Honolulu-New York In 14½ Hours

Northern Advocate, 1 March 1947, Page 5

Honolulu-New York In 14½ Hours

(Rec. 11.0 a.m.) NEW YORK, Feb. 28. The plane Betty Jo landed at La Guardia Field at 11.0 a.m., establishing a record non-stop 4978-mile flight from Honolulu to New York in 14 hours 34 minutes.

With only a few gallons of petrol remaining, the Betty Jo made a perfect landing. All aircraft had been cleared from the area, so that the touchdown was not delayed.

The Betty Jo is a post-war Siamesetwin descendant of the famous P. 51 single-engine Mustang fighter evolved during the war.

During the flight, the pilot, Lieuten-ant-Colonel Robert Thacker, radioed that lie was having trouble dropping his empty right-wing fuel tank. He also stated that more fuel had been used than expected over the Pacific.

Colonel Thacker said the drag of the tank reduced his speed below the 400 miles which he had hoped to average.

Nevertheless, the Betty Jo crossed ,tlic Pacific in record time, which one report gives at 5 hours 51 minutes.

It was the first non-stop flight by any type of plane from Honolulu to New York, the longest flight made by a fighter and the total weight of 30,000 lbs at the take-ofl was the heaviest lifted by a fighter. The Betty Jo occasionally attained 450 miles an hour, but was delayed by an auxiliary tank which it could not jettison because of a mechanical defect.