The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-04-17
TRANS-PACIFIC RECORDS SMASHED,
AIR LINER LANDS AT HONOLULU
Pan-AmeriCan Clipper Ship
Makes Trip in 18 Hours
81 Minutes.
'L0AFS' DURING FLIGHT
Pilots Slow Up Giant of
SkyWayS to Keep Craft
'on Schedule
By United Press

~ Chtted Press
HONOLULU, t. H., April
1.-THE Pan-American clip
per ship, blazing a CONNER
cial air trail across the Pa
cifc Ocean, landed in Pearl
HarbOr at 1921 p. m. Qndi-
annapolis time) this afternoon
after a triumphal flight over
the city of Honolulu.
The clipper ship, four-motored
Sikorsky monoplane. completed the
24OO-mile overwater hop from Ala
media, Cal, in 18 hours 81 minutes,
shattering all speed records for air
travel between the United States
and Honolulu.
Faster time could have been reg
istered by the clipper ship. but the
crew of six veteran Americans VOL
UNFAIRLY wasted" more than half
hour flying over Honolulu to allow
crowds to view the ship in flight.
Despite this fact, the clipper beat
the previous record time by 6 hours
and II minutes. Six Navy planes
formerly held the record of "a
hours 48 minutes.
Army Planes Form Escort
The luxury airliner, bearing the
first load of mail ever flown across
the Pacific Ocean, left its termina'
at Alameda at $50 p m. yesterdar.
The ship will be flown back 20
California without trasversing the
remainder Of the Pan-American Pa
cific airways, which embraces a
route from Alameda to Canton,
China. Future flights are planned to
China.
Thirteen army planes raced out
to meet the clipper over Diamond
Head and formed an aerial escort
for the craft as it scared over Pearl
Harbor.
5000 Assemble at Harbor
The sky was heavy with clouds
and rain was falling as the ship
cruised over the city
A crowd estimated at 5000 persons,
including Gov. j. B. Poindexter and
many Army and Navy officials, as
sembled at Pearl Harbor to well
come the f1iers.
The ship circled low, cruised over
the city, then disappeared into the
clouds off Diamond Head. 1t re-
appeared and again few in wide
circles, exploring the city and en-
frances to Pearl Harbor.
The ship could have arrived even
earlier, but cut down it's speed to
conform with the estimated sched-
ule and to avoid disappointing the
thousands assembled to watch the
landing.
Equipment Proves Success
Completion of the fight, directed
by Edwin G. Musick, captain of the
Clipper, marked the first attempt to
bridge the great circle air span since
Capt. Charles T. P. Ulm and two
companions persisted when their
monoplane, Stella Australis, fell in
the sea early last December.
Fate of the Ulm expedition added
a grim eulogy to the praises of the
six men aboard the Clipper and
demonstrated the efficiency Of the
crafts directional equipment.
At IL a. m. Indianapolis time)
speeding westward 102 miles from
Honolulu. the fiers reported they
we're flying at 1900 feet elevation
with their ceiling just 300 feet above.
They had taken radio and compass
bearing and found themselves right
on course"
At that time, they reported a
visibility of II miles. Driving on
ward at a speed of 140 miles an
hour, they sighted Diamond Head at
1875 a. m, signaling success Of the
pathfinding air venture and further
attesting the accuracy Of their radio
and celestial navigation.
AS the plane winged over its great
circle course. its haf-hourly radio
reports advised officials here of q
progress that was steady but I'M
eventful.
After reaching the halfway mark
OF 2400-mile flight within nine
hours after the take-off, Musick,
who has flown 100000 miles with
out a serious accident, slowed down
the speed Of his four motors to 1875
miles thar, -