A Cessna 172 Flew around the Las Vegas Desert for 64 Days without Touching Ground
NV – If you walk into Las Vegas Airport, you can see a piece of aviation history hanging above you. In 1958, a Cessna 172 flew non-stop for more than 64 days, covering 150,000 miles. This record-breaking expedition is equivalent to six journeys around our planet or fifteen trips from Australia to a New York airport without ever touching the ground. To this day, it remains the longest non-stop flight in history, according to Guinness World Records.
Preparations for the historic flight didn’t exactly occur overnight. First, the hotel was brought in to finance the record-breaking attempt, and its logo was prominently branded on the aircraft. Next, a 95-gallon belly tank was added to the plane, which was equipped with an electric pump to transfer fuel to the main tank. Next, the crew modified the oil lines to allow for oil and filter changes without having to shut down the engine. This increased the total fuel capacity of the aircraft to 142 gallons.
It may have taken four attempts, but on December 4, 1958, a mechanic and WW2 vet, Robert Timm, and his copilot, John Wayne Cook, finally took off. They flew over the Nevada and California deserts while making PR appearances on TV. To ensure the pilots had enough to eat, they prepared gourmet meals that had to be chopped up and stuffed into thermos jugs.
What stands out is the flight’s ingenious method of refueling. It involved a truck fitted with a fuel tank and pump meeting up with the aircraft twice daily over a straight stretch of closed highway. This allowed the Cessna aircraft to be refueled without having to land. Instead, it flew about 20 feet from land and used a special hook to grab a refueling hose. It took around 3 minutes to fill the tank, which occurred an astonishing 128 times during the flight.
After setting a new record for the longest non-stop flight, the crew decided to keep flying for as long as possible. Despite the aircraft’s performance gradually deteriorating due to the accumulation of carbon in the spark plugs and combustion chambers, they sailed the friendly skies until February 7, 1959, when they finally decided to land.
After 39 days of relying on a generator for power, the device suddenly failed, leaving the pair without lights, heat, or a fuel pump. With no other option, they had to resort to using a hand pump to transfer fuel. To make matters worse, they had to refuel in the dark, with no lights or moon to guide them.
The incredible story of Robert Timm and John Cook still stands today. So the next time you find yourself stuck on a long flight, take a moment to consider how you would feel after spending 64 days, 22 hours, and 19 minutes in the same seat. That’s how long it would take to fly around the world, and it’s a good reminder of how lucky you are to be able to get up and stretch your legs after just a few hours.