Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-06
HAWKS TO Be GIVEN
NEW YORk'S CHEERS
Flyer Crosses U. S. in 18
Hours, Fl Minutes to
Set New Record.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, February Capt
Frank Hawks and his mechanic. Oscar
E. Grubb. who overcame fog, wind and
sleet to establish a nonstop fight rec
ord from Los Angeles to New York
were invited to the City Hall at noon
today to receive the official welcome
of the city.
Soaring high to avoid bad weather
and for more than half the distance
flying blind. Capt. Hawks piloted his
Lockhead Vega plane Air Express,
across the continent in IL hours, Fl
minutes and 50 seconds. He bettered
by So minutes and / second the record
for west-to-east fight established last
August by Arthur Goebel and the late
Harry Tucker.
Hawks and Grubb left the Los An
geles Municipal Airport at 5:37:30
o'clock, Pacific time. Monday afternoon
and landed at Roosevelt Field at 2:59:-
% O'Clock, Eastern time, yesterday af-
ternoon. Their arrival set at rest fears
for their safety inspired by adverse
weather reports over nearly all their
course.
Hawks Little the Worse for Hop.
Hawks, attired in a fur coat and fly
ing boots over a business suit and bright
~ shined shoes. appeared little the
worse for their experience. But Grub,
who, cramped into the cabin, had
measured OF the hours and the miles
by opening cans of fuel and pumping
it into the tank. was groggy from gas
fumes and had to be helped from the
plane.
Although he had partaken Of no
nouriShment during the flight, Hawks
deferred q meal of sandwiches and cof-
fee long enough to recount their expert
ences.
II would have made It three hours
sooner with decent weather." he said,
but there were times when didn't
know whether we would ever land at all.
We had bad winds almost all the
way acroSs--winds, clouds, rain, Sleet and
snow. We hit the weather at Roswell,
N. Mex. and never got out Of 1t until
we hit West Virginia. All that time I
feet. trying TO get away from the
weather.
Tries 10 Find Good Weather.
"Over West Virginia it looked worse
for us. came down through hole
trying to find good weather close to
tire ground. There wasn't any and II
look like there wouldn't be any. My
wings had begun to coat with Sleet
when ! was over New Jersey and
veered south of my course in an effort
to fly around the rain and between
cloud layers where could fly safely -
While Hawks was fighting to get his
plane through hostile weather, Grubb in
his cabin fed fuel to the 100-gallon wing
tank from the 375 gallons In 5-gallon
tins. So limited was his space he
was obliged to cut the empty cans
into strips with pair Of shears to
dispose Of them.
When released from his filled
cabin and revived Grubb said he was
looking forward to seeing the sights oil
New York, as his trip in the record
breaking plane was his first visit here.
Wife First to Greet Him.
Among the first to greet Capt. Hawks
was his wife, Mrs. Edith Hawks, who
had been at the field for hours await
ing the arrival Of the Air Express.
The plane consumed about 20 gal.
Ions of fuel an hour and landed with
approximately SO gallons In its tank.
The flight Of Capt. Hawks was the
fourth nonstop crossing OF the CONT
nent by plane. In 1928 Lieuts. Kelly
and MacReady few from east to west
in 26 hours and so minutes. Theil
time for the westward flight was cut
last October to little more than
"a hours by Capt. G. B. d. Collyer and
Harry Tucker. They were killed In Ar.
IONA attempting return flight. Arthur
Goebel and Tucker few from Los
Angeles to Curtis Field last August ir
18 hours and So minutes.
COWLING AIDS ON FLIGHT.