Hunter brothers

In June 1930 John and Kenneth Hunter set a world record for a non-stop airplane flight. Their brothers Albert and Walter flew Big Ben, the support plane that was responsible for refueling. While the record flight was limited to circling the Chicago area they were airborne for 23 days (553h 41m 30s). The distance flown was equal to approximately one and a half times around the earth.

They flew a Stinson-Detroiter and the flight might have gone on longer but technical issues forced them to land on July 4, 1930. There was an external catwalk on the fuselage that allowed Kenneth access to the engine and external components of the plane. He did repairs, oiled engine parts and replaced pieces while tethered to the catwalk.