page_title: Travel Air 5000
section_title: Operational history
hierarchical_section_title: Travel Air 5000 / Operational history
caption_attribution_description: English: Travel Air 5000 flying as National Air Transport #17
context_page_description: The Travel Air 5000 was an early high-wing monoplane airliner and racing monoplane designed by Clyde Cessna and is chiefly remembered for being the winner of the disastrous Dole Air Race from California to Hawaii.
context_section_description: The prototype Travel Air 5000, s/n 160 "The Spirit of Oakland" was originally sold to Pacific Air Transport in April 1927 and then resold to Ernest Smith for a 14 July flight from Oakland, California, to Molokai, Hawaii, where it crashed on landing becoming the second aircraft to complete a trans-pacific flight, and the first civilian aircraft to do so.
  Orders placed in June 1927 for two custom-built Travel Air model 5000 aircraft to compete in the Oakland, California, to Honolulu, Hawaii, Dole Air Race. Two teams placed $5000 deposits, and were later sponsored by Frank Phillips of Phillips Petroleum to promote their "Nu-Aviation" fuel. The "Oklahoma" was forced to return to land, while the "Woolaroc" completed the flight and won.
  Woolaroc was later modified late in 1928 for an unsuccessful transcontinental speed record attempt.
  National Air Transport and Royal Airways used the model 5000 in revenue service. Production of the first four airliners was in the West Douglas plant. On 30 June 1927 production of two Modified model 5000's started in the newly constructed East Central factory.
caption: Travel Air 5000 flying as National Air Transport #17
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