Evening star., 1932-08-18
JENSEN'S MAD HOP
TO OAHU RECALLED
Dole Flight to Honolulu Five
Years Ago Cited as Re-
markabIe Exploit.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
HONOLULU, August 18-The IA
miliar drone of Army airplanes re-
called to Honolulans today that it is
five years since Martin Jensen MADE
one of the most remarkable OF all
transoceanic flights.
Art Goebel won the 2.000-mile Dole
flight handily on August II. 1927, in
plane adequately prepared for the trip,
Two hours behind came the redoubta-
BILE Jensen in an unfinished ship, after
hair-raising experiences which in
cluded tailspinS in the dark. clipping
the waves with his landing gear AMI
finally Jensen's decision to disregard
his navigator and guess his way ABOUT
the Pacific Ocean, looking for Hawaii
This last feat almost caused dis
aster, for when the pair appeared from
the wrong direction they had been lost
three hours and had 50 minutes gaso-
line. The navigator, Capt Paul SchlI-
ter. had finally prevailed on Jensen to
pilot the ship and let Schluter navigate
Story Leaked Out Later.
The full story of Jensen's fight in
the race which cost seven lives was
told a year later by Schluter when
visiting Honolulu Then it bscame ev!-
dent that Jensen got to Hawaii by
combining skill, stark instinct and rare
good luck-and needing a lot of each.
According to Schluter. when Jensen
engaged him as navigator at San
Francisco Schluter had never been in
an airplane. Recalling the flight
Schluter remarked: Il haven't been
up since and I don't intend to-"
Although impressed by Jensen's skill
and courage, as the entrants worked
madly to be ready for the start, with
unfinished planes and Inadequate prc1-
aration. Schluter, to use his>own words,
got cold feet.
II decided to back out" Schluter
said. However. Martin asked me to
make a test flight and I agreed to 60
We took off and the next thing Anew
we were streaking it out the Golden
Gate and on our way to Hawaii"
Deciding to make the best Of what
he regarded as a rather bad situation,
Schluter set to work navigating. Tne
there began a night of constant hair
breadth escapes from disaster.
Three times in the darkness they
went into tailspins and were Sayed by
Jensens remarkable flying instinct
When the compass started spinning
in the cockpit. Illuminated only by
f1aehlight. as Jensen recounted:
Il shut my eyes and said to myself,
We'll, this feels like so-and-so end
that feels like so-and-so'" AS the
motion of the plane became familiar
he righted it.
Oil Pump "On the Fritz"
Then the Oil pump went on the
Fritz" Jensen forced oil into the
motor by blowing on a pipe. Soon the
gasoline pump stopped working and
Navigator Schluter set to work pump
ing gas into the wing tanks by hand.
way to tell when the tanks were full
was by seeing them overflow. Nat
urally, this did not conserve fuel.
Before dawn they had what was
probably their narrowest escape. They
were flying low and Schluter, crouch
ing behind in the unfinished cabin
asked Jensen for his f1ashlight. Jensen
handed it back and as he did his knee
hit the stick. Down shot the Aloha.
Il felt bump" was Jensen's Off
hand description. THE wheels had
struck a wave. I pulled back hard
on the stick and gave her the gun,
Just in time"
Dawn finally came, but no Hawaii
was in sight on the horizon. Jensen
then, according to Schluter, disagreed
with his companion and set out look
ing for Hawaii without benefit of navi-
CATION After several hours wander
ing, Jensen let Schluter try again and
the navigator set them on their course.
To get each others attention Schlu-
ter would poke Jensen in the back.
and Jensen could always attract
Schluter by waggling the stick and
making the plane do fair imitation
of a bucking broncho.
When the flyers sighted Oahu Island
Schluter. crouching behind, prayed and
begged the irrepressible Jensen, sitting
aloft in the cockpit, waving his helmet
at his waiting wife, not to stunt the
ship as it came in.
Those who lost their lives attempt
ing the fight were Mildred Doran,
Augie Pedlar and Lieut.. V. r. Knope.
in the Miss Doran, and Jack Frost
and Gordon Scott, in the Golden
Eagle. Two others, Bill Erwin and
Alvin Eichwald. set out few days
later to look for the missing ones and
never returned. Bennett Griffin, who
recently failed on a world dash with
James Mattern, started, but turned
back.
Every now and then some spot in
Hawaii reports a bottle washed up by
the sea containing message from
one of the missing planes. Usually It
purports to have been written by those
aboard the Miss Doran.