San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-08-09
CHOSEN
FOR BIGGEST
TOURNEY
Three Radio Stations to
Keep in Contact With
Planes.

SAN DIEGO, Aug. S.-Carryin;
the torch of science and of aerial cen
quest to the threshold of another
epoch, the expedition of the Unitct
States navy for single continuous
passage to Hawaii by air. the long
est yet undertaken, has been set def
nitcly to leave California's shores n,
high noon Friday. August IS. Land
ing will be effected at Kahului Point
Island of Maui. Hawaiian Archie
pelago, on Saturday, August 20.
PLANES TESTED.
One of the Pho ships already has
been given its initial flight tests and
is being equipped with special navi-
gational equipment and radio apara-
tus. The second Pho, the one in
which Lieutenant &. Fl. Schildhaucr
established new worlds sustained
flight record of % hours and 30 min
utes at Philadelphia last May, is
ready.
The Boeing plane left the BoeinI
Company's plant at Seattle August
and after number of test flights
Il
stop flight to San Diego, starting
commanded by Lieutenant Commander
Hugh Strong.
The officials for the flight will b.
Lieutenant Colonel Frank ii. Lahm,
commanding the Ninth Army Corps
Area Howard L. MORN, aviation
editor of the San Diego Union and
for the last five years Pacific Coast
chairman of the contest committee OF
the National Aeronautic Association
and the Federation Aeronautique In
ternationale, and Governor Wallace
Harrington of Hawaii.
DESTROYERS TO AID.
Captain Stanford Moses, command.
\ ilg the aircraft squadrons of the bat
tie fleet, has been designated as com.
mander flight project and will have
complete supervision over all details
OF the flight and the surface ship pa.
trolls.
Commander Rodgers, "flight unit
commander" will be responsible for
all matters and plans relating TO thu
personnel, operations and material OF
the flight unit.
The destroyers Meyer and Doyen
reported at San Diego August l and
the destroyer William Jones will re
port on August Is for radio expert
mental work with the three planes as
signed for the flight.
Three radio stations are to keep in
contact with the planes once they
take off. These VIII, be station NlL
at San Diego. NPG at San francisco
and a special high power portable sta
Island Of Maui.
THE PLANES CREW.
Commander Rodgers announces his
plane crews as follows: Lieutenant
Allan r. Snody will command plane
No. . with Lieutenant Arthur Gavin
as navigation officer and second
pilot.
Lieutenant Commander J. II. Strong
will command plane No. 3 with
Lieutenant Ralph T.. Davidson rs
navigation officer and second pilot.
Commander Rodgers himself will
command plane No. I with Lieutenant
il. j. Council as navigation officer for
the entire expedition and second pilot
of the commanding officers craft.
Lieutenant Connell, one Of the
navy's finest masters of navigation,
is mn expert with the earth inductor
compass, an instrument which utilities
the carth's magnetism to keep it on
its course. A galvanometer mounted
in the navigation cockpit takes read
ings of the variation created by
constantly. excited electro magnet COM
ing into conflict with the normal
linex Of magnetic force about the
earth as the plane veers from port to
starboard. Movement, either to port
or starboard, will bring the electro
magnets lines of force against those
Of the earth.
Lieutenant Council, with the per.
sonal assistance Of Commander Rodg-
ers. has completed the mounting and
celebrating of the compasses and test
flights w and down the California
coast now in progress.
HAVE POWERFUL MOTORS.
OF the three planes, one, the Bee
ing Phi, powered with two 500
horsepower 12-cylindcr Packard mo-
tors. and one of the PN,0s, product
of the nayy's own shops, powered with
two 500-horsepower Packard motors.
are expected to reach Hawaii with
small reserve Of flying distance re-
manning. The third plane, also n
Pho. powered as its sister craft,
possesses a radius some $50 miles
less, owing TO structural variations.
it being plane reconstructed from
the PM also developed in the Nays
own shops. This plane. which will
be piloted by Licutcnants Snody and
Gavin. may be forced to alight near
the Hawaiian shores, but it is hoped
that favorable following wind" may
enable it TO remain in company with