page_title: Dole Air Race
section_title: Contestants draw positions
hierarchical_section_title: Dole Air Race / The Dole prize / Contestants draw positions
caption_attribution_description: National Register of Historic Places in San Francisco, California. Matson Building and Annex, 215 Market St, San Francisco, California. Photographed 2008-05-11 by Mike Hofmann from the north side of Market St. between Davis and Drumm Sts. Camera location37°&#160;47′&#160;34.7″&#160;N, 122°&#160;23′&#160;49.38″&#160;W&#160;View this and other nearby images on: OpenStreetMap - Google Earth
context_page_description: The Dole Air Race, also known as the Dole Derby, was a deadly air race across the Pacific Ocean from Oakland, California to Honolulu in the Territory of Hawaii held in August 1927. There were eighteen official and unofficial entrants; fifteen of those drew for starting positions, and of those fifteen, two were disqualified, two withdrew, and three aircraft crashed before the race, resulting in three deaths. Eight aircraft eventually participated in the start of the race on August 16, with only two successfully arriving in Hawaii; Woolaroc, a Travel Air 5000 piloted by Arthur C. Goebel and William V. Davis, arrived after a 26​¹⁄₄-hour flight, leading runner-up Aloha by two hours.
  Of the unsuccessful six aircraft, two crashed on takeoff, two were forced to return for repairs, and two went missing during the race. One of the aircraft that was repaired took off again to search for the missing aircraft several days later and also vanished over the sea. In all, before, during, and after the race, ten lives were lost and six airplanes were lost or damaged beyond repair.
context_section_description: The first official entrant, announced on June 28, was Arthur C. Goebel. Another early entrant was Dick Grace, who shipped his plane to San Francisco shortly after he crashed his Cruzair, forcing him to abandon a Kauai to San Francisco attempt in June. At the time, both Grace and Goebel were better known as founding members of the Thirteen Flying Black Cats, nicknamed the "Suicide Squadron", a Hollywood stunt pilot association started in 1922; that group's exploits were dramatized in the 1932 film The Lost Squadron. The two stuntmen were quickly joined by other contestants as the August 2 entry deadline approached.
  Fourteen official and four unofficial entrants were announced on August 3; Grace was not part of the group. The draw for starting position in the Dole race was held on 8 August in the office of C. W. Saunders, California director of the National Aeronautics Association, at the Matson Building in San Francisco. Of the eighteen entries, fifteen made the official draw; contestants could choose to take off from Mills Field near San Francisco or Oakland Municipal Airport, but the contestants later decided the air currents at Mills were too dangerous and all aircraft would take off from Oakland instead.
  Contestants were to present the aircraft and pilots by Monday, August 8 in San Francisco, so the Bay Area chapter of the National Aeronautic Association could check their certificates and licenses as a final qualification. Once their papers were checked, the contestants would again draw for starting positions.
caption: The draw started at the Matson Building.
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