The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-07-01
LAST-MINUTE
FUELING SAVES
HUNTER BOYS
Rock Plane to Drain Few
Drops of Gasoline as
Contact Is Made.
SOAR ON THROUGH RAIN
500th Hour in Air Neared
With Friday as Goal in
Endurance Try.
BY STANLEY WHITAKER.
United Press Stsff Correspondent

United Press stan Correspondent
CHICAGO, July IA blanket of
fog settled over sky Harbor airport
where the Hunter brothers, at 1910.
central standard time, were ATT
hours toward new sustained en-
durance record today and made the
mid-morning refueling extremely
hazardous. Albert Hunter, one of
the refuelers, said they might have
to change fields for the next refuel-
ing.
After the Iefueling plane had been
IN the air half an hour, it finally
established contact and delivered
gasoline to the City of Chicago as
1t ended its 473d hour in the air.
The fog extended within 500 feet
OF the ground and the air was
bunny, making the refueling diff
cult. The City of Chicago was so
nearly out of gasoline at the time
that the pilot was forced to rock
the plane to drain the last drops of
fuel into the motor.
With the fog came a driving rain.
forcing John and Kenneth Hunter
to fly in circles over the field at a
height of about 500 feet.
Get Change in Menu
AS hazardous as the refueling
was, a change of menu was repre-
sented in the bag that carried
breakfast to the f1iers. Instead of
hard-boiled eggs they got scrambled
ones from their sister Irene. who
cooks delicacies for her flying broth
erS.
Grape fruit replaced orange juice
as a beverage. A large vacuum
bottle of hot water also was sent up
SO the pilots could wash some Of
the grease of before eating.
The weary pilots announced early
today that they will keep the City
OF Chicago IN flight until the motor
gives out. They promised to throw
t1recrackers out of the plane on the
Fourth Of July" before coming
down to sign contracts that will
pay them about 100000, and then
get some sleep.
Good luck to any one who tries
to beat our record" John and Ken
meth said in a note dropped to the
Held. Maybe it will be good enough
SO some Of them won't want to try
1t. Well be up here for long time.
Afraid to Predict
AS the City of Chicago neared IT'S
5OOth hour aloft, aviation experts on
the field below were Ioath to predict
now soon it may be forced down by
mechanical trouble. The Wright
J-6-300 motor seemed to be
functioning well, they said. except
for occasional suffering and some
cylinder trouble" reported by the
pilots.
The entire plane, John and Ken
meth said, was 'loosened up" from
the constant grind. The ship was
tipped to one side because a leak
had developed in the left wing tank
and the heavy fuel supply on that
side was drained out. Another
Slight leak in a fuel line was re-
ported by the pilots Monday.
There was only one person at the
field who appeared to think John
and Kenneth may be staying up too
long. That was their mother. who
wept when they broke the record.
Il think my boys are wonderful"
she said, "but I am getting little
worried. Don't let them know about
it though"
Sister Irene, pretty and %. also
was a little worried, but not about
the flight. The pilots complained
about the food she provides for them
and she was striving to provide |
more 'honest-to-goodness" victLals
on the menu.
Less Fancy Food
eve want less fancy food and
more hardboiled eggs, hot dogs and
things like that" said a note signed
by Kenneth, who is just 81. Were
tired of duck and chicken. BY the
way, send up my ukulele."
Storms several times have buff
feted the plane and the pilots have
been forced to guard against ever
recurring mechanical trouble. They
sleep in three-hour stretches on a
narrow bed hinged to the wall and
must rouse their fatigued flying
senses eight or nine times day to
send the plane through the delicate
maneuvers necessary in refueling
and food contacts with the auxiliary
ship, Big Ben.
Walter and Albert Hunter, who
handle the refueling plane, were
confident the City Of Chicago will
remain aloft until Friday.