Imperial Valley press., 1929-01-05
RECORDS
FALL TO
A|RPLANE
Question Mark Still Going
Strong With No Trouble
Reported.
CREW FEELS FINE
Big Ship Resumes It's
Los Angeles TO San
Diego Course.
By United Press Leased Wire


LOS ANGELES, Jan. !. Cond :;
tions aboard the Question Mari
were So favorable today that th"
army endurance plane once again
resumed it's original flying cnufs .
between Metropolitan Field at Van
Nuys and Rockwell Field at san
Diego.
TINS - mile 1ound.trip wa,
abandoned yesterday b"causc Major
Gard SpatI, flight commander, felt
that the Question Mark had better
remain at Van Nuys where it mus.
land to be- credited with the sus-
tainrd flight records it has broken
The decision 10 again make san
hicgo and Van Nuys the terminals
for tho flight indicated that Majo'
Spatz was convinced the Question
Mark would remain in the air pcI-
haps for several days and that it.
motors and crew were in excellent
shape.
The trimotorcd ship had been in
thc air 9s continuous hours when At
turned south for Rockwell Field
Nliol ~ b'.l VT q i.'ff Il. III.
\ message from Major Spatz in
dlcating his decision Ia resume the
round trip 10 san Diego also reveal
cd that the five men Oh the Question
Mark were happy and carc.frce.
'i1casc send up a wash-hrsin,
hc wrote. 1--WE have an gone four
days without washing. We are dirty
hut wc liz" it.
Praises Comrades
At another point he pcnncd:
Last night : dinner was marvel
Gus We hope there are more likr
it. We are like coricntcd COWS ono
milk however,. It. Estrada spends
most Of his time answering fan
mail
Major SpatI praised the work Of
the ground crews aud the men on
the rrfucling ships.
. don I see how the men on tn
ground and on the rctuclcrs can do
all they do and car" for us the way
they do. Teamwork, | call it. We
certainly are proud to bo associated /
with the whole gang.
Major Spath SaId the Question
Mark would need 80 gallons Of
gasoline at noon ;nd another $50
gallons AT I p. IN. He also asked for
water and said new battery might
be necessary
Army officials said il was obvious
that the Question Mark and its
crew wcrr in excellent shape els"
Major Spatl would not have ven
turcd from Van \uyS airport To
hc credited with the three sustained
flight records hrok,n So far, tn"
Question Mark must come down at
Van Nuys Field, the takc-off point.
Rabbit s Foot Aboard
At $40 Il. m. Sunday the Question
Mark will equal the worlds sus-
tanned flight record of us hours set
by the French dirigihc DiNmundr,
The Question Mack returned froL
Rockwell Field sho'tly before noon
and Immediately prepared to take
on fuel
Sergeant Ilooc, mechanic of the
flight. dropped message addressed
to It. Ray W. Harris, engineering
officer of the flight, commanding
the latter on the l:aunrr in which
the motors were working.
The message read: Everything
i4 going good | keep both ears to
the ground that = wisc.crack
all the time listening TO the motors
They sound sweet We all realize il
Nvsa your work and the work of
your men that helped break the rec
ords and now We aic ont to make Il
record that win stand.
we are out to make one which
will take n long time to gct-hoW
bout that! | told the major and the
others about the RABBIT 5 foot tied
to the tail skid without their
knowledge and YOU should have
heard them laugh. -