Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-13
four PASS TESTS
GETTING PLACES IN
HONOLULU FLIGHT
Five More Face Trials as
Death Cuts Another
From Entries.
PARIS-TO-U. S. AIRMEN
EXPECT EARLY START
Protests to Hoover Reported as
Dole Contestants Complain
of Severe Demands.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, OAK
LAND, Calf, August 13.-Naviga
ton tests remained today as the main
hurdle between five airplanes entered
in the James Dole $35 900 prize flight
and official approval as starters in the
2,40O-mile aerial derby to the Isle OF
Oahu, scheduled to start on Tuesday
noon. Four of the nine entrants who
have planes here have qualified thus
far.
Death crossed another entry from
the list of starters yesterday when
Capt. Arthur V. Rogers, flying his
tandem-engined monoplane, was killed
on a trial flight at his home hangar
near Los Angeles. He jumped with
q parachute after his engines stopped.
The parachute failed to open and Capt.
Rogers fell $50 feet to the ground
landing about 200 feet from the spot
where his plane nose-dived into the
earth. Mrs. Rogers stood on the field
with her baby in her arms and wit
messed her husbands death. Rogers
was known as an experienced pilot,
but the plane he flew was Of new
design.
Three Smothered by Death.
The tragedy brought the total flight
entrants killed to three, Lieuts. George
W. D. Covell and r. S. Waggener hav-
ing crashed near San Diego Tuesday
as they were heading for San Fran
cisco Bay.
With this specter of death facing
them, the remaining pilots and navi.
gators showed no inclination to quit
the race. Instead, they complained
about the severity Of tests imposed by
Department of Commerce inspectors,
who were insistent that pilots display
more than ordinary skill before being
certified
The San Francisco Chronicle said
protests were lodged with Secretary
Of Commerce Hoover, but that official
and navigators denied they had COM
planned to the Commerce Secretary.
The Chronicle also said Clarence M.
Young, director of aeronautics of the
Department of Commerce, who has
been inspecting the Dole flight en-
trants, left Oakland last night for
Washington aftef the complaint had
been lodged. Director Young is known
to have favored a postponement Of
the hight with other experts on the
local starting committee.
Four Pilots Qualify.
Lieut.. Ben Wyatt, naval aviator,
who is an authority on navigation and
IN charge Of navigation tests for the
entrants here, has insisted on an ac-
tual demonstration of ability to fly over
prescribed course without being more
than 10 per cent inaccurate. Only four
have passed the test. They are:
!. The Travelair monoplane Okla.
homa, Bennett H. Griffin, pilot, and Al
Henley, navigator.
2. The monoplane Ell Encanto of
San Diego, Norman A. Goddard, pilot,
and Lieut.. j. c.. Hawkins, navigator.
8. The Breese monoplane Pacific
Flyer in which Livingston G. Irving
Of Berkeley will hop off without a
navigator.
4. The monoplane Golden Eagle,
entry of the San Francisco Examiner,
piioted by Jack Frost with Gordon
Scott navigator.
The approved starters will hop off
in the order named, and those who
qualify today will obtain places in the
starting line in the order of qualifica.
ton.
The monoplane in which Miss Mil.
dred Doran, 22-year-old Michigan
school teacher, will start for Hawaii
stood a fair chance of winning ap.
prevail as the fifth starter today. J. A
Pedlar, the pilot, switched navigators
yesterday, and it was expected that
Lieut.. Viles Knope, the new naviga.
tor, would pass the test easily.
Erwin Gets Navigator.
Capt. William p. Erwin. hying the
Dallas Spirit. was ready for his half
load tests today. He abandoned his
original plan to fly alone and has en-.
gagged A. H. Eichwaldt, 27-year old
navigator, who knows the Pacific
Ocean from his experience on vessels
The City of Peoria, a tiny biplane
to be flown by Charles w. Parkhurst
was on the compass-testing table and
plans were made for the half load
tests. Ralph Loves, navigator, has
the tests Of Lieut.. Wyatt before him
also.
Capt. Frederick Giles, British Army
flyer during the World War, is the
only official entrant left who has beer
unable to reach the starting point
He hoped to hop from Detroit today.
So confident are some Of the en-
trants that they will reach Honolulu
they have sent their clothes by
steamer TO save themselves the en-
barrassment Lindbergh faced when he
arrived in Paris and mad 10 wardrobe
Ernest Smith of San Francisco, who
recently completed nonstop flight to
the Hawaiian Islands, was at the air
port here yesterday inspecting the
Dole planes.
Don't you wish you were going
along?" he was asked.
mot me-" he answered. "Once Is
enough"