Editor’s Note: Due to the lengthy nature of the article, this is the second of a four part series on the Key Brothers. The next parts will be published over the next three weeks.
The first problem of keeping any engine running for an extended period of time is that of supplying that engine with fuel. In an airplane, one does not have the luxury of allowing his machine to run out of gas and then go and find fuel, or for that matter even let his machine run low of fuel and start looking for a service station. Inflight refueling had been accomplished by 1935, but the process was extremely dangerous, and far from being perfected. Several deadly accidents had occurred in early attempts at refueling. Hunter was not about to allow that to happen to his friends, the Key Brothers. He designed a one-way nozzle which would automatically shut off when removed from the tank after the refueling process was completed. But he was only halfway finished with the development of the nozzle. In order to successfully complete the process, he had to have a matching receiver valve inside the gas tank which would also close automatically. No problem for Hunter. He invented an in-tank valve which would automatically close when the nozzle was removed. The two inventions proved to be the perfect marriage.
Even with Hunter’s new invention, inflight refueling was still very dangerous, and allowed a zero margin for error. As a precaution, both pilots wore their parachutes during the refueling operation.
Former FAA official, Roger Myers, called Hunter a mechanical genius. Though modified and improved, Hunter’s invention is still used today by the United States military for inflight refueling. The fifty pound valve mysteriously disappeared after the flight, and has never been found. Hunter never patented his valve and nozzle. He made a total of fifty dollars from his invention.
Inflight refueling and supplies were provided by pilot James F. Keeton, and copilot W.H. Ward. Keeton learned to fly at the Key Brothers Flying School after taking a joy ride with Al. At age twenty two, Keeton earned his pilot’s license. He later moved to Mobile, Alabama and started his own flying service. When Keeton learned of the Key Brothers’ plans, he offered his plane and his services for the refueling operation. At first the Keys refused Keeton’s offer to fly the refueling plane. They wanted a more experience pilot, but Keeton was adamant. He said if they used his plane, he would be the pilot. The Keys relented and Keeton won out and flew the refueling plane.
Keeton eventually earned a commission as an officer in the United States Army Air Corps and later became a captain with United Airlines.
On June 21, 1934 the quest began as the Ole Miss took off from the little Meridian airfield with Al at the controls. For the most part, the Keys flew over and around the city of Meridian. Occasionally, weather or other air traffic required them to venture over into the skies of Alabama, and as far away as eastern Louisiana. The constant hum of the propellers reminded the people of Meridian that history was being made overhead by hometown boys. But not this time, the Key brothers’ first attempt was marred with a series of problems.
Because of the extra radios and other electrical equipment required for the marathon flight, heavier batteries were installed on the Ole Miss, but the plane’s generator was not capable of creating sufficient voltage to charge the oversized batteries. This caused the brothers much concern, but what finally brought the flight to a disappointing end, was an engine problem. A tank of low octane fuel caused the engine to overheat, and two of the cylinders on the radial engine came loose. With flames erupting from the two loose cylinders, the Keys knew they must land in order to avoid a mile high disaster. They landed safely after 123 hours in the air, far short of their goal. Their ground crew scrambled to repair the plane, and replaced the engine and radios. A month later the brothers took off on their second attempt to set the world record for inflight endurance record.
Shorty into the second flight, the weather turned ugly. The pilots were plagued by storms for days. Undaunted, they continually searched for clear skies from Meridian to Louisiana. It got so rough at one point, they considered bailing out, but the determined Al struggled and kept the plane in the air. Finally, they found a hole in the clouds, and saw they were over the Mississippi River near Vicksburg. Eventually bad weather prevailed and caused Al to head his plane back toward Meridian. Their second attempt at setting a new recorded ended after a disappointing 169 hours in the air.
With two failures behind them, the Key brothers were undeterred in their mission to set a new inflight endurance record. But time was not on their side. A year had passed since their first two attempts, and cotton farmers were getting closer to plowing up the airfield each day. Realizing the urgency which had emerged, the brothers began working on their airplane again. They used the lessons and knowledge they had learned from their failed attempts in order to make their airplane more airworthy and safer.
Ralph Gordon of Union, Past President of the Mississippi Writers Guild and Recipient of the William Faulkner Literary Award
