In 1933, Richard C. du Pont teamed with Hawley Bowlus and the two men set up shop in San Fernando, California, to build gliders. Their most successful competition sailplane was the Senior Albatross. The Bowlus shop built four and Warren Eaton bought the third in May 1934. He named the sailplane "Falcon" and flew it often including over the Blue Ridge Mountains from an airfield at Big Meadows, VA, in 1934.