Hawaii Aviation

Warner to Deliver Address At Ceremonies At New Moanalua Flying Field

Star Bulletin
March 21, 1927

Honoring the heroic bravery of that staunch pioneer of the air, the late Capt. John Rodgers, and at the same time opening the way for the construction of an up-to-date air field that will be capable of handling all of the flying machines that will come to Honolulu in the expected development of aeronautics for many years to come, the John Rodgers airport, located near the Moanalua gardens, will be dedicated this afternoon.

Edward P. Warner, assistant secretary of the navy for aeronautics, will dedicate the airport.

The dedication will start at 1:30 o’clock this afternoon when Governor Wallace R. Farrington will receive the guests at the ceremony.  At 2 o’clock, Clarence H. Cooke, of the Honolulu chapter of the National Aeronautic association will give the toast to be followed by the chaplain’s prayer.

Warner will then dedicate the field, and following his address, the inscription tablet will be unveiled by Mrs. Farrington.

Pigeons to Carry News

Upon the completion of the dedication, army and navy carrier pigeons will carry the announcement of the dedication to Luke and Wheeler Fields.  The pigeons will be released by Peter McComb, son of the commanding officer of the navy air station at Pearl Harbor.

The dedication will be a dedication of the field in actual service as several of the many army and navy planes that will fly over the field during the ceremonies will swoop down from the formation flying and land—initiating the new landing base.

Complete in Every Detail

It is planned to make the airport complete in every detail as a new terminal.  And it will be complete with hangars, repair sites and have storage facilities for all supplies.

When finished it can be used as a landing field for either land or seaplanes and it is expected it will be used by air planes to land or enter Honolulu—commercial planes and mail planes as well as army and navy aeroplanes.

With the completion of the Queen St. extension, the field will be a 10-minute drive from the center of the city.  Plans for the grading and actual construction work at the airport are now in the making and will be completed shortly.

The public as a whole is urged to attend the dedication ceremonies this afternoon, and a special invitation is extended to the members of the chamber of commerce, the National Aeronautical association and others who have contributed toward the development of the airport.  The route to the field will be pointed out by signs placed at close intervals along the road.

Preceding the actual dedication ceremonies at the field, there will be a luncheon at the Commercial club. Warner will be the guest of honor at the “air luncheon,” which is being sponsored by the Honolulu branch of the National Aeronautic association.

Clarence H. Cooke, president of the association’s branch here, will preside at the luncheon, and there will be more than 70 guests present including Governor W. R. Farrington, Major General Edward Lewis, the mayor and supervisors and the territorial legislature.