Wheeler Army Airfield the first transpacific flight from California in 1927; the great Dole Air Race from California to Hawaii; the first transpacific flight from the U.S. to Australia in 1928, and the first Hawaii-to-Mainland solo flight in 1935 by Amelia Earhart. Ms. Earhart visited Wheeler Field in 1935 in her Lockheed Vega and in 1937 in her Lockheed Model 10 Electra. Kingsford Smith, in his plane, the "Southern Cross", also used the airfield on his historic flights across the Pacific. By 1940, Wheeler Field had evolved into a primary base for Army Air Corps pursuit (i.e., "fighter") aircraft such as the P-40
Amelia Earhart 16 hours. The Electra also loaded 900 gallons of fuel for the shorter Honolulu to Howland leg (with only Earhart, Noonan, and Manning on board), but the airplane crashed on take off; the crash ended the first world flight attempt. Around <time datetime="1937-07-02T15:00+10:00">3 pm Lae time</time>, Earhart reported her altitude as 10000 feet but that they would reduce altitude due to thick clouds. Around <time datetime="1937-07-02T17:00+10:00">5 pm</time>, Earhart reported her altitude as 7000 feet and speed as 150 knots. Their last known position report was near the Nukumanu Islands, about into the flight. During the flight, Noonan may have been