The fledgling American Army Air service was on the verge of disappearing after WW I. Few politicians thought much of flight, or its potential, and even fewer thought of assigning funding to it. First Lieutenants Oakley Kelly and John Macready wanted to prove them wrong, and proposed to demonstrate the airplane’s potential by flying one across the country. Non stop. An almost laughably absurd proposition during the era of biplanes, but the two pilots found the perfect plane for them the Fokker T-2, a passenger plane they would modify with extra fuel and lighter weight. And they made the impossible come true.

On this day, May 3, 1923, Macready and Kelly landed at Rockwell Field, San Diego, California, after completing the first ever non stop transcontinental trip. They were met and congratulated on the ground by Major Henry H. ‘Hap Arnold, the field commander for the region.

Macready amd Kelly almost did not make it on their journey. Their first attempt at a flight six months earlier ended in disappointment after they encountered heavy fog over the Rocky Mountains and had to turn back. Their second attempt also ran into inclement weather and something technical difficulties. Finally, their third trip, in the summer, met favorable weather and no malfunctions. 26 hours after takeoff from New York, the pilots completed their record-setting flight.