The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-05-30
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BY DEXTER FEED KEA gqrvfca Writer

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 NEA Service Writer
 Two army aviators shot plane at a mark 2,40O miles away and hit the bulls eye!
 Who were they and what has become of them Their names are Lieut. Lester ]. Maitland and Lieut. Albert r. Hegenberger. They are
 Delicate Business
 It was five years ago this June that they jumped aboard their big plane and soared away from Oak land, Cal, bound for Hawaii over the same route on which the gal- lant Capt Rodgers faced death. Since they aimed at that little cluster of islands out in the broad Pacific, they must navigate per- fectly. A mistake in two degrees in calculatoinB would let them hurtle by. on to an almost certain watery grave,
 If they missed the islands, the next landing place would be 2,50O miles farther, at the Solomon ls- lands. But they had fuel enough to carry them only the 2,40O miles to Hawaii, so they could not fail.
 They were expert pilots. Mait- land, enlisting in the army air corps during the World war, took to flying naturally. Hegenberger had had almost as much experi- ence. And both had been in planes practically every day for years.
 24 Hours Pass.
 Their plane scared on, maintain ing q speed of approximately 100 miles an hour despite wind, occa- sional banks of fog and treacher- ous currents of air that buffeted 1t. They checked their instru- ments constantly, allowed for drift. As the hours passed and they went by the 20 hour mark, they peered anxiously ahead, trying to dlscov- CT those litle black smears on the blue horizon that they knew they must reach.
 As they passed the 24 hour mark the suspense was erve-wracking. It was almost unbearable. And then they saw a faint outline of-- something. It becam plainer and they breathed sighs of relief. They landed at Wheeler field. Honolulu, in 25 hours and 50 min- utes. They had navigated perfect ly and piloted perfectly. They had hit the bull's-eye!
 In the days that have passed since they were applauded so lust fly for that feat. they have been in and out of the limelight.
 Maitland Auto Victim
 Maitland wrote . book about the flight. Then he returned to Kelly field in Texas, and became q reliable pilot who could train other flyers and do test piloting for the army. He specialized in speed flying. Eventually he was decor- ated by President Coolidge.
 In 1880 he was injured serious ly in an automobile accident. The. same day his wife was awarded divorce on charge of mental cruelty. Maitland is completely recovered from the accident now and he continues flying. It is the life he loves.
 The air paths that Hegenberger has followed have taken him along many of the same routes. He flys nj Kelly fold, but primarily he is a test pilot. He has broadcast from n plane successfully. In 1929 he flew Il plane operated by a mech- anical pilot. Only last summer ue Wus LII VtuUe ut ScucHoctuuy that was steered by n compass, con- trolled by an electric motor. His great skill was proved last July when he set a plane down in q meadow near Mattitucs, L. l., in n thick fog that might have been disastrous for one less expert.
 Maitland and Hegenberger, blazers of tho air trail to Hawaii they started young as flyers, and both bid flair 10 fly for many years to come.
 If you hear q xlp and xOOm overhead at terrific sped one of these days. the chances arc It's flyer who once made 6 prixe- win. ming flight to Hawaii. Remember him? Read "Air Paths of Glory" In Mondays Democrat.