Operation BoomerANG
On Armed Forces Day, May 21, 1955, 1st Lt. John M. ("Jack") Conroy of the 115th Fighter Squadron, California Air National Guard, piloted a specially prepared North American F-86A Sabrejet (serial 49-1046) from Van Nuys Airport, California, to Floyd Bennett Field, New York, and back. This historic flight, dubbed "Operation Boomerang," covered 5,058 miles in 11 hours, 26 minutes, and 33 seconds, entirely between official sunrise and sunset.
The aircraft, nicknamed "California Boomerang," was meticulously modified over two weeks by a dedicated ground crew to minimize drag and maximize performance. Modifications included shaving rivet heads, filling seams, covering gun ports, precise rigging of flight controls, and rebuilding the J-47 engine. The effort paid off as Conroy achieved speeds up to 600 mph at approximately 40,000 feet.
The flight included two refueling stops eastbound and three westbound due to headwinds, with engine-running refuels and takeoffs in the opposite direction from landings. It broke the previous transcontinental round-trip record set by Paul Mantz in a P-51 Mustang on September 3, 1947.
Excellent media coverage kept the public engaged, and support came from North American Aviation, various Air Guard units, and the 27th Air Division for navigation.
The aircraft, nicknamed "California Boomerang," was meticulously modified over two weeks by a dedicated ground crew to minimize drag and maximize performance. Modifications included shaving rivet heads, filling seams, covering gun ports, precise rigging of flight controls, and rebuilding the J-47 engine. The effort paid off as Conroy achieved speeds up to 600 mph at approximately 40,000 feet.
The flight included two refueling stops eastbound and three westbound due to headwinds, with engine-running refuels and takeoffs in the opposite direction from landings. It broke the previous transcontinental round-trip record set by Paul Mantz in a P-51 Mustang on September 3, 1947.
Excellent media coverage kept the public engaged, and support came from North American Aviation, various Air Guard units, and the 27th Air Division for navigation.
In memory of this event, the 146th has erected a F-86 on display inside the front gate, painted in the same paint scheme and markings as the original aircraft did on May 21, 1955.
