{"id":1072128,"date":"2026-05-22T10:56:22","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T08:56:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\/"},"modified":"2026-05-22T10:56:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T08:56:27","slug":"lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\/","title":{"rendered":"49,221 Feet in 2 Minutes 36 Seconds: The Marine Who Broke Five Records in One Day"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\n\n<p>It is one of those records that does not seem possible when you read it on paper. On 22 and 23 May 1958, a U.S. Marine Corps test pilot named Edward N. LeFaivre took off five times from Naval Air Station Point Mugu, California, climbed each time as fast as his Douglas F4D-1 Skyray could be persuaded to go, and broke five world time-to-altitude records in a span of 24 hours. The most famous: 49,221 feet \u2014 fifteen kilometres straight up \u2014 in exactly 2 minutes 36 seconds.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sixty-eight years later, in an era of Mach-3 interceptors and afterburning Eurofighters, those numbers still hold their own. They also belong to an aircraft almost nobody remembers \u2014 the Skyray, the only delta-winged carrier fighter the U.S. Navy ever operated, briefly the fastest-climbing aircraft on Earth, and the very first U.S. Navy fighter capable of supersonic flight in level cruise.<\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"background:#f0f0f0;padding:18px 22px;margin:24px 0;border-radius:8px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.6\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Quick Facts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Pilot:<\/strong> Major Edward N. &#8220;Ed&#8221; LeFaivre, U.S. Marine Corps<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Aircraft:<\/strong> Douglas F4D-1 Skyray, BuNo 130745<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Engine:<\/strong> Pratt &#038; Whitney J57-P-8 turbojet with afterburner (~16,000 lbf)<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Dates:<\/strong> 22-23 May 1958<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Location:<\/strong> Naval Air Station Point Mugu, California<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Records set:<\/strong> 5 world time-to-altitude records (3,000 m, 6,000 m, 9,000 m, 12,000 m, 15,000 m)<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Headline figure:<\/strong> 49,221 ft (15,000 m) in 2 min 36 sec from brake release<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>How long the records stood:<\/strong> Until December 1958, when the F-104 Starfighter and F-105 Thunderchief broke them<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Aircraft fate:<\/strong> Skyray fleet retired by 1964; today only 4 airframes survive in museums<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">A bat-winged carrier fighter<\/h2>\n\n<p>The F4D Skyray was the result of an attempt by Douglas Aircraft to translate the wartime German research on delta-wing aerodynamics into a workable carrier-based fighter. Edward Heinemann\u2019s design team at Douglas El Segundo took the basic delta planform, modified it to give the wing a more practical aspect ratio for carrier landings, and produced what looked from above like a stylised bat \u2014 hence the name Skyray. The aircraft first flew in January 1951. It entered fleet service in 1956.<\/p>\n\n<p>What the Skyray gave its operators was acceleration like nothing else in the U.S. Navy inventory. The wing was large for the airframe. Lift available was enormous. Thrust-to-weight, with the afterburning J57 lit, was high enough that the aircraft could climb almost vertically from the runway. The Navy used it as a point-defence interceptor for the carrier battle group \u2014 a fast-climbing aircraft that could be vectored from the deck to 50,000 feet faster than almost anything else then in service.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px\"><img data-opt-id=1132040018  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/6\/63\/Douglas_F4D-1_Skyray_in_flight.jpg\/1280px-Douglas_F4D-1_Skyray_in_flight.jpg\" alt=\"Douglas F4D-1 Skyray in flight\" style=\"max-width:100%;height:auto;border-radius:6px\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">A Douglas F4D-1 Skyray in flight. The delta-influenced &#8220;bat-wing&#8221; planform gave the aircraft extraordinary acceleration and climb performance, particularly in the lower atmosphere. (US Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The records, one by one<\/h2>\n\n<p>The F\u00e9d\u00e9ration A\u00e9ronautique Internationale recognises time-to-altitude records at six standard heights: 3,000 metres, 6,000 metres, 9,000 metres, 12,000 metres, 15,000 metres, and (more recently) 20,000 and 25,000 metres. To set an FAI record, the pilot must climb from a standing start with brakes off \u2014 not from cruise. The clock starts when the brakes are released and stops when the aircraft passes through the target altitude.<\/p>\n\n<p>Over the course of 22 and 23 May 1958, LeFaivre flew five separate climb profiles and beat the existing record at each of the first five altitudes:<\/p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>3,000 m (9,843 ft):<\/strong> 44.4 seconds<\/li>\n<li><strong>6,000 m (19,685 ft):<\/strong> 1 minute 6.1 seconds<\/li>\n<li><strong>9,000 m (29,528 ft):<\/strong> 1 minute 29.8 seconds<\/li>\n<li><strong>12,000 m (39,370 ft):<\/strong> 1 minute 51.2 seconds<\/li>\n<li><strong>15,000 m (49,221 ft):<\/strong> 2 minutes 36 seconds<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>The Skyray was so well-suited to the climb profile that each of the records exceeded the previous-holder by a significant margin. The Soviet Yak-25 had held several of these records since 1957. LeFaivre took them all in a single weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1565c0;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><a href=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/c\/c0\/Edward_Heinemann.jpg\/440px-Edward_Heinemann.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"flex-shrink:0\"><img data-opt-id=670371059  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/c\/c0\/Edward_Heinemann.jpg\/440px-Edward_Heinemann.jpg\" alt=\"Edward H. Heinemann\" style=\"width:96px;height:96px;border-radius:50%;object-fit:cover;object-position:center;display:block;border:2px solid #ddd\"><\/a><div><em>&ldquo;The Skyray was designed around the proposition that a fighter should be able to be launched and reach a high-altitude intruder before that intruder could complete its mission. Major LeFaivre\u2019s records demonstrated the airframe was capable of more than even we expected.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Edward H. Heinemann<\/strong> &mdash; Chief Designer, Douglas Aircraft El Segundo<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Why the records did not last<\/h2>\n\n<p>By the end of 1958, the F-104 Starfighter had begun its own assault on the climb records. The F-104 was a less practical aircraft than the Skyray \u2014 lower endurance, less weapons payload, much harder to land on a carrier (it never went to sea operationally) \u2014 but it was even faster in pure climb. By December 1958, the F-104 had taken back several of LeFaivre\u2019s marks. The F-105 Thunderchief took others. The Skyray held some of its lower-altitude records into 1959, but they fell soon after.<\/p>\n\n<p>The Skyray itself stayed in U.S. Navy and Marine Corps service until 1964. It was never exported. About 420 were built. By the mid-1960s, the F-4 Phantom II had rendered it obsolete as a fleet defence interceptor. Today, only four airframes survive in museums \u2014 at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, the Yanks Air Museum, the San Diego Air and Space Museum, and the Quonset Air Museum.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px\"><img data-opt-id=617918509  data-opt-src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/3\/3a\/Douglas_F4D_Skyray_-_Hill_Aerospace_Museum.jpg\/1280px-Douglas_F4D_Skyray_-_Hill_Aerospace_Museum.jpg\"  decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20100%%20100%%22%20width%3D%22100%%22%20height%3D%22100%%22%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%22100%%22%20height%3D%22100%%22%20fill%3D%22transparent%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Douglas F4D Skyray museum display\" style=\"max-width:100%;height:auto;border-radius:6px\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">A preserved Douglas F4D Skyray on display. Only four airframes survive today; the type was retired in 1964 after just eight years of frontline service. (Wikimedia Commons)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">A footnote that deserves better<\/h2>\n\n<p>Edward LeFaivre\u2019s May 1958 record day is one of those small, intense bursts of pure aviation achievement that the broader public has forgotten. Five world records in twenty-four hours, in a fighter that the U.S. Navy was already preparing to replace, by a pilot who was not Chuck Yeager or Joe Kittinger and whose name no longer appears in popular aviation history books. The aircraft is a footnote. The pilot is a footnote. The records were broken within six months. And yet for a single weekend in 1958, an obscure Marine Corps test pilot in a bat-winged carrier fighter held the world\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sixty-eight years later, in modern terms, hitting 49,221 feet in 2 minutes 36 seconds remains a respectable climb profile. The Eurofighter Typhoon, the F-22 Raptor, and the F-35 do not necessarily improve on it dramatically. The F-15 Streak Eagle \u2014 a stripped-down Eagle built specifically to break records in 1975 \u2014 took 122 seconds to reach the same altitude. LeFaivre needed 156 seconds in a smaller, less powerful, older aircraft.<\/p>\n\n<p>Records exist to be broken. But aviation history exists to be remembered. The Skyray, and Major Edward LeFaivre, deserve a little more of both.<\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"margin:24px 0\"><div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;border-radius:8px\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XSE7N69MEFc\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Watch: rare footage of the Douglas F4D Skyray in flight \u2014 the bat-winged carrier fighter that briefly held five world time-to-altitude records.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>Sources: F\u00e9d\u00e9ration A\u00e9ronautique Internationale record archives; U.S. Naval Aviation News; National Naval Aviation Museum; Douglas Aircraft company histories.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/vought-f7u-cutlass-ensign-killer-tailless-disaster-jet\">The F7U Cutlass: The Jet That Killed Its Pilots<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/bell-x-2-mach-3-mel-apt-inertia-coupling-1956\">Bell X-2: First to Mach 3 \u2014 and It Killed Its Pilot<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On 22-23 May 1958, USMC Major Edward LeFaivre broke five world time-to-altitude records in a single weekend flying a Douglas F4D Skyray.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":1072131,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"USMC Skyray Pilot Smashed 5 Climb Records in 24 Hours","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"On 22-23 May 1958, USMC Major LeFaivre took the Douglas F4D Skyray to 49,221 ft in 2 min 36 sec \u2014 and broke four more records that same weekend.","_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[666,664],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1072128","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history-and-legends","category-military-aviation"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>USMC Skyray Pilot Smashed 5 Climb Records in 24 Hours<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"On 22-23 May 1958, USMC Major LeFaivre took the Douglas F4D Skyray to 49,221 ft in 2 min 36 sec \u2014 and broke four more records that same weekend.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"USMC Skyray Pilot Smashed 5 Climb Records in 24 Hours\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"On 22-23 May 1958, USMC Major LeFaivre took the Douglas F4D Skyray to 49,221 ft in 2 min 36 sec \u2014 and broke four more records that same weekend.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"MiGFlug.com Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-22T08:56:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-05-22T08:56:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/6\/63\/Douglas_F4D-1_Skyray_in_flight.jpg\/1280px-Douglas_F4D-1_Skyray_in_flight.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Max Gr\u00fcnwald\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Max Gr\u00fcnwald\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Max Gr\u00fcnwald\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e08e79cb0e942ed72190e62d1a936af6\"},\"headline\":\"49,221 Feet in 2 Minutes 36 Seconds: The Marine Who Broke Five Records in One Day\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-22T08:56:22+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-22T08:56:27+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1078,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\/\\/migflug.com\\/jetflights\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/sites\\/4\\/2026\\/05\\/douglas-f4d-skyray-lefaivre-climb-record-1958.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"History &amp; Legends\",\"Military Aviation\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\\\/\",\"name\":\"USMC Skyray Pilot Smashed 5 Climb Records in 24 Hours\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\/\\/migflug.com\\/jetflights\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/sites\\/4\\/2026\\/05\\/douglas-f4d-skyray-lefaivre-climb-record-1958.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-22T08:56:22+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-22T08:56:27+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e08e79cb0e942ed72190e62d1a936af6\"},\"description\":\"On 22-23 May 1958, USMC Major LeFaivre took the Douglas F4D Skyray to 49,221 ft in 2 min 36 sec \u2014 and broke four more records that same weekend.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\/\\/migflug.com\\/jetflights\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/sites\\/4\\/2026\\/05\\/douglas-f4d-skyray-lefaivre-climb-record-1958.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\/\\/migflug.com\\/jetflights\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/sites\\/4\\/2026\\/05\\/douglas-f4d-skyray-lefaivre-climb-record-1958.jpg\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":961},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Startseite\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"49,221 Feet in 2 Minutes 36 Seconds: The Marine Who Broke Five Records in One Day\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/\",\"name\":\"MiGFlug.com Blog\",\"description\":\"for those interested in flying military jets and aviation related  topics\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e08e79cb0e942ed72190e62d1a936af6\",\"name\":\"Max Gr\u00fcnwald\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/4a7af37924a5c24d0712babd0e5eafec09d37b3a41831dd4c4ee30f54ebfc1a7?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/4a7af37924a5c24d0712babd0e5eafec09d37b3a41831dd4c4ee30f54ebfc1a7?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/4a7af37924a5c24d0712babd0e5eafec09d37b3a41831dd4c4ee30f54ebfc1a7?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Max Gr\u00fcnwald\"},\"description\":\"Max brings German precision to every article he writes. A former aerospace engineering student from Munich, he traded the workshop for the keyboard but never lost his obsession with technical detail. His articles are the ones you read when you want to know exactly how something works \u2014 no fluff, no hype, just the facts delivered with quiet authority.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/jetflights\\\/author\\\/maxgruenwald\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"USMC Skyray Pilot Smashed 5 Climb Records in 24 Hours","description":"On 22-23 May 1958, USMC Major LeFaivre took the Douglas F4D Skyray to 49,221 ft in 2 min 36 sec \u2014 and broke four more records that same weekend.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"USMC Skyray Pilot Smashed 5 Climb Records in 24 Hours","og_description":"On 22-23 May 1958, USMC Major LeFaivre took the Douglas F4D Skyray to 49,221 ft in 2 min 36 sec \u2014 and broke four more records that same weekend.","og_url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\/","og_site_name":"MiGFlug.com Blog","article_published_time":"2026-05-22T08:56:22+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-05-22T08:56:27+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/6\/63\/Douglas_F4D-1_Skyray_in_flight.jpg\/1280px-Douglas_F4D-1_Skyray_in_flight.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Max Gr\u00fcnwald","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Max Gr\u00fcnwald","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\/"},"author":{"name":"Max Gr\u00fcnwald","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/#\/schema\/person\/e08e79cb0e942ed72190e62d1a936af6"},"headline":"49,221 Feet in 2 Minutes 36 Seconds: The Marine Who Broke Five Records in One Day","datePublished":"2026-05-22T08:56:22+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-22T08:56:27+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\/"},"wordCount":1078,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:Ttai.bda2\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/douglas-f4d-skyray-lefaivre-climb-record-1958.jpg","articleSection":["History &amp; Legends","Military Aviation"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\/","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\/","name":"USMC Skyray Pilot Smashed 5 Climb Records in 24 Hours","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:Ttai.bda2\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/douglas-f4d-skyray-lefaivre-climb-record-1958.jpg","datePublished":"2026-05-22T08:56:22+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-22T08:56:27+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/#\/schema\/person\/e08e79cb0e942ed72190e62d1a936af6"},"description":"On 22-23 May 1958, USMC Major LeFaivre took the Douglas F4D Skyray to 49,221 ft in 2 min 36 sec \u2014 and broke four more records that same weekend.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:Ttai.bda2\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/douglas-f4d-skyray-lefaivre-climb-record-1958.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:Ttai.bda2\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/douglas-f4d-skyray-lefaivre-climb-record-1958.jpg","width":1280,"height":961},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/lefaivre-skyray-f4d-climb-records-may-1958-marine-corps\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Startseite","item":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"49,221 Feet in 2 Minutes 36 Seconds: The Marine Who Broke Five Records in One Day"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/#website","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/","name":"MiGFlug.com Blog","description":"for those interested in flying military jets and aviation related  topics","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/#\/schema\/person\/e08e79cb0e942ed72190e62d1a936af6","name":"Max Gr\u00fcnwald","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4a7af37924a5c24d0712babd0e5eafec09d37b3a41831dd4c4ee30f54ebfc1a7?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4a7af37924a5c24d0712babd0e5eafec09d37b3a41831dd4c4ee30f54ebfc1a7?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4a7af37924a5c24d0712babd0e5eafec09d37b3a41831dd4c4ee30f54ebfc1a7?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Max Gr\u00fcnwald"},"description":"Max brings German precision to every article he writes. A former aerospace engineering student from Munich, he traded the workshop for the keyboard but never lost his obsession with technical detail. His articles are the ones you read when you want to know exactly how something works \u2014 no fluff, no hype, just the facts delivered with quiet authority.","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/author\/maxgruenwald\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1072128","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1072128"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1072128\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1072137,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1072128\/revisions\/1072137"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1072131"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1072128"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1072128"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1072128"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}