Voyager Completes Nonstop World Flight: 9 Days, No Refueling
Voyager's winglets snapped off during takeoff as fuel-laden tips scraped Edwards AFB's runway, yet Burt Rutan and Mike Melvill pressed on through typhoons and cramped quarters to complete the first non-stop, non-refueled circumnavigation. This daring flight proved humanity could circle the globe without landing, earning the 1986 Collier Trophy for Yeager, the Rutans, and Bruce Evans while leaving only 106 pounds of fuel upon landing.
December 23, 1986
40 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on December 23
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consécration de la nouvelle basilique Sainte-Sophie de Constantinople.
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