The aircraft which landed after 64 Days - How its possible ? Part 2

❌ Early Failures

Test flights began in the summer of 1958.

But problems appeared immediately.

Timm’s first co-pilot constantly argued with him.

The first test flight failed.

The second failed.

And during the third, their fight became so intense…

That Timm fired him.

Mechanical issues also plagued the plane.

The exhaust valve kept overheating.

They attempted to launch the mission three times…

And failed badly.

Even worse…

While Timm struggled…

Two pilots in Dallas successfully set a new endurance record:

50 days in the air…

In the same Cessna 172.

But Timm refused to quit.

By December, all issues were finally fixed.

🚀 The Official Takeoff

On December 4th, 1958…

The mission began.

FAI officials were present to prevent fraud.

To ensure the plane never secretly landed…

A chase car painted the tires with special white paint.

If the plane touched down…

The paint would wear off.

And the record would not count.

Timm and his new co-pilot, John Cook, took off.

🚛 Refueling From a Truck

Twelve hours later…

The first refueling began.

The plane flew over a predetermined road…

Where a fuel truck was waiting.

The truck driver pushed full acceleration.

The plane had to fly at its slowest speed…

About 100 km/h…

Because the truck couldn’t go faster.

When the plane was only 20 feet above the truck…

Cook lowered the winch cable.

Workers attached the fuel pipe.

The pipe was pulled up and connected to the belly tank.

Then the fuel pump was switched on.

For three minutes…

The plane and truck moved perfectly together.

One mistake…

One speed difference…

And the result would be instant death.

To break the 50-day record…

They would need to repeat this process over 100 times.

🌌 Life in the Sky

For the first few days, they stayed over Las Vegas…

So the runway was nearby in case something went wrong.

But soon, they began spending long hours over California’s empty deserts.

Higher altitudes improved fuel efficiency…

But temperatures became freezing.

And because of the door modifications…

The plane’s insulation was poor.

So they flew closer to the ground to avoid deadly cold.

The pilots slowly became close friends.

In their free time, they read books…

Exercised…

And talked to pass the endless hours.

During refueling, they lifted up supplies:

Water containers…

Engine oil…

And fresh food cooked by the Hacienda chef.

But one question remained:

Where did it all go?

They carried a small folding camping toilet seat…

With waste bags underneath.

Those bags were secretly dropped over the deserted California plains.

😵 Exhaustion and Near Death

After 36 days…

The fatigue became unbearable.

The engine noise made proper sleep impossible.

One night…

Bob Timm fell asleep at the controls.

And it happened only minutes before Cook’s shift was supposed to begin.

For an entire hour…

The plane flew forward only on autopilot.

When Timm woke up…

The aircraft was inside a canyon…

Flying dangerously low.

A few more minutes…

And they would have crashed into the mountains.

Because autopilot could keep the plane straight…

But it could not avoid obstacles.

⚡ The Plane Begins to Fail

On January 12th — Day 39…

A serious disaster struck.

The generator failed.

Now the radio, lights, heater…

And fuel pumping system were dead.

A small wind turbine was sent up…

But it produced only enough electricity to power the radios.

Fuel had to be pumped manually by hand.

Night refueling became terrifying.

Especially under a moonless sky.

They tied a flashlight to the winch…

So the ground crew could see where to attach the pipe.

A second truck with a searchlight drove ahead to guide them.

But problems kept growing:

The fuel gauge failed.

The tachometer stopped working.

Carbon buildup began choking the engine.

🏆 The Historic Moment

As January 23rd approached…

Publicity exploded.

Warren Bayley published flight schedules in newspapers…

So people could watch the plane pass over major cities.

A photographer even flew alongside to capture historic images.

To make the moment unforgettable…

John Cook stepped outside the plane mid-flight…

Pretending to clean the windshield.

The photo shocked the nation.

And America’s attention turned fully to the Hacienda flight.

On January 23rd at 3:52 PM…

They broke the 50-day world record.

But they didn’t land.

They continued flying…

For 14 more days.

🛬 The Final Landing

Finally, the plane could not endure anymore.

On February 7th, 1959…

After:

64 days

22 hours

19 minutes

5 seconds

They requested landing permission.

And at last…

The Hacienda touched the runway.

A massive crowd was waiting:

Supporters…

Officials…

Journalists…

Timm’s wife and children…

And the entire Hacienda hotel staff.

The pilots were so weak…

They could barely stand.

Officials confirmed the tire paint was still intact.

The plane truly had not landed once.

It had remained airborne for 64 straight days.

🕯️ An Unbreakable Record

In 2015, the FAI officially ended piloted endurance records…

Because the risk of death was simply too high.

Meaning Bob Timm and John Cook’s record…

Will remain unbreakable forever.

The very Cessna 172 that achieved this feat…

Still hangs today inside McCarran International Airport…

In Terminal 1 baggage claim…

Silent…

Suspended…

Still telling its unbelievable story.