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. Race preparations Trouble and confidence before the race Before the race started, many of the aircraft had mechanical issues during test flights and while traveling to San Francisco to meet the final qualification deadline. Pabco Flyer (Irving) broke a fuel line while conducting a test flight on August 5 from San Francisco to San Diego, and was forced down in a cow pasture near Point Sur, approximately south of Monterey. Golden Eagle (Frost/Scott) hit a gopher hole on the runway while taking off from San Diego and wrecked the landing gear and propeller. City of Peoria (Parkhurst/Lowes) was delayed by sandflies, and Bluebird (Giles) was stuck at Detroit with engine issues. Oklahoma (Griffin/Henley) took off on August 4 for an intended nonstop flight from Bartlesville to San Francisco, but was forced down near Amboy by a broken exhaust pipe; after effecting repairs, Oklahoma took off again at approximately 7 AM on August 5, but the aircraft came down again outside of Los Angeles due to heavy fog. Spirit of John Rodgers (Covell/Waggener) was also forced down twice during a flight from Brea to San Diego: first near Santa Ana by fog during a test flight on August 5; then again after an oil feed line broke on August 6, forcing the plane down at Escondido. The Tremaine Humming Bird monoplane, which was designed and built by William D. Tremaine, had a wingspan of and a low wing configuration, unusual for the time. Meanwhile, Mildred Doran, Auggy Pedlar, and navigator Manley Lawing were flying into Oakland on August 6 when their aircraft developed engine trouble due to fouled spark plugs. They successfully landed near Mendota in