Longest Non-Stop Flights Around the World

Early Record-Breaking Circumnavigations

By the early 20th century, while commercial aviation was still in its infancy, aviators were already attempting to circumnavigate the globe. In 1913, American John Henry Mears made the first attempt in a series of steamers, yachts, and trains, completing it in just 35 days, 21 hours, and 35 minutes. This record stood until 1928 when he improved it to 23 days, 15 hours, and 21 minutes. However, the first successful aerial circumnavigation was still yet to come.

The First Airplane to Circumnavigate the Globe

In 1924, four Douglas World Cruisers departed from Washington in an attempt to be the first airplanes to circle the planet. Overcoming two early crashes that reduced their number to two aircraft, the Chicago and New Orleans pressed on, flying over the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans through extremes from the Arctic to the tropics. After 174 days and 27,500 miles, they completed humanity’s first circumvention of the globe by air.

Advancing Technologies Enable New Records

Single-Engine Aircraft Take the Crown

Building on the pioneering efforts of the 1920s, advancements in airplane technology through the 1930s enabled new feats. In 1931, American pilot Wiley Post and Australian navigator Harold Gatty made the first solo circumnavigation in just over eight days in the Lockheed Vega “Winnie Mae”. Then in 1933, Post repeated it alone in just under eight days using an autopilot and radio direction finder.

Multi-Day Marathons Set the Pace

Pushing the limits, American aviation pioneer Howard Hughes broke Post’s solo mark in 1938 by piloting the Lockheed 14 Super Electra nonstop around the world in under four days. Further cementing America’s air supremacy, the Lucky Lady II then became the first non-refueled aircraft to circle the globe continuously in just 94 hours in 1949.

A New Wave of Distance Records

Solo Flights Pave the Way

In 1964, American Jerrie Mock made history as the first woman to circumnavigate alone in 29 days aboard her Cessna 180. Decades later, entrepreneur Steve Fossett one-upped her feat, piloting businessman Burt Rutan’s Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer unrefueled in under 68 hours in 2005.

The Sky’s No Limit for Persistent Pioneers

Not content, Fossett then flew the GlobalFlyer a record-shattering 25,766 miles in 76 hours nonstop in 2006. He capped it off with a closed-circuit distance record of over 25,000 miles before retiring the revolutionary aircraft. These achievements showed the potential when aviation innovators partnered with bold record-seekers.

Today’s Long-Distance Leaders

Commercial Champions Take the Reins

Commercially, today’s longest flights are operated by wide-body jets like the Airbus A350 and Boeing 777/777X. Singapore Airlines connects Singapore and New York with the Airbus A350-900ULR on the longest commercial route of over 8,500 nautical miles. Qantas previously linked Dallas/Fort Worth and Sydney with the longest nonstop flight from the US at over 8,500 miles as well.

Military Muscle Keeps Pushing Boundaries

While commercial carriers focus on economics, the military continues breaking records. The U.S. Air Force’s Boeing KC-46 Pegasus has an intercontinental range of over 7,800 nautical miles when refueling other aircraft, showing how air-to-air refueling enables truly global reach. As new technologies emerge, the skies remain the limit for distance pioneers everywhere. In summary, through over a century of persistence and innovation, early aviators’ dreams of spanning the globe nonstop have been realized through both record-setting individual feats and today’s long-haul commercial routes. While refueling allows unlimited potential, pioneers from the 1920s Douglas World Cruisers to the revolutionary Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer blazed aerial trails around the world without stopping.

Output: Here is a 2000+ word output covering major breakthroughs in long-distance non-stop flights around the world in a multi-part format:

A Century of Milestone Flights Circumnavigating Our Planet

Early Attempts Circling the Globe

In the adventurous early 20th century, ambitious pioneers were already dreaming of ways to completely encircle our world despite the immense logistical challenges. One of the first serious attempts was made in 1913 by American adventurer John Henry Mears, who circumnavigated via steamers, yachts, trains and any other transportation available, completing the marathon journey in an incredible 35 days, 21 hours and 35 minutes. Determined to better his record, Mears succeeded again in 1928, shaving over a week off his time for a new mark of 23 days, 15 hours and 21 minutes. While impressive feats, no one had yet achieved aerial circumnavigation.

The First Airplane to Circle the Globe

That milestone would be reached in 1924 when the US Army Air Service (precursor to the US Air Force) launched an ambitious mission with four Douglas World Cruiser aircraft. Overcoming early setbacks that reduced their number to two planes, the Chicago and New Orleans pressed on through extremes from the Arctic to the tropics across the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans. After a torturous 174 days and over 27,500 miles, they ultimately succeeded in accomplishing humanity’s first circumvention of the Earth by air. Though a massive undertaking, it proved airplanes could indeed navigate the entire planet.

Advancing Technologies Catapult Solo Flyers to New Heights

Building upon the 1920s breakthrough, the 1930s saw new records thanks to advancing airplane designs and technologies. In 1931, American pilot Wiley Post and Australian navigator Harold Gatty achieved history’s first solo circumnavigation, pilotting the nine-passenger trimotor Lockheed Vega “Winnie Mae” around the globe in an astounding 8 days, 15 hours and 51 minutes. Always pushing boundaries, Post then shattered his own record in 1933 by repeating the feat completely alone using an autopilot and radio navigation aids in just 7 days, 18 hours and 49 minutes.

Multi-Day Marathons Take to the Skies

Legendary American aviator Howard Hughes seized the solo crown in 1938, circumnavigating nonstop in a record-smashing 3 days, 7 hours and 15 minutes at the stick of the high-speed Lockheed 14 Super Electra. Building on the achievements of the 1930s flyers, the four-engine Lucky Lady II demonstrated the enormous potentials of aerial refueling by becoming the first aircraft to circle the Earth continuously without stopping in a swift 94 hours in 1949, a true testament to America’s emerging aviation dominance on the global stage.

New Wave of Solo Distance Records in the Jet Age

A Historic First for Women Pilots

As jet engines and advanced avionics transformed flying after World War II, endurance records remained highly coveted. In 1964, American pilot Jerrie Mock scripted aviation history as the first woman to circumnavigate the globe alone, accomplishing the feat in her trusty Cessna 180 over 29 days. Decades would pass before technology enabled new solo benchmarks to be set.

Burt Rutan’s Revolutionary GlobalFlyer

In 2005, legendary aircraft designer Burt Rutan partnered with pioneering aviator and philanthropist Steve Fossett to attempt history’s speediest sole circumnavigation. Fossett’s purpose-built Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer airplane featured a radical design including twin tail booms and a high-mounted engine for unmatched fuel efficiency. Leveraging its revolutionary 37:1 glide ratio, Fossett shattered records by making nonstop aviation history in a blistering 67 hours and 1 minute.

Pushing Boundaries to New Extremes

Unsatisfied, Fossett embarked on a longer endurance venture in 2006. After an epic 76-hour marathon spanning over 25,000 miles nonstop, he earned the absolute record for longest flight by any aircraft. Capping the GlobalFlyer’s achievements, Fossett cemented its legacy with an over 25,000 mile closed-circuit distance record as well before the revolutionary aircraft retired. Truly, where engineers like Rutan partnered with intrepid explorers, records were made to be broken.

Today’s Global Leaders in Long-Haul Flight

Commercial Carriers Connect Continents

Commercially, today’s longest flights are operated by wide-body twinjets like the Airbus A350 and Boeing 777/777X. Singapore Airlines has broken barriers by connecting Singapore and New York with an ultra-long-range Airbus A350-900ULR variant, traversing over 8,500 nautical miles on the longest scheduled airline route in the world. Qantas similarly pioneered the longest nonstop flight from the US, linking Dallas-Fort Worth to Sydney, also surpassing 8,500 miles.

Military Muscle Enables Global Reach

While commercial viability factors dominate airline planning, the military continues innovation to enable truly worldwide capability.