From: DWSkjerven@aol.com
Date: 12/1/2012 1:01:11 PM
Subject: Fwd:
THE LONGEST FLIGHT IN HISTORY... IN A Cessna-172
Here is a record for you retired
pilots to break.
THE LONGEST FLIGHT IN HISTORY... IN A Cessna-172
Courtesy Ed Dialogue
John Cook, Bob Timm, actor Preston Foster & Hacienda owner Doc
Bayley.
A stock Cessna
172 was purchased, then modified for the flight. Although the Continental
engine was basically untouched, two oil systems, filters, and a 95 gallon fuel
tank were installed. The oil could be changed and the plane refueled without
shutting down the engine. Except for the pilot seat, the interior was gutted,
then re-done to include a mattress and a sink. The right side door was
collapsible, providing access to the exterior and enabling the co-pilot to
operate a winch for bringing supplies aboard from below. Re-fueling and
re-supplying the airplane were the tricky parts. Twice daily, the plane was
flown just above a speeding truck from which a hose was hoisted up to pump 95
gallons of avgas into the belly tank. Food, water and other supplies were
lifted up from the truck as well.
Refueling "Endurance" 172
After three
unsuccessful attempts at the record, mechanical problems and difficulties
between Bob and his co-pilot needed to be dealt with. A new pilot, John Cook,
agreed to fly the next flight with Bob. That attempt was ultimately the record
breaker. The two fellows got along well, and the 172 seemed to sense the
harmony. No more serious breakdowns occurred for the more than 1,550 hours of
continuous flying.
On December 4, 1958,
the pair departed McCarran Airport in Las Vegas in pursuit of their dream.
Immediately after takeoff, they flew low over a speeding car while someone with
a giant paint roller applied a special white paint to the tires of the plane.
It would provide proof that the pilots didn't land at night in some far off
airport for a rest or repairs.
Two months is a
long time to be away from family, friends, and the comforts we take for granted
on the ground. There was an autopilot installed, but Bob and John needed to
take turns flying and sleeping. Four hour shifts seemed to work well. They had
a radio to talk to the mechanics at their base, a radio to speak with their
families at home, and a monitor was set up in the Hacienda lobby as part of the
publicity campaign.
The two fell into
a routine that worked well, and by the half-way mark of the flight, it was
Christmas. The hotel kitchen staff was charged with the meals, and on December
25, John hoisted a turkey dinner up from the fuel truck.
Re supplying from the T-bird.
Boredom and
fatigue were the biggest problems. One night, both men were asleep for a period
of time lasting over two hours. The plane, on autopilot, had continued south
until it was almost in Mexican airspace before Timm woke up and realized they
were way off course . On about day 40, their heater failed. Even in the desert,
winter nights can be cold. The men wrapped themselves in blankets for a few
days, until something could be rigged and lifted up to fix the problem.
As the end of the
flight neared, Bob and John began to check each other's work fearing a human
error would cause them to fail in their quest for a world endurance record.
Each procedure, every item, every decision was carefully planned and discussed.
The previous record was 50 days. As that day passed, they decided to extend
their flight as long as possible, finally touching down over two weeks later.
By then, the engine had started to carbon up and lost so much power that
climbing out with full fuel was dangerous . The list of 'snags' included the
generator, heater, tachometer , fuel gauge, winch and electric fuel pump.
It was a tremendous achievement for both man and
machine. Sixty four days and twenty two hours in the air.
Pilot Bob Timm
Bob Timm died
unexpectedly in 1978. John Cook passed away in 1995. The Cessna 172 was sold to
a Canadian pilot, but was eventually brought back to Nevada, where it now hangs
from the ceiling at McCarran International Airport.
The entire story of this flight, and the record
which stands to this day, is available to read at the Howard W. Cannon Aviation
Museum at McCarran Airport in Las Vegas .
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