October 16, 1963

Operation Greased Lightning 1963
Major Sidney J. Kubesch, Major John Barrett and Captain Gerard Williamson flew 8,028 miles from Tokyo, Japan, to London England, non-stop, in 8 hours, 35 minutes, 20.4 seconds. Their airplane was a Convair B-58A-20-CF Hustler, serial number 61-2059, named Greased Lightning. It was assigned to the 305th Bombardment Wing, 19th Air Division, at Bunker Hill Air Force Base, Indiana. The B-58 used five inflight refuelings and flew at an average speed of 938 MPH. Kubesch set two other records: speed from Tokyo to Anchorage, 3 hours 9 minutes 42 seconds at 1,093.4 MPH; and speed from Anchorage to London, 5 hours 24 minutes 54 seconds at 826.9 MPH.