On July 22, 1948, three B-29s of the 43rd Bombardment Group departed Davis-Monthan Air Force
Base, Arizona on a round-the-world flight attempt. The flight was scheduled for fourteen days, but
one extra day was required because one B-29 crashed in the Arabian Sea. The remaining two aircraft
made eight en-route stops and completed the 20,000-mile flight in 103 hours and 50 minutes of actual
flight time.
The two aircraft completing the flight were Gas Gobbler, commanded by Lt. Col. R. W. Kline, and
Lucky Lady, commanded by 1st Lt. Arthur M. Neal. They landed at Davis-Monthan on August 6, 1948.