Captain Hawks Travel Air
On August 13, 1930, Captain Frank M. Hawks, superintendent of the Aviation Division of Texaco, flew a red-and-white Travel Air monoplane from Los Angeles to New York in 12 hours, 25 minutes and 3 seconds. According to Hawks’ own widely publicized account, the Travel Air performed flawlessly, with an average airspeed of 215 mph. Hawks made three 15-minute refueling stops during the 2,510-mile journey. He battled a rainstorm, crosswinds, hunger and a thick haze that made ‘the ground barely visible at 8,000 feet,’ but reached New York City in time for dinner.
Image Courtesy of E.H. Brown
