FLIGHT DISASTER FEARED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19719, 19 August 1927, Page 11

FLIGHT DISASTER FEARED.

HAWAII EACE EVENT.

TWO MACHINES SUCCEED.

WELCOME TO THE VICTORS. NO SIGN OF THE OTHERS. NAVAL SEARCH ORDERED. By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright. (Received August 18. 9.50 p.m.) A. and N.Z.-Sun. HONOLULU. Aug. 18. Two of the four aeroplanes which successfully left Oakland, California, yesterday in the race for the Dole prizo arrived at Honolulu yesterday. They were the Woolorac and tho Aloha. Up to an early hour this morning the other two machines, the Miss Doran and the Golden Eagle, had neither arrived nor been heard of. When three hours had elapsed after the landing of the Woolorac and Aloha without any sign of the other two planes considerable concern was felt. As there was still no news* last, evening Admiral McDonald ordered the destroyers and submarines stationed at Hawaii to search for (hem in net formation.

It is feared the missing planes were forced down owing to their fuel being exhausted. Woman Among the Missing Fliers. Tho Miss Doran, piloted by J. A. Peddlar, with Lieutenant Knope as navigator, has also on board Miss Mildred Doran, a Michigan teacher, tho only woman who has yet attempted a transoceanic flight. The machine was not equipped with a wireless sending apparatus. It had a receiving set, however, and this Miss Doran was to manipulate. The pilot of the Golden Eagle is Jack Frost, and with him as navigator is Gordon Scott. The Woolorac, piloted by Arthur Goebel, with Lieutenant William Davis as navigator, was the first to arrive, and wins the first prize of £SOOO. Her time was 26 hours 14 minutes. Martin Jensen, of Honolulu, pilot of the Aloha, with Captain Paul Schulter as navigator, took 26 hours 17 minutes on the trip. The Aloha secures the second prize of £2OOO. Airmen Cheered by Great Crowd. The pilot and navigator of the Woolorac, escorted by four other planes, made a perfect landing before a grandstand. As Goebel stepped from tho plane he said: " Oh, boy, we did it." Then guns were fired and whistles shrieked. A crowd of people, estimated at 150,000, roared a welcome. Jensen, who is a favourite at Honolulu, made a poor landing in the Aloha. He jumped out of the plane to greet his wife, who collapsed in his arms. Jensen said: " Sorry I kept you waiting." The clamour of tho crowd was greater than that which had greeted tho winner. People surrounded the plane, burying both tho airmen under an avalanche of flowers. The four fliers were taken in motbr-cara to Honolulu city. Tho cars could hardly move owing to the density of the crowds who danced about them. AUSTRALIAN AIRMAN. GILES' TWO FALSE STARTS. DETROIT TO CALIFORNIA. A. and NEW Aug. I<. The Australian airman, Captain F. A. Giles, who proposes to attempt to fly to Australia and New Zealand, via Honolulu, made two false starts from Detroit yesterday. He will make a further attempt today to fly the first stage, to Oakland, California. On the first attempt to leave Detroit yesterday, Captain Giles took olf from the Selfridge field, but, finding tho motor of his plane was functioning imperfectly, ho returned within half an hour. Ho mado the second attempt two hours later. This ended in the samo way, although the piano got away to a perfect start in spite of its load of over two tons.

A tyre was torn off tho under-carriago in landing. Captain Giles therefore decided to wait until to-day when he proposes to fly direct to Chicago and follow the western air .mail lights to tho Californian coast.