buhlairsedanmissdorannx2915

Miss Mildred Doran, namesake, passenger, and among those lost with Buhl Airsedan (reg. NX2915) "Miss Doran" during the Dole Air Race between Oakland and Honolulu.

This is a photo of Mildred Doran, of the ill-fated "Miss Doran" and Emory Bronte prior to the start of the Dole Air Race from Oakland, California to Honolulu, Hawaii on or about August 16, 1927. Bronte was the navigator for the Travel Air 5000 "City of Oakland" (piloted by Ernest Smith) which had taken off from Oakland for Honolulu on July 14, 1927. "City of Oakland" would ultimately exhaust its fuel and make a crash landing on Molokai on July 15th. While Smith and Bronte did not reach Honolulu, they did become the first civilian flight to reach Hawaii non-stop from California. For comparison purposes, below is a photo of Smith and Bronte. Note Bronte's jacket pants and socks - virtually identical to those in this photo.

Apparently an Hawaiian-themed party prior to the Dole Air Race. Though I've identified Mildred Doran ("Miss Doran") and Norman Goddard ("El Encanto") in the photo, there may be other race participants in the photo.