Imperial Valley press., 1928-12-28
AIRPLANE
FAILS TO
STAY UP
Light Air Above SaltOn
Sea Forces AlbatrOss
Down At Frink. J
SHIP IS DAMAGED
Pilots Not Hurt When
Attempt For Record Is
Ended Abruptly. ~,

John Guglicllmctti and Charles
RocheviIlc failed in their attempt to
set Il new world $ endurance flight
record over Imperial Valley today
when their Albatross monoplanc
was forced down by lack of air
near Frink about an hour after
the ship took off from the airport
at Imperial.
According to adviccs from Frink,
where the aviatOrs were forced to
land the plane because of the light
ness Of the air, the ship is lying in
the mud near Salt0n Sea with
broken propeller and badly damaged
landing gear.
Neither of the pilots was reported
injured. Gugliclmctti and Rochevillc
were declared to have been forced
to land as the atmosphere over the
area they were covering was too
light to sustain the plane.
Whether or not another attcmTt
Will be made after repairs have been
effected was not learned. All Off
! ficialS of the Albatross corporation
! who came here to witness the test
were at the scene where the plana
! went down and could not be reached
! this afternoon.
! Take Off Early
The Albatross took to the air at
/ 6:55:l3 O'Clock this morning from
its base field on West Eighth street
at Imperial for an attempt to break
/ the world 5 endurance flight record
{ of 50 hours and % minutes now
held i'll Germany.
! Guglicmctti was at the stick
when the golden winged plane slip
! ped into the air as the first rays
of the rising sun swept over I'M
! perial valley.
\ run of seven-tenths of mile
was required to get the heavily
loaded ship off the ground. That
/ distance was declared unusually
short considering the 646 gallon
load of fuel.
The monoplanc made wide half
! circle considerable distance from
the flying field, headed north to-
wards Calipatria and the Salton
Sea and disappeared in the early
! morning mist.
Warm Plane Up
An altitude of about 200 feet was
all the plane gained as it headed
| north but that was expected to be
increased as the gasoline supply les
sencd with the continued flying.
Before the sun appeared Gugliel-
mctti and Rochevllle entered the
cabin of their plane. The motor was
! started and operated for nearly half
IN hour before the blocks were tax
en- from the landing gear wheels
/ and the monoplane glided down the
| field for its long flight.
AS the plane was about to take
! off Miss Beulah Ellis, Imperial
| Valleys Queen of Aviation, wished
! the flyers good luck.
Joe Nikrcnt of Los Angeles, for.
mer race driver and representative
of the National Aeronautical asso'
citation, was the official time keep.
/ cr. as q
He followed the plane down the
field in an automobile and recorded
the exact moment the ships land.
ing gear left the ground. c. b.
Maxwell of the AlbatroSs corpora
tion drove the machine.
Public officials at the field this
morning to witness the start ,of the
flight were Mayor W. }. Clements,
/ Police Chief Sterling OSwalt Prcsi-
dent Il. Y. Watson of the Imperial
County Board of Trade, Supervisor
Romeo G. Smith, President lie"
EIetzcl of FL Centre Chamber of
Commerce and Director Ira Atcu of
the Imperial Irrigation district.
The Albatross was brought hero
Wednesday night by Rocheyille and
Guglicmctti and yesterday was
spent in tuning the Wright whirl-
wind motor and in giving the plano
a thorough inspection.