Tony R. Landis
Spending hours flying cross-country in a commercial airliner can be feel like an eternity, but in November 1955, Capt. Shelton Anthony and his crew spent over three days airborne inside of a Boeing B-47 Stratojet. The flight departed Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, in the early morning hours of Nov. 27, 1955, and the crew remained airborne for a total of 80 hours and 36 minutes, covering a distance of 39,200 statute miles before landing back at Wright-Patterson AFB just before lunchtime on Nov. 30.
Primary purpose of the flight was to test the effectiveness of an experimental, tilting ejection seat equipped with a pulsating cushion and pneumatic back rest. Also studied were long-range habitability problems, minimum space requirements for pilots, and techniques necessary to keep them efficient and comfortable.
Read the full account at: B-47 Project Long Gone Flashback
Boeing B-47E Stratojet, 53-2271 takes on a load of fuel from KC-135A Stratotanker, 62-3567. The all-jet KC-135 replaced the slower KC-97 in the aerial refueling role making it easier for the pilots of the latest jet bombers, like the B-47 shown above, which flew close to stall speeds when refueling from the earlier prop aircraft. (Photo credit: Boeing Historical Archives) 
The aircraft used for the long endurance flight, JB-47E 51-2359, parked on the ramp at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, OH. Note the Air Research and Development Command (ARDC) emblem on the nose. (Photo: Boeing Historical Archives) 
The cramped confines of the B-47 cockpit show up well in this view with the canopy removed. (Air Force Historical Photo)