This is an Original Antique Celebration Dinner Menu given by the citizens of San Francisco to US Navy Commander John Rodgers & Crew of the PN-9 Flying Boat Airplane 1925 Attempt of the first flight transoceanic flight from San Francisco to Hawaii. The menu measures 9 x 6 inches and depicts the Naval Aircraft Factory PN-9 Flying Boat used for the flight as well as the names of the flight crew...Inside are pages including the list of speakers , the menu , and auspices...It is in Nice Condition with slight dirtiness from handling.Also included is the invitation from the Mayors office for Lillian Gatlin to attend . Lillian Gatlin was a very well known early aviator herself and was the first woman to fly across the continental United States and did so in 1922. The old photo included is of Lillian Gatlin and her BlueBird airplane.Under the command of Commander John Rodgers, two PN-9s left San Francisco in the early afternoon of August 31, 1925. On the day of the flight, the PB-1 wasn't ready. In addition to Rodgers who served as navigator of the PN-9-1, four other men were in the crew: Lt. B.J. Connell as senior pilot, two enlisted pilots, Kiles R. Pope and W.H. Bowlin, and Radioman 1st Class Otis G. Stanz. The PN-9 carried 1328 gallons of fuel at roughly seven pounds per gallon amounted to 9298 pounds, while the five crewmen added roughly another 850 pounds. One of the pilots later recalled that "We were so heavy we had to fly 50 miles before we could climb to 300 feet." PN-9-3 suffered an engine oil leak about 300 hundred miles out, landed at sea, and was towed back to San Francisco. The remaining PN-9-1 flew on alone with John Rodgers in command.Rodgers Continued on though eventually running out of fuel and landing 450 miles short of Hawaii and then enduring a harrowing 10 day survival drift until they were finally rescued. Though they did not reach Hawaii the flight was still considered and celebrated as a success and that’s where this celebration dinner menu came from.Nice aviation history.

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