James L. Giffin announced he needed US$15,000 to complete a giant triplane under construction in July 1927; at the time, he was planning to fly it from Los Angeles to Tokyo via Hawaii. The motors of the triplane, by then named "Pride of Los Angeles", were installed in early August. After a short test flight on August 10, Giffin confidently predicted they would rest upon arrival in Honolulu, then continue to Australia nonstop, a distance of . Giffin's intended final destination was Paris, a flight of 30 days in total via Borneo, India, Constantinople, and Rome.