed to compete in the ill-fated Dole Air Derby between California and Hawaii.-Development:...
, a Swallow Monoplane, NX941, flown by William Portwood ErwinWilliam Portwood ErwinLieutenant William Portwood Erwin was a World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories.-Early life:William Portwood Erwin was the son of W. A. Erwin of Chicago. The younger Erwin, born elsewhere, was a Chicago native also.-World War I:...
and navigated by Alvin Eichwaldt
The initial take offs were plagued with trouble. Just before 11am, Oklahoma took off. The crew would eventually abort the flight over San Francisco. She was followed by El Encanto, which had not cleared the runway before she swerved and crashed. Pabco Flyer lifted momentarily into the air, then crashed some 7000 feet from the runway. Their crews were not hurt. Golden Eagle took off smoothly and flew out of sight. Miss Doran succeeded in taking off, but circled back and landed less than ten minutes later. Then Dallas Spirit returned to Oakland. Aloha and Woolaroc took off uneventfully, and Miss Doran succeeded on her second attempt. Pabco Flyer also tried and crashed a second time.
Woolaroc won the race in 26 hours, 17 minutes, earning Goebel and Davis US$25,000.
Aloha arrived in 28 hours, 16 minutes, earning Jensen and Schluter US$10,000. Neither Golden Eagle nor Miss Doran were ever seen again.
The search for the Golden Eagle and Miss Doran was aided by three submarines, , , and . After repairing Dallas Spirit, Erwin and Eichwaldt joined the search leaving Oakland for Honolulu. They were never seen again, either.
Woolaroc has survived and is on display at the Woolaroc Museum
Woolaroc
Woolaroc is located in the Osage Hills of Northeastern Oklahoma on Oklahoma State Highway 123 about southwest of Bartlesville, Oklahoma and north of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Woolaroc was established in 1925 as the ranch retreat of oilman Frank Phillips...
in Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
.