By Mike Romero
Residents of Provo just witnessed a remarkable event. The U.S. Air Force and Utah Air National Guard’s air refuelers took flight over northern and central Utah on Tuesday, commemorating a century of air refueling.
On June 27, Tuesday, we honor the remarkable achievement of U.S. Army Air Service aviators who successfully executed the first-ever air refueling 100 years ago. It was on this historic day in 1923 when 1st Lts. Virgil Hine and Frank W. Seifert, piloting a DH-4B aircraft, transferred gasoline through a hose to another DH-4B plane carrying Capt. Lowell H. Smith and 1st Lt. John P. Richter.
The inaugural air refueling, once believed to be an impossible feat, marked a new era for combat aircraft. This innovative process enables planes to remain airborne for extended periods, conserving fuel and saving valuable time during long-distance flights.
Provo residents witnessed the flyover between 10:10 and 10:20 AM, with the three aircraft passing directly over BYU campus at 10:13 AM. Watch the flyover in the third slide below.
Provo Tribune: Local News for the Provo/Orem Area 