Saturday, August 22, 2015

The Woolaroc and the tribute room at Frank Phillips ranch


Four days after Charles Lindbergh’s famous transatlantic flight in May 1927, James Dole of the Dole Pineapple Company offered a $25,000 first prize for an air race of its own – across the Pacific from Oakland to Honolulu

for a 500 photo gallery of the Dole Air Race see https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/albums/72157667480712492

Frank Phillips, president of Phillips Petroleum Company

With an enthusiastic crowd of more than 50,000 cheering them on, the eight competing aircraft attempted to take off from the muddy Oakland Airport field at about noon on August 16, 1927. Two of the fuel-heavy planes crashed on takeoff and others soon returned to the airport for repairs.

High-octane aviation fuel developed by Phillips Petroleum powered the “Woolaroc” monoplane to victory in a dangerous 1927 air race over the Pacific.


Two years after the 1927 Dole Air Race, Frank Phillips brought his winning plane back to his Osage Hills ranch and built a hangar for it – the first building in what would become today’s Woolaroc Ranch and Wildlife Preserve.

Will Rogers once said, “When you are visiting the beauty spots of this country, don’t overlook Frank Phillips’ ranch and game preserve in Bartlesville. It’s the most unique place in this country.”


This is a small exhibit, but I also learned that the Phillips 66 company has a museum http://www.phillips66museum.com/EN/Pages/index.aspx

Images from http://aoghs.org/transportation/flight-of-the-woolaroc-high-octane-aviation-fuel/  via  https://www.facebook.com/groups/353785941367129/?fref=nf

Dole Travel Air 5000 at Wheeler Fld, Hawaii
http://www.mission4today.com/index.php?name=ForumsPro&file=viewtopic&t=16352&finish=15&start=30


http://aoghs.org/transportation/flight-of-the-woolaroc-high-octane-aviation-fuel/





8x10 press photo of the start of the Dole Air Race in Oakland, California on August 16, 1927. Caption pasted on the back reads, "General view of flying field where four planes took off for Honolulu in the Dole $35,000 prize air derby. The Oklahoma is seen on the starting line, with other planes in rear awaiting their turn.

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