This week in history: July 29 - August 1

  • Published
  • By John Murphy
  • 436th AW historian
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  July, 29 1931: A state of Delaware-built Bellanca J aircraft, named the Cape Cod flew from New York to Istanbul, Turkey, non-stop. Two American pilots completed this new long distance record by navigating over 5,001 miles in 49 hours and 15 minutes. The Cape Cod monoplane consisted of a single engine.

August, 1 1943: The Dover Army Air Base reopened after completion of its 7,000 foot runway construction. The First Air Force used the field as a pilot training base. Fighter pilots, fresh from combat, trained more than 1,000 P-47 Thunderbolt pilots before the end of World War II.

August, 1 1962: Military Air Transport Service officials at Don Muang Air Base near Bangkok, Thailand, announced that MATS aircraft had airlifted nearly four million pounds of cargo since the beginning of the U.S. forces buildup in mid-May. Dover's C-124 Globemaster II aircraft were heavily involved in airlifting cargo and equipment into Don Muang.