HONOLULU-BOUND.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 151, 29 June 1927, Page 7

HONOLULU-BOUND.

America .i Army Fokker First To Take Off. . HAWAII IN 27 HOURS. By Cable. —Press Association.—Copyright.) (Received 0.30 a.m.) 0- ILAXD (Cal.), June 2S. In a Fokker Army monoplane lieutenant? Lester Maitland and Aljjert Hegenberger took off from the aerodrome here for Honolulu at 7.S jm. in th e Pacific air race. They passed the Golden Gate. San j"ranciseo ; at 7.20 and swung out to the Pacific. The machine is three-motored, being piloted by Lieutenant Lester Maitland. , n d with Lieutenant A. Hegenberger as navigator The attempt will lie at a non-stop flight, the distance being *2000 miles lieutenant Maitland estimates to reach Hawaii in 27 hours The 'plane, which was loaded to 18.000 pounds, was escorted for ten miles out to sea by ten 'plane.-. Civilians Outdone. Ernest L. Smith, a. civilian pilot, with Charles Carter as navigator, took off at 9.36 this morning also for Honolulu, but returned when their windshield blew in They used a single-motored Travel Air •plane* but were delayed at the start. Smith watched Maitland and Hegenberger suddenly don their helmets, jump into the 'plane and roar away. Smith said: "I can give them two lours start and beat them."' Spectators believed the aviators were posing for photographers until Maitland ihouted: '"Good-bye boys, we are off." The atmospheric conditions are ideal •11 over the Pacific.— (A. and N.Z. and 6ydney ''Sun.")