Hawks & Grubb

Monday, Feb. 18, 1929

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The Men: Capt. Frank M. Hawks, a burly pilot who used to carry oil payrolls in Mexico and airmail in the U. S.; and Oscar E. Grubb, bespectacled mechanic.

The Feat: A non-stop flight from Mines

Field, Los Angeles, Cal., to Roosevelt Field, Long Island, N. Y., in 18 hr., 21 min., 59 sec., beating by 37 minutes the previous record held by Pilot Arthur Goebel. "I would have made it three hours sooner with decent weather," said Pilot Hawks. Beneath his heavy fur coat, Pilot Hawks revealed a neatly pressed business suit, well shined shoes, spats.

Mechanic Grubb, sprawled among empty gasoline tins, had to be lifted out of the plane. He was almost unconscious, gulping for air. Before the take-off he had been fitted and jammed into his compartment, which was filled with extra fuel cans. Throughout the flight, he had had to pump gasoline from the cans into the wing tanks.

It was the fourth non-stop coast-to-coast flight.

The Plane: a Lockheed-Vega monoplane with a 425 horsepower Pratt & Whitney "Wasp" motor, made the trip at an average speed of 150 m.p.h.

The Fuel: Texaco aviation gasoline and oil. (Capt. Hawks is employed by the Texas Co.)*

^{*Charles Augustus Lindbergh used Gargoyle Mobiloil (Vacuum
Oil Co.) on his flight to Paris. Commander Byrd is using Veedol (Tide
Water Oil Co.) in his Antarctic planes.}

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