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HOW TEMPUS FUGIT -- 2/

    The fantastically close times in the event, which made it the tightest dash in its history, was exemplified by the fact that sixth-placer Capt. Robert A. Farnsworth -- who was the first to take off from George AFB, and the first to land at Will Rogers Field -- broke the old Bendix record set in 1954 by Capt. Edward W. Kenny at a speed of 616 mph. Farnsworth flew the course at a speed of 645.787 mph in an elapsed time of 1 hour, 43 minutes, and 54 seconds -- but only held the record for an hour -- until Capt. Fernandez landed, and the timers double-checked the split-second marks. 
   All pilots were principal entries in the event, and no one of the six alternates participated. The pilots represented the Tactical Air Command.
   Capts. Fernandez and Madden, and Lt. Niemela, represented the 479th Fighter-Day Wing, based at George AFB. Fernandez is assistant group operations officer of the 413th Fighter-Day Group; Madden is operations officer of the 34th Fighter-Day Squadron; and Niemela is flight commander of the 434th Fighter-Day Squadron. 
   Capts. Edinburgh, Farnsworth and Iddings represented the 450th Fighter-Day Wing, based at Foster AFB, Victoria, Tex. 
   Capt. Fernandez holds the Distinguished Service Cross, the Air Medal, and the Silver Star. Capt. Farnsworth holds the Distinguished Flying Cross,  and the Air Medal with two clusters. Capt. Edinburgh received the Air Medal with three oak clusters for his Korean combat missions. Capt. Madden, also a Korean veteran, was shot down after 23 combat missions and spent 15 months as a prisoner of war. He was released in August, 1953. He holds the Air Medal and the Purple Heart. 
For the books, Fernandez flew 443 miles per hour faster than the first winner of the event in 1931. The winner that year was Major, now General, Jimmy Doolittle, who raced across the continent from Los Angeles to Cleveland at the then "incredible" speed of 223 mph. 
  Tempus fugit: This was the 25th anniversary of the Bendix Trophy event. 

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