The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-07-05
ARMY filters
/. START WORLD
GIRDL|NG TRIP
Take Off on First Leg in
Attempt to Beat Time of
Post, Gatty.
BERLIN is FIRST GOAL
Mattern and Griffin Begin
Globe CircIing Jaunt
From New York.
By United Pres,

By United Press
NEW YORK, July 5.-James Mat
tern and Bennett Griffin, army
f1iers from the southwest, hoped
off today from Floyd Bennett air.
port on the first leg of a fight
planned to beat the round the
world time of their friends, Harold
Gatty and Wiley Post.
Their plane droned down the
runway, lifted, and scared over
Long Island at Sol a. m. eastern
daylight time), heading for Har-
Dor Grace, Newfoundland, where
the huge wing tanks of their plane
are to be refilled.
If the transforming fliers-who
lifted skyward this morning with no
floats for landing in the ocean, no
parachutes for trouble over land, no
fire eXtinguishers or hares-are sue
cessful, they will set their plane
down here again within days Is
hours and 81 minutes.
At noon central standard time)
the plane dropped a note over Cape
FreelS, $50 miles north of st. Johns,
asking for directions.
Point us out the direction of the
landing field at Harbour Grace, :"
the note said.
The plane lowered low and men
on the cape fastened to reply,
signalling by a white flag the di-
rection south to Harbour Grace.
The plane headed in that direction.
Use Rivals Tanks
The f1iers planned to leave Har-
Dor Grace as soon as possible in a
direct flight to Berlin. If they fail
in that, they hope to reach Ireland.
Their planes cruising radius is
3,100 miles.
They carry with them the good
will of Post and Gatty, as well as
the gas tanks from their world
circling plane, the Winnie Mae.
Their fight, like that of the Win
ME Mae, is financed by Oklahoma
oil men, although the plane is
owned by Mattern. The hackers are
Henry E. Turner, Oklahoma City,
and John Mabee, Tulsa.
Both Mattern and Griffin are
pilots. And both are navigators.
Their route calls for refueling in
Ireland, England, the Netherlands,
Berlin, Moscow, Omsk in Siberia,
Novo SibirSk, Yakutsk, Fairbanks in
Alaska, and Edmonton, Canada.
The plane has a capacity of $50
gallons of gasoline. It's cruising
speed is $50 miles an hour. It is
powered by 550-horse power mo-
tor.
The filters called their monoplane
Century of Progress" 1t is painted
red, white and blue.
Movie Stunt Filler
Mattern is 81. He lives in Ft.
Worth, Tex, but was born in Free
port, ILL.,, March 3, 1905. He at
tended Washington and Lee college
and, later, the Western College of
Aeronautics. In 1922 he was COM
missioned second lieutenant in the
air corps. He is to be commissioned
first lieutenant this fall.
In the army from 1922 to 1925.
Mattern, after his discharge, was a
motion picture stunt f1ier. He flew
the first refrigerator ship, trans
porting fish in Mexico and was a
mail pilot between Tampico and
Mexico City.
In 1880 he became the chief pilot
for the Carl Cromwell line between
San Angelo, Ft. Worth, Dallas and
San Antonio.
When Cromwell was killed in an
automobile accident, Mattern
bought his Lockheed plane, which
is the one he is using now. He flew
the first tri-motor ship into Alaska.
1,400-mile trip.
Mattern has flown in Mexico.
Canada, the United States, Hawaii.
the Philippines, China, Japan and
Siberia. He has 4,50O flying hours.
He has been married six years.
Major Within Month
Griffin, 81, lives in Oklahoma
City. He was born Sept. %, 1895,
at Barton, Miss. In 1918 he was
graduated from a high school in
Lexington, Okla. He worked his
way through the University of
Oklahoma.
In the World war he flew as an
officer, in France from 1917 to 1919.
Discharged as a first lieutenant,
he now is a reserve captain at
tached to the Thirteenth squadron
attack group at 1T. Crockett, Tex.
He is to become a major within a
month.
In December, 1919, he bought
three ships and arranged a flying
circus. Later he did test flying
for the Nebraska Airplane Com
pany. From 1927 to 1881 he was
the Curtiss- Wright manager for
Oklahoma.
In 1880 Griffin went in for en-
durince flying and stayed up 304
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