ione ers ▁ ▁John ▁Rod gers ▁( J anu ary ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 8 8 1 ▁– ▁August ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 1 9 2 6 ) ▁was ▁an ▁officer ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Navy ▁and ▁a ▁pione ering ▁av i ator ▁who ▁led ▁the ▁first ▁attempt ▁at ▁a ▁non - stop ▁flight ▁from ▁California ▁to ▁Hawai i . ▁Given ▁the ▁technology ▁of ▁the ▁time , ▁this ▁tested ▁the ▁limits ▁of ▁both ▁aircraft ▁range ▁and ▁the ▁accuracy ▁of ▁aer ial ▁navigation . ▁The ▁expedition ▁was ▁to ▁include ▁three ▁plan es . ▁Rod gers ▁commanded ▁the ▁flying ▁boat ▁P N - 9 ▁No . ▁ 1 . ▁The ▁P N - 9 ▁No . ▁ 3 ▁was ▁commanded ▁by ▁L t . ▁Allen ▁P . ▁Sn ody . ▁The ▁third ▁plane ▁was ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁new ▁design , ▁which ▁was ▁not ▁completed ▁in ▁time ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁expedition . ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁ris ks , ▁the ▁Navy ▁position ed ▁ 1 0 ▁guard ▁ships ▁spac ed ▁ 2 0 0 ▁miles ▁apart ▁between ▁California ▁and ▁Hawai i ▁to ▁ref uel ▁or ▁recover ▁the ▁aircraft ▁if ▁necessary . ▁The ▁two ▁P N - 9 s ▁depart ed ▁San ▁Pablo ▁Bay , ▁California ▁( near ▁San ▁Francisco ) ▁on ▁August ▁ 3 1 . ▁L t . ▁Sn ody ' s ▁plane ▁had ▁an ▁engine ▁failure ▁about ▁five ▁hours ▁into ▁its ▁flight , ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁land ▁in ▁the ▁ocean , ▁and ▁was ▁safely ▁recovered . ▁ ▁Cal bra ith ▁Perry