Imperial Valley press., 1927-06-21
MAITLAND
| PREPARES
FOR HOP
Army Flyer Arrives in
San Diego to Attempt
Honolulu Trip.
SURE OF SUCCESS
Ship Will Be Ready in
Three Weeks to Make
Flight. ~
by United Press Leased Wire


SAN DIEGO, Cal, june 21.->
Again youth Is crying to be served
first.
With the three motors Of their
huge gray-black monoplane roaring
their demand, Lieutenants Arthur
Hagenberger and Lester Maitland
swOopcd down on Rockwell Field
yesterday where their plane will be
put in condition for an attempted
nonstop flight from San Francisco
to Honolulu.
Well, since everybody seems to
know about it, guess it's not a
secret said Maitland shortly af-
ter he and Hagenberger arrived
from Ell Paso. "We hope to fly
from San Francisco to Honolulu.
" All we need now is permission
from the war department and some
adjustments on the ship
A belief that the flight would
start from North Island because OF
the many advantages of the field
here was shattered by the two fiji.
ers when they announced that San
Francisco would be the starting
point.
Although Maitland conceived the
idea of flying to the Hawiian Is
lands several years ago it was not
until this year that his plans be-
gan to materialize.
In February the plane which he
will use was built expressly for the
flight after he had "sold" +.
Trubee Dawson, assistant secretary
of war for aviation, on the idea.
Seek Short Route
Ready for the flight the plane
will carry 13,50O pounds including
lO4O gallons of gasoline which will
give the craft cruising radius Of
about 5000 miles. The gasoline con-
sumption, the fliers estimate at 80
gallons an hour and they arc conf
dent they can make the flight in,
less than 80 hours.
Maitland explained the reason for
selecting San Francisco as a start,
ing point despite the advantages of
starting from here. -.
From here the distance to Dia.
mond Head is approximately 2700
miles while from San Francisco it
is but 241S. The 300 miles is
worth saving-we might need it if
we got bit off our course and had
to circle around looking for the
Islands, -
Among those on the field to greet
the fliers yesterday were Lieuten-
ant Byron j. Connell, pilot of the
plane in which the late Commander
John Rodgers attempted the Hon.
Olulu flight and failed.
Captain Harold Campbell of the
marine corps, winner of the Schiff
Saftey trophy for last year and as.
pirant to. the Pacific flight honors,
also was on the field to wish tha
fliers luck. .es
For the past five years Maitland
has been pilot for F. Trubee Davi-
son and General Patrick. He was
born in 1898 and started flying in
1917 as a cadet 'at the ground
school at the University OF Texas
No Civilians Going
Hagenberger was instrument OF.
ficer at McCOok Field, Dayton.
Ohio, and is considered an excellent
navigator.
Dayton Jones, civilian acronauti-
cal engineer and e. J. Rivers, chief
mechanic, came with the fhers.
They will reeondition the ship for
the flight but will not accompany
Maitland and Hagenberger on the
trip because of the need for gaso-
lire space.
The army airmen hope to have :
their ship ready for the flight with.
in the next three weeks. AS soon as
the necessary tests have been made
they will wing their way to San
Francisco for the takeoff.
Crissy Field, however, will not
be used. cit is too SMALL Hag.
enberger explained "We will find
another location. .a4