Page 28 - Volume 11 Number 11

Davis (left) and Goebel were feted as heroes for a week after their flight, and more honors awaited them upon their return to the mainland. The Woolaroc was disassembled and shipped back to California.
WOOLAROC at the behest of Frank Phillips. The word stood for “woods, lakes and rocks” that described the topography around the Phillips ranch near Bartlesville.3
During the first week of August both Travel Airs were winging their way west toward Oakland, California. Billy Parker arrived to supervise fueling of both ships with Nu-Aviation fuel, 20 barrels of which had been shipped out West to top off the tanks of both the Oklahoma and the Woolaroc. Griffin and Henley were all set to go, but Goebel still lacked a navigator. His good friend D.W. Tomlinson, a lieutenant in U.S. Navy, strongly recommended Lieutenant William V. Davis, Jr.
A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis (class of 1924), Davis served on the U.S.S. Idaho and the grandfather of all American aircraft carriers, the U.S.S. Langley. He was trained on celestial and marine navigation and was familiar with the latest in radio communication equipment. Placed on temporary leave, Davis joined Goebel in time to make the necessary preparations for the race.
As August 16 approached, a total of 15 airplanes had been entered in the Dole race. Of these, a few withdrew because they could not meet all requirements to participate, three had been wrecked and another was disqualified. The eight remaining pilots drew lots to determine takeoff position. Griffin held the number one slot and Goebel drew number seven.
On August 7, Walter Beech arrived in a Type 4000 and made final plans to personally oversee every facet of final preparations of the two modified transports, particularly servicing and maintenance. Billy Parker was there, too, carefully monitoring the fueling process on race day as both ships were filled to the brim with Phillips aviation gasoline.
At noon on August 16, the starter flag dropped and the Oklahoma staggered forward as men pushed on the life struts to help the ship gain momentum. After a takeoff run of 3,000 feet, the Travel Air was airborne and heading west toward the vast Pacific Ocean. The Woolaroc also took off without incident. At last, Goebel and Davis were on their way westward. Other entrants that made a safe departure included the Lockheed Vega Golden Eagle, Buhl Air Sedan Miss Doran, Swallow
James Dole (center) met with first-place winners Goebel and Davis (left). Pilot Martin Jensen (right) and navigator Paul Schluter, placed second in their Breese monoplane Aloha. Of the eight contestants in the race only two reached the islands. (FRANK PHILLIPS MUSEUM)