• 1923 -- The Beginnings of Inflight Refueling

    The air service first demonstrated inflight refueling in June 25, 1923, and in August of that year Lts. Lowell H. Smith and John P. Richter set a new world's record by staying aloft for 37 hours and 15 minutes in a DH-4 over San Diego with the help of refueling from another DH-4.

  • Lucky Ladies I, II and III

    While luck might be a lady as the song popularized by Frank Sinatra hoped, the USAF had three Lucky Ladies of their own. The flights of these famous aircraft illustrated the service's vision to provide global reach and power. Achieving these goals involved two key aspects: the ability to rapidly fly