1923: A Pair of Planes and a Rubber Hose Bring About a Major Mid-Air Milestone

June 27, 1923

The first-ever transfer of fuel from one aircraft to another during flight took place between two Airco DH-4B planes of the U.S. Army Air Service in the skies above the San Diego area. The plane piloted by Captain Lowell H. Smith (with Lieutenant John P. Richter on board) received that mid-air refueling via a steel-wire-encased rubber hose from the plane flown overhead by First Lieutenants Virgil Hine and Frank W. Seifert.  

The transfer of approximately 75 gallons (283.9 liters) of gasoline was handled as both planes flew at about 80 miles (128.8 kilometers) per hour in what one newspaper account headlined as “Tense Moments for Watchers.” This refueling “first” was not Captain Smith’s only achievement as a pioneering aviator; he also held a total of 16 records for military aircraft in speed, endurance, and distance. 

Photo Credit: Public Domain

For more information on the first transfer of fuel from one aircraft to another during flight, please check out https://www.afrc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3441071/it-all-started-with-a-rubber-hose/