“Operation Power Flite”: The First Nonstop Around-the-World Flight Completed by Three U.S. Air Force B-52 Bombers

The 52Bs launched from Castle AFB, California at 1:00 PM, and landed at March AFB, California.  The flights were completed at an average speed of 534 miles per hour (859 kilometers per hour) and required multiple in-flight aerial refuelings to stay airborne.

In-flight aerial refueling (AAR) transfers fuel between two aircraft mid-air, extending range and endurance, using methods like the fast flying boom (for large jets) or the simpler probe-and-drogue (hoses for fighters/helicopters). This dangerous, skill-intensive operation requires close formation flying (under 100 feet) and precise communication between tanker (fuel provider) and receiver (fuel recipient) crews, acting as “gas stations in the sky” for global military reach.