by Charles Parkhurst and navigated by Ralph Lowes, disqualified the day of the hop-off for inadequate fuel capacity Aloha, a Breese-Wilde 5 Monoplane, NX914, flown by Martin Jensen and navigated by Paul Schluter Woolaroc, a Travel Air 5000 sister ship of Oklahoma, NX869, flown by Arthur C. Goebel and navigated by William V. Davis Dallas Spirit, a Swallow Monoplane, NX941, flown by William Portwood Erwin and navigated by Alvin Eichwaldt Oakland start The fifteen competitors were seen off by a crowd estimated to include 75,000 to 100,000 persons on August 16, 1927. Weather was predicted to have a high fog on takeoff (extending from approximately offshore) and intermittent, localized showers along the route. A fog bank started at the Golden Gate and the entire route was overcast. At Oakland Municipal Airport, clearance to depart was not granted until just before noon; the fog that had lain over the airport did not lift until 10:40 AM. The initial takeoffs were plagued with trouble, as several of the heavily-laden aircraft struggled to take off. Oklahoma took off first, just after 12 PM. The crew would eventually abort the flight over San Francisco with an overheating engine. She was followed by El Encanto at 12:02 PM, which failed to clear the runway before she swerved and crashed, smashing the port wing from the starting line. Pabco Flyer, starting at 12:09 PM, lifted momentarily into the air, then crashed some from the start. Their crews were not hurt. The last five planes successfully departed. Golden Eagle took off smoothly at 12:30 PM and flew out of sight. Miss Doran succeeded in taking off at 12:31 PM. The final three, Aloha (at 12:33 PM), Woolaroc (12:34 PM), and Dallas Spirit (12:36 PM) all left uneventfully. Oklahoma passed through the Golden Gate at 12:20 PM, followed by Aloha at 12:48. Aircraft then began to return: Miss Doran circled back and landed approximately ten minutes after departing (12:43 PM), its engine "sputtering like a Tin Lizzie." Oklahoma returned to Oakland and Dallas Spirit also turned back, both returning at approximately 1:08 PM; Oklahoma had ripped the fabric covering the fuselage, and Dallas Spirit was having issues with its tail gear. Miss Doran and Pabco Flyer would make second starting attempts; Pabco Flyer crashed a second time at 1 PM, putting her out of the race for good, but Miss Doran succeeded and took off again at 2:03