Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-22
GIRLS REFUEL HOPS DESCRIBED
IN LETTERS TO WALTER HINTON
EIinor Smith Tells of Two
Recent Attempts to Set
World Record.
Flew Practically Blind at
Night in Plane With
Bobbie Trout.

The experiences of Miss Eiinor Smith
Of New York and Miss Bobbie Trout of
Los Angeles In their two recent attempts
to establish a world record for air
plane endurance flights by refueling
are described wildly in two letters from
Miss Smith received here by Lieut..
Walter Hinton. first transatlantic pilot.
Describing their first attempt, Miss
Smith said they took off at Los An
geles with 100 gallons Of gasoline and
started cruising around san Fernando
Valley and vicinity. After hours Elinor
turned the controls over to Bobbie and
crawled up on the gasoline tank to rest
a while. After 4 hours she resumed the
controls and was flying the ship when
their Pigeon refueling plane came up to
make the first refueling contact.
Believe me-" Miss Smith wrote, "for-
nation flying doesn't enter into that
job. In order to allow the proper curve
to the hose, it is necessary to keep the
ships just is feet apart. OF course, the
pilot from the refueling plane cannot
see US, so it Is up to us to gauge all
distances and compensate the bumps
and weaving of both ships, also to keep
out Of the wash of said Pigeon.
Ask for More Gasoline.
1--WE took on 1875 gallons of gas dur
ing the first four minute contact. Bob
bic dropped a note for another 100 gall
Ions and to hurry, as about that time
1t was getting dark. When they finally
got up the second time. the bag had not
been weighted properly and it strean1ed
straight out behind the Pigeon, and
Pete Remnant was forced to cut it
e.
check by, so sent note down asking
to let US know how much we had on
board.
1.-THE boys figured we had enough to
last until morning, so sent Travelair
rnonoplane to tell us to stay UP until
morning 1t looked like big bug COM
ing after US at night. really had to
laugh.
ABOUT $50 pm. in the valley it gets
very black and the hills blot out most
of the light, so it was necessary to fly
practically blind throughout the MOON
less night. I was asleep about 10 pm.
when got q terrific kick and heard
sudden howl and decided had best
see what had happened. We had just
started into a fiat spin, but the girl
friend showed the wheel forward in re-
verse and got it out.
cat about 80 pm. we were cruising
out over Cahenuga Pass in Hollywood
Mountain when the motor gave two
coughs and died. I took in all the in
struments at a glance, let out yell
for Bobbie to come out and get her
chute on and grab the pump. BY the
time she got on switched to the wing
tank, but our hearts both sank. because
we knew then we had only 80 gallons
left and were were evidently burning
close to 20 gallons an hour.
Robbie wrote note and we 2oomed
the field to drop it, telling them to
hurry UP, but they could not make 1t
lights were so poor we could hardly see
them at all. In the meantime, from
the continuous flying, my eyes had
gone blooey, they were watering so
could hardly see at all.
1--WE didn't want to chance a bad
landing, and it was almost impossible
TO Judge distance, so Bobbie jockeyed
ground, and did very well, although we
bounded considerably, ground Topped
and tore a wing, but considering the
circumstances, think she did very well.
After being in the air for 1874 hours
we are now ready and raring to go. If
we can get things started we will be
taking of again In few days"
III oCCOllQ VAC Shlo
stayed in the air ~ hours. In another
letter to Lieut.. Hinton, later, Miss Smith
ION the afternoon of the second day
while refueling under the Pigeon, no
ticed black smoke and gasoline pouring
out of her as she rapidly settled down
on US, so yelled to Bobbie to let go the
hose, while pulled out from under her
| They we're forced to set her down in a
small field back of the airport. Of
| course, I prayed all the way down, as
Pete Reinhart lies on his stomach in a
little opening in the floor boards If
the landing gear ever gave out he would
! have been crushed. Also there was that
hose dragging with all that gasoline
streaming out Of It, Talk about excite
r1aentl
Run Out Of Fuel Again.
well, they tried to put tanks in the
Buhl but by the time they got through
1t was almost dark Maybe we didn t
have some fun refueling under strange
ship. However, the tanks didn't hold
enough and we ran out of gas again
about am. and had to land after AZ
hours.
"On the first night there was a delay
In refueling us. The Pigeon didn't get
UP until almost dark, when we had the
bag and rope. They didn't figure on
the load we were carrying and banked
around so sharply couldn't keep up.