The arrival of the P2Y-1 Rangers marked a significant change for the U.S. Navy. These aircraft had substantially longer range, including the ability to fly directly to Hawaii instead of being crated and shipped by boat.
Commander Marc “Pete” Mitscher was the chief of the Flight Division in the Bureau of Aeronautics and saw the P2Y-1 Ranger as a way to bring the patrol aircraft to their full potential. 
By the time the last P2Y-1 was accepted on June 27, 1933, Mitscher had already started the planning for the Hawaii flight.
VP-10 was formed at Hampton Roads, Virginia on July 1, 1930. After initially flying Martin T4Ms from Squadron VP-9S, the squadron received PM-1s in September 1930. On April 1, 1933, the squadron was redesignated VP-10F and received its first six P2Y-1s. Shortly afterwards the squadron received orders that it would be transferred to Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii. After familiarizing themselves with the P2Y-1, Lt. Cmdr. Kneffler McGinnis decided to use the non-stop flight to the Canal Zone as a test for the upcoming flight to Hawaii. The flight indeed provided a test for the 36 crewmen and 6 machines.
After taking off from Hampton Roads, the squadron ran into bad weather and head winds virtually the entire flight. Using the ‘modern’ radios systems and adjusting course and speed, after 25 hours and 21 minutes the squadron landed safely at Coc Solo, CZ. The squadron flight to NAS Coco Solo, Canal Zone set a record-breaking non-stop flight of 2,058 miles by a formation of aircraft. During the Fall of 1933, the squadron worked with RADM Alfred W. Johnson to further evaluate the P2Y-1s capabilities prior to moving to Hawaii. They also worked with the fleet as part of the current tactical plans for the battleship squadrons as long-distance scouts.
In November 1933, the fleet received orders to return to San Diego, and VP-10F moved with it (phot of VP-10F at San Diego. Note the Omaha-class cruiser in background).
The squadron flew 1,677 miles to Acapulco, Mexico and then another 1,616 to San Diego, California. While at San Diego,
the squadron focused on aircraft maintenance and practiced on night flight formation techniques which would be required for the Hawaiian trip.
The final orders came on December 21, 1933, in Operation Plan Number 2-33. RADM Johnson ordered "that this transfer be completed by flying the squadron from San Francisco to Pearl Harbor, on 12 January 1934,
or as soon thereafter as favorable weather conditions prevail," and added that "this force will conduct a non-stop flight by VP-Squadron 10 in one group ...".
This order set in motion several actions in support of the flight to Hawaii. On January 9, 1933, VP-10 was ordered to San Francisco, and after landing in Paradise Cove in San Francisco Bay, the squadron immediately began to prepared for the flight. Besides having long-range radios installed, emergency life rafts and life-saving equipment, navigational gear and about 100 pounds of food, the aircraft were loaded with extra fuel with a total 2,250 gallons (the normal maximum load was 1,700 gallons). This substantially overloaded the P2Y-1s and would lead to some initial takeoff problems.
Mindful of the attempt by Commander Rogers in 1925 and the disaster of the Dole Derby in 1927, the Navy was not about to turn the flight into a daredevil spectacle. The flight was only approved after being recommended by the Commander, Aircraft Base Force and the Commander in Chief, U. S. Fleet, and careful study by the Chief of Naval Operations. Flying in the winter months was thought to be dangerous because of the North Pacific storms. However, the Weather Bureau realized that after each storm passed there were several days of good weather. In fact, compared to the “fair weather’ during the summer, these lulls to have less mist and more visibility. However, to time these ‘fair weather’ openings would require accurate weather reporting.
Starting on January 3, 1934, the Navy stationed six ships to provide navigational aid, stationed 300 miles apart, and to provide up-to-date weather information:
1) AM Sandpiper, 2) DD Schenck, 3) DD Breese, 4) AM Whippoorwill, 5) AV Wright and 6) AM Pelican). A weather ship was also stationed 900 miles north northeast of the Hawaiian Islands to provide warning of an approaching Pacific storm.
Coordination between the land-based stations at San Diego, Sunnyvale, Seattle, Dutch Harbor, Honolulu was increased so weather reports could be transmitted immediately to the Weather Bureau at San Francisco.
Finally, all the station ships would require a trained ‘aerological’ officer on board to ensure all pertinent information was transmitted.
This last item produced some scrambling, but by the time the ships set off for their station, each one had an “aerologist’ aboard. The Bureau also received regular reports from merchantmen in the proposed flight path.
All of this activity alerted the newspapers so that by January 6th, the public had news of the upcoming flight (Pensacola News Journal - 6 Jan 1934). 
Though the flight of VP-10F has often been described as “uneventful”, the weather would play a role in the upcoming flight. The first instance was the night of January 9th when news came to the USS Gannet (AVP-8),
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a tender for aerial survey expeditions to Alaska, that was being used a the center for the upcoming flight. The report stated the weather over Alaska was changing, and that favorable flying weather would be deteriorating.
The flight had been scheduled to leave on January 11th, but LTCDR McGinnis decided the squadron show flyout the next day, January 10th, just one day after its arrival at San Franscico.
One side note concerns Commander Marc “Pete” Mitscher. As mentioned he was instrumental in getting the P2Y-1 developed and approved. He wanted to go on the trip, but did not want take take any of the limelight away from McGinnis or the squadron. As such, he 'snuck' on board Plane One and acted as McGinnis's co-pilot, even though he technical was not list on the flight.
One of the often forgotten aspects of the flight was that it actually carried mail. VP-10 Mail Carrier
Link for news of the preparations: News of the Preparations
