Evening star., 1949-03-03
BY the Assoeioted Press

FORI WOR1H, lex, Mar. D.
The crew of Lucky Lady H." by
chance the first men to fly non
stop around the world. slept of q
24-hour quarantine today.
The II men landed at Carswell
Air Base yesterday. "a hours and
one minute after standby orders
became operational. They had
crossed three oceans and four
continents. covered more than
$4,000 miles. refueled in midair
four times and circumnavigated
the globe at nearly it's greatest
girth.
Chance placed Lucky Lady II. -
It's pilot. Capt. James Gallagher.
and crew in history. Another
plane was to have made the
fight.
The B-50 bomber which started
what the Air Force chose to call
Q routine training mission got
as far as the Azores after taking
of last Friday. The engine fire
which forced this plane down sent
Lucky Lady II" aloft.
Capt. Gallagher and his history
making crew had been on standby
orders for any emergency that
might arise. Their B-50. an i'm
proved version Of the B-29 Super
fortress, took off at 1921 pm.
(EST) Saturday.
The sleek, silvery plane re-
turned to its starting point yes
terday at 10:21:55 am. (EST)
Shortly sfterward its crew was
placed under a 24-hour quaran-
tine, ending at noon today.
Checked by Medical Officer.
The quarantine was part of the
training mission" The IA men
were weary-eyed when they
dropped out of escape matches
and bomb bay doors. although
beaming and in good physical
condition. But medical officers
wanted to check the effects of
q nonstop flight and to give the
men a chance to sleep-on beds
with springs and sheets instead
Of CT blankets, thin cot mat
tresses and bomber floor.
Newsmen were permitted to
question the men only briefly
yesterday before they went into
quarantine. Official times and
distances were to be computed
today. The Air Force had given
as approximate figures 81 hours
and one minute for q 23,452-
statute mile flight.
Top Air Force brass greeted the
men of Lucky Lady II" when 1t
landed.
One, 1t. Gen. Curtis E. lie May,
chief of the Strategic Air Com
mand, said success Of the midair
refueling now means the Air Force
can reach ANY place that would
require an atomic bomb"
To the planes pilot. the trip
meant:
you can go Just about any,
where in the world anytime"
There were no frills for the
Millrose, Mimi. pilot and his crew.
The trip was made under con-
ditions the Air Force considers
strictly "operational."
Food Was Plentiful.
There was plenty Of food-sand-
wiches and candy and other items
that would keep. Water was
carried in five-gallon jugs. stand
ard B-50 equipment. Bedding was
the bomber's floor, q few mat
tresses from regulation CT cots
and Cd blankets. The double
crew enabled them to sleep In
shifts on regular schedules.
Refueling points were over the
Azores. Dhahran. in Saudi Arabia,
the Philippines and Hawaii, The
refueling "tankers" were converted
B-29 bombers, from the 43d Bomb
Group.
Capt. Gallagher and his CO.
pilot, First 1t. James A. Neal Of
Visalia, Calf. kept the planes
log. In restrained words they told
Of the epic flight, from takeof to
landing:
"Takeof normal except for an
extended takeof run minor
cold front encountered at 10000
feet over Azores. picked up
tankers and continued on course
refueling underway about Is
minutes after contact tanker
crews report champagne at Lagans