On This Date: February 7th, 1959, World’s Longest Flight Was Set in Las Vegas

February 7, 2019
World's Record Flight

World’s Record Flight of 64 Day 22 hours without landing

On December 4th, 1958, Robert Timm and John Cook took off from Las Vegas McCarren Airport in a specially modified Cessna 172 Skyhawk. They flew most of the hours over southwestern deserts in the Blythe, California, and Yuma, Arizona. The two guys took turns sleeping and got fuel, food, and water by flying low over a vehicle on a desert highway once a day. The two men set an  astonishing endurance record that still stands today, flying 64 days and 22 hours before finally landing on February 7th, 1959.  The plane is permanently displayed in the McCarren International Airport terminal in Las Vegas.

Timm-Cook_Cessna_172_LV_NV

Timm and Cook’s Restored Cessna is displayed above McCarren Airport’s baggage claim area.

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