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 hour, 15 minute 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 (Golden Eagle and Miss Doran). 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 (Dallas Spirit). In all, before, during, and after the race, ten people died and six airplanes were lost or damaged beyond repair. The Dole prize Inspired by Charles A. Lindbergh's successful trans-Atlantic flight, James D. Dole, the Hawaii pineapple magnate, announced on May 25, 1927 a prize of for the first fixed-wing aircraft to fly the from Oakland, California, to Honolulu, Hawaii, and for second place. The flights would have to complete in the 12 months following August 15, 1927. Dole stated he hoped that Lindbergh would compete. The prospect of breaking more long-distance flight records enticed other wealthy businessmen to offer similar Pacific-conquering prizes: Sid Grauman offered to the first to fly from Los Angeles to Tokyo, and William Easterwood offered a similar prize for the first to fly from Dallas to Hong Kong in three stops and no more than six days. All the wealthy patrons hoped to draw Lindbergh. The Honolulu chapter of the National Aeronautic Association drew up rules for the Dole race. The transpacific record The publicity for the first successful transpacific flights from Oakland to Hawaii was stolen by two flights in June and July 1927, ahead of the scheduled August start for the Dole Derby. On 28 June, about a month after Dole posted the prizes, Air Corps Lieutenants Lester J. Maitland and Albert F. Hegenberger flew a three-engine Atlantic-Fokker C-2 military aircraft from Oakland