About 4 years ago, in August 2022, an unmanned solar-powered drone called Zephyr, operated by the US Army and produced by Airbus, flew for 64 days, 18 hours and 26 minutes before unexpectedly crashing down in Arizona.

Whether they were trying to set the record for the longest continuous flight ever recorded, or not, one will never know, however what we do know that they were still 4 hours short of the record for the longest ever continuous flight.

That record was set in 1958-59 (yes, it actually started in 1958 & ended in 1959), by Robert Timm and John Cook, who flew a 4-seater Cessna 172 aircraft in the skies over & around Las Vegas for 64 days, 22 hrs and 19 mins, covering over 240,000 kms, which is the equivalent of flying six times around the earth.

Why did they do this?

It started as a flying billboard for the Hacienda Hotel, Las Vegas. The Hacienda Hotel and Casino had just opened at the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, and its owners wanted to promote the hotel as one of the first family-oriented resorts in the city.

A slot machine mechanic of the Hacienda –  Robert Timm, a WW2 bomber pilot himself, had an idea. Timm convinced the owner to fund (at an expected cost of US$ 100,000) an attempt to break the manned flight endurance record, with Hacienda Hotel featured prominently on the aircraft. He found a Cessna 172, registered N9217B, and with a trusted mechanic, spent a year modifying it for the record attempt.

The two made several changes to the 4-seater propeller aircraft. The most significant modifications included the addition of a fuel tank in the belly to supplement the 47 gallons carried in the wings. The 95-gallon belly tank had an electric pump to transfer fuel to the main tank, and they also replumbed the oil lines to change oil and filters without shutting down the engine. Further additions included a mattress to nap on, a small sink for personal hygiene, and a foldable camp toilet.

The problematic beginning

The first attempts to break the existing world record (of 47 days set in 1949) were unsuccessful. The longest of the first three failed attempts lasted just 17 days. In the meantime, another flying team who knew about this attempt, themselves set a new record of over 50 days.

Following some incompatibility issues with his co-pilot, Timm found a new co-pilot and mechanic in John Wayne Cook.

The record-breaking flight

The record-breaking attempt had the two take off on December 4th, 1958, at 15:52. They first made a low pass on the airfield to allow a chase car to paint white stripes on the aircraft’s tires to ensure they didn’t make any secret landings. The paint would scuff upon touchdown, and the resulting marks would be visible when “officially” landing. They spent most of their time flying over the deserts around Las Vegas, sometimes diverting to Los Angeles for TV promotional opportunities.

Refuelling

Now for the really ingenious method of refueling. Twice daily, a truck fitted with a fuel tank and pump would rendezvous with the aircraft over a straight stretch of closed highway along the California-Arizona border.

The Cessna would fly roughly 20 feet off the ground and use an electric winch to lower a hook and snag the refueling hose. Timm or Cook would stand on a platform outside the door and insert the hose into the belly tank, taking around three minutes to fill. Over the course of the flight, they refueled 128 times.

Food, Water, etc.

Food & water was provided complements of The Hacienda, which prepared gourmet meals. Some of the magic of the quality food was lost in transit, as the food had to be chopped up and stuffed into thermos jugs to get up to the pilots.

Bathroom breaks happened on a foldable camp toilet and the resulting plastic bags were later thrown out over the desert. An extendable platform on the co-pilot side provided more space for shaving and bathing A few litres of water was also sent up on a regular basis for them to wash / clean / bathe themselves every other day.

Problems

Thirty-nine days in, the generator failed, so they had no lights, heat, or fuel pump. The pair relied on a hand pump to pump fuel from the road to the plane. Since the plane had no lights, oftentimes they had to refuel at night in near-dark conditions, except for the moon or the headlights of the fuel truck or torches carried by the refuel crew.

Sleeping was difficult even with the mattress due to the engine’s noise and the plane’s vibrations. At one point, Timm fell asleep while flying for over an hour, and the aircraft was kept aloft thanks to a rudimentary autopilot they had installed. The autopilot failed days later.

By the beginning of February, the spark plugs and combustion chambers were loaded with carbon, making it difficult to climb with a full load after refueling.

Finally…

They passed the then existing record (of 47 days set in 1949) but decided to keep flying for as long as possible. They finally decided to land 17 days later, on February 7th, 1959. Before they could touch down, the paint on the tires was checked, and no scuff marks were found.

Timm and Cook had to be lifted out of the Cessna, unable to walk or stand due to exhaustion, but their record still stands till date.

Robert Timm died in 1976 and John Cook in 1995 and the Hacienda Hotel was demolished in December 1996 but all 3 names continue to be immortalised at the Las Vegas Airport.

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P.S.: The Cessna 172 which they flew in now hangs above the baggage pickup area at Las Vegas International Airport. On one of my many trips to Vegas, while waiting for my bags, I noticed the plane and was wondering why a plane with the name of a hotel that no longer exists is hanging out there… So I got curious and ended up discovering this cool piece of history…

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