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Jan-Feb 2011
- 665 Still Alive: A-1h Skyraider
- Sandys to the Rescue
- Collings Foundation: Big Jets and Brick Walls
When Wes Stowers and Billy Strickland flew their P-51D Ain’t Misbehavin’ to the 2007 Gathering of Mustangs & Legends they discovered the name they chose for their Mustang was not a first. Captain Jesse Frey changed their lives when he introduced himself and shared photos of the original Ain’t Misbehavin’. Three years and a complete makeover later, Captain Frey and his crew chief, Pat Buzzeo, were reintroduced to the likeness of the airplane they worked on and flew sixty five years ago.
The Collings Foundation is well known for its amazing collection of flying warbirds, including their rare Vietnam War era jets. Acquiring and restoring their F-4J Phantom II and TA-4C Skyhawk required tenacity and perseverance amidst the bureaucracy that aims to deny civilian ownership of retired military aircraft.
In 1936 the Spanish Civil War became the prelude to world conflict. When enemy bombers approached Madrid they were surprised by a group of new monoplane fighters, the Polikarpov I-16s purchased from Russia. Seventy years later the Spanish aviation museum, Fundacion Infante de Orleans, actively maintains and flies this invaluable piece of Spanish aviation heritage.
It was May 20th, 1972, when 1Lt Byron Hukee flew Randy Scott’s A-1H Skyraider, Lieutenant America, with other aerial participants on Sandy mission Bowleg02. Together they ventured deep into enemy territory, approaching Hanoi’s doorstep in this attempt to save a MiG killer F-4 Phantom II crew.
On his 44th mission while flying his P-38 Lightning, 1Lt Joe Moser was shot down and sent to a German concentration camp. Together, he and Steve Hinton took off in the Planes of Fame Museum’s P-38 Lightning, 23 Skidoo, giving Joe the opportunity to complete his 45th Mission.
During World War Two, the P-51D Mustang Ain’t Misbehavin’ was the shared commodity of pilot Jesse Frey and crew chief Pat Buzzeo. From different worlds the war brought them together and created an eternal bond.