Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-08
Robbins and Jones Hop Off
From Seattle, Planning to
I Take on Gas Supply Over
Fairbanks, Alaska.
WILL MAKE SECOND
CONTACT OVER SIBERIA
Pair Expects to Reach Capital Of
Japan Friday Morning-Two
Courses Down Asiatic Coast
Routed in Case Weather Is
Found Bad.

; VANDERHOOF, British Co
lumbia, July 8 (R).-The trans
pacific plane Fort Worth passed
here at 9:35 am. (Paciflc
standard time) today, flying
high and to the northwest.
Vanderhoof is about IS miles
north Of Prince George.
o. the Associated Press.
SEATTLE, July "a projected
500 mile non stop refueling
flight from Seattle to Toxic got
under way at 1857 am. Pacific
standard time) today, when Reg
L. Robbins and H. s. Jones, Texas
airmen, hoped of in quest of a
e25, 900 prize offered by japanese
newspaper.
Their snow-white monoplane
Fort Worth, loaded with 800 gal
Ions Of gasoline, took to the air
after their second sprint down
the runway of Boeing Field. Rob-
bins, at the controls, gave it the
gun" at the end of the runway.
Had 1t failed to rise at that mo-
ment there might have been a
erack-up.
BY refueling from their tri-motored
mother plane over Fairbanks, Alaska,
fn
after crossing the Boring Sea, Robbins
and Jones expected to reach Toxic by
Friday morning, Pacific time, or about
IS hours after their take-off.
win Cross Yukon.
The plane headed directly northward
Cor an inland course over British Co
lumbia and Yukon territory on the
way to Fairbanks. Manned by j. J.
Mattern and Nick Greener, also of Texas,
the refueling plane will fill the tanks
Of the Fort Worth and then follow 1t
across Alaska to Solomon. There the
mother craft will pick up gasoline and
strike out toward Siberia to make the
second scheduled refueling.
weather conditions along the nrSt
part Of the route were said by Govern
nent ueteorologiSts to be ideal.
Two courses have been routed on the
Siberian side. II the flyers find favor
able weather they will skirt the coast Of
Kamchatka Peninsula and then fly over
the Kurile Islands to Japan. Otherwise
they plan to journey around the Gulf Of
Anadir and then fly down the coast,
but keeping inland about 100 miles.
May Try for $4,000 Prize.
Robbins and Jones figured it would
take IS to II hours to reach Fairbanks
and about six more to get to Nome.
Robbins and Jones will not be eligible
to win the $4,000 put up by Seattle
business men for a nonstop air trip
between Seattle and Toxic, as they will
be refueling outside radius Of SO miles
of the two cities. They said they might,
however, install additional fuel tanks
and try flying back again, nonstop, for
the Seattle prize.
The Fort Worth has q 225-horse-
power Wright motor that has run / 200
hours The plane Is Lockhead Vega
and has been flown $50 hours. The
flyers purchased it second hand. It has
a cruising speed Of about 95 miles per
hour. The machine Is not equipped
with radio.
Jones will do the navigating and Rob-
bins the plotting. but the navigator
will take the controls occasionally to
rest Robbins.
Food, water, charts, navigating in
struments, blankets, life-saving rubber
jackets, fishing tackle and a rife were
stored in the navigators compartment.
The aviators' food supply consisted
Of fried chicken and sandwiches for
two days and emergency rations, in
GLIDING beans, rice, tea, bacon and
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