The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-06-30
RECORD MADE,
BROTHERS FLY
ON IN STORM
City of Chicago Reels off
Hours After Taking
On More Fuel.
NEAR 18TH DAY IN AIR
We'll Still Be Up on July
FOURTH Note Dropped
Tells Crew.
BY STANLEY WHITAKER
United Press stan Correspondent

BY STANLEY WHITAKER
United Press stan Correspondent
CHICAGO, June 30-Man's battle
to outlast machinery neared the
nineteenth day of conflict over Sky
Harbor airport today as the Hunter
brothers sent their Stinson- Detroiter
airplane droning in circles toward a
record they hope will stand for all
time.
Flying low over the airport, the
letters "City of Chicago" clearly
visible. the plane ended its 453d
hour in the air 1910 p. m. (In-
dianapolis Timej. The old record
was 400 hours
A new load of fuel was taken
aboard through the long hose from
the refueling plane at 10 a. m. and
the City of Chicago again took the
skylanes to reel off more hours OF
monotonous circling.
Sweet Through Storm
With the FIST streaks of dawn
came a storm and a hurried call for
refueling. The fiiers swooped low
with the propeller barely turning
and more gasoline was taken
aboard.
The contact was made just before
storm broke that probably would
have grounded the plane If it had
been short of fuel.
"Well celebrate the Fourth OF
July up here" the almost exhausted
pilots, John and Kenneth Hunter,
Brothers. said in a grease soaked
note which they dropped to the field.
1t was the eighteenth day they have
been confined in the tiny cabin, the
air saturated with gasoline fumes
and the motor roaring ceaselessly in
their ears.
The other Hunters connected with
the f1ight-Albert and Walter, pioltS
Of Big Ben, the refueling plane, ana
Irene, who cooks the meals--were
confident their flying brothers
could keep the plane aloft at least
fifty hours longer.
MOLOr IN me Snape
Field attendants said the Wright
J-6-300 motor of the aged Stinson-
Detroiter monoplane sounded al
most as clear as when it took off
two weeks ago last Wednesday. John
and Kenneth said the plane APP
peared in good condition, except
that it was more difficult to handle
because of being 'loosened up" by
the great strain.
The Hunter boys estimated the
fight, which they started with the
last family resources, will profit
them about 100000. They already
have won prizes offered by airplane,
gasoline, oil and accessory COM
panies, and one concern has prom
ised to pay them 500 for every hour
they add to the record.
A sixth member of the Hunter
family took up temporary resi-
dence at the field today. She is the
worlds happiest mother" and she
cried when she learned her sons had
broken the records. Then she went
up in the refueling plane to wave
encouragement to John and Ken
meth.
Make it Good One
kilograms of congratulations were
received by the Hunters from all
over the world. A message from
Forrest O'Erine and Dale Jackson,
who piloted the st. Louis Robin to
the former record, was relayed to
Kenneth and John by the refueling
plane. 1t said:
Congratulations. Hang up good
record, because we're going back to
try and beat it,"
Shortly after they broke the rec
ord Sunday the City Of Chicago
was accorded an aerial greeting by
planes from every airport in Chi
cago and by forty army pursuit
planes here from Selfridge field,
Michigan, for war maneuvers. Every
conceivable noise-making delight
from the field below almost drowned /
out the roar Of the motors.
Became Air transformers
The Hunter boys were miners in
the coal fields near Sparta, ILL.,,
until several years ago when Albert
saved enough money to buy motor
cycle. He changed his mind about
the motorcycle, bought a second1
hand plane instead and taught his
sister and brothers to fly.
They became transformers, per-
forming at county fairs. Kenneth
and Walter walked the wings and
made parachute jumps while John
and Albert piloted the plane.
Then they bought the City off
Chicago. 1t was 1928 model COM
mercial plane and had flown $4,000
miles, but the brothers tuned up it
motor until they were sure it could
set an endurance record.
They neglected to tell the news
papers about it, and the City o
Chicago had been aloft for almost
week before any one knew anothe
endurance flight was on.