![]() ![]() Note the fire fighting apparatus standing by in the background. At least six fueling hoses are simultaneously filling the fighter’s fuselage, wing and drop tanks tanks while the jet engine remains in operation. California Boomerang, 1st Lieutenant Jack Conroy’s California Air National Guard F-86A-5-NA Sabre, 49-1046, being “hot” refueled at an intermediate stop. Weather across the country caused some delays as Jack Conroy had to make instrument approaches to three of the airports. ![]() His average speed was 445 miles per hour (716.2 kilometers per hour). The total elapsed time was 11 hours, 26 minutes, 33 seconds. John Conroy’s Coast-to-Coast-to-Coast “dawn to dusk” flight covered 5,058 miles (8,140.1 kilometers). After another 7 minute stopover, California Boomerang took off on the final leg of the round-trip journey, finally landing back at Van Nuys, California at 5:26:18 p.m., PST. Lieutenant Conroy landed at 3:58 p.m., PST. The last refueling took place at Albuquerque, New Mexico. PST, and was refueled and airborne again in 6 minutes. Next on the flight plan was Tulsa, Oklahoma. PST and arrived at Lockburne Air Force Base, Ohio at 12:58 p.m., PST. He touched down at 11:19 a.m., PST and remained on the ground for 39 minutes.Ĭonroy departed Mitchel Field on the westbound leg at 11:58 a.m. The next stop was Mitchel Field, Long Island, New York. From Denver he continued eastward to Springfield, Illinois, arriving at 9:32 a.m. PST and the Sabre was refueled and off again in just 6 minutes. (LIFE Magazine via Jet Pilot Overseas)Īfter takeoff, Lieutenant Conroy climbed to approximately 40,000 feet (12,192 meters) and headed to his first refueling stop at Denver, Colorado. North American Aviation F-86A-5-NA Sabre 49-1046, California Boomerang, being readied for its return flight at Mitchel Air Force Base, New York. The Sabre remained in its overall natural aluminum finish but had green stripes on the fuselage, vertical fin and wings. ![]() Jack Conroy’s F-86A was nicknamed California Boomerang, and had a map of the United States and a boomerang painted on the fuselage. The General Electric J47-GE-13 turbojet was overhauled, then tested and adjusted for maximum efficiency.Īrrangements for official timing of the West to East and Back Again speed run were paid for by North American Aviation, Inc., whose personnel also provided technical support to the Air National Guard. This was to reduce aerodynamic drag as much as possible. ![]() 50-caliber Browning machine guns in the fighter’s nose were filled then covered with doped fabric and painted. (The F-86 was not capable of inflight refueling.) The six-year-old F-86A was polished to ensure that all rivet heads were smooth, seams in the fuselage and wing skin panels were adjusted for precise fit, then were sealed. A deviation from peacetime standards would allow the Sabre to be refueled with the engine running to minimize time spent on the ground. Five refueling stops would be required and Air National Guard personnel across the United States would handle that. Several weeks of planning and preparation were involved in “Operation Boomerang”. North American Aviation F-86A-5-NA Sabre 49-1046, “California Boomerang.” (California State Military Museum) His plan was to return to the ANG base in “The Valley” before sunset. His Destination? Van Nuys, California-by way of Mitchel Field, Long Island, New York. His airplane was a specially-prepared North American Aviation F-86A-5-NA Sabre, USAF serial number 49-1046. Air Force, a World War II B-17 pilot and former Prisoner of War, took off from the California Air National Guard Base at the San Fernando Valley Airport (re-named Van Nuys Airport in 1957). : At 05:59:45 Pacific Standard Time (13:59:45 UTC) 1st Lieutenant John M. (Ralph Morse, LIFE Magazine, via Jet Pilot Overseas) Conroy, 115th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, California Air National Guard, checks the time after arriving back at the point of departure. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |