[DeTomaso] Flying a P-51 Mustang - NPC

Mon May 3 22:11:16 EDT 2010

sounds like a very cool uncle.

You should interview him on video about everything he can remember, it would
be priceless.

Michael Shortt

On Mon, May 3, 2010 at 9:36 PM, Mike Thomas <mbefthomas at comcast.net> wrote:

> My uncle, now 88, flew 41 bombing missions in B24 Liberators in the South
> Pacific during WWII.  I tried to get him to go up in one of those rides for
> hire, but said he wouldn't do it unless they let him fly the damn thing the
> whole way.  Oh, did I mention he built himself an RV-6 when he was 78, and
> was flying until the FAA took his ticket away at age 85?!?  He's a retired
> AF Lt. Col., and to talk to him, you'd think he was ready to head back to
> war.  His house is like a museum of flying.
>
> He was the first squadron commander of the B-47, the first swept-wing super
> sonic (I think) bomber.  When he was stationed in England in '56, he and
> his
> flight crew all went out and bought the just-release MG A.  One of my
> favorite photos of his many is of him and his crew with the MGs lined up
> side by side under the starboard wing of his B-47, all of them in flight
> suits standing ready at the sides of their new machines.  I told him I want
> that one eventually.
>
> Mike Thomas
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com [mailto:detomaso-bounces at realbig.com]
> On
> Behalf Of Mad Dog Antenucci
> Sent: Monday, May 03, 2010 9:37 AM
> To: detomaso at realbig.com
>  Cc: eb20erik at yahoo.com; Peter Menyhart; john bentley
> Subject: [DeTomaso] Flying a P-51 Mustang - NPC
>
> If you are a pilot or just love old WWII war birds you might appreciate
> this
> touring group of old WWII war birds. See the site address below for details
> of when it is going to be in a city near you.
>
> Larry Kelsey who many of you know from his trips to Vegas or Monterey for
> the old run rallys or in Texas, Nevada, or Nebrasaka for the open road
> races
> got into the back seat of a P-51 Saturday out of John Wayne Airport. Not
> too
> many WWII pilots still around today and we met several of them Saturday who
> were pretty thrilled to see some of the same planes they had also flown or
> crewed  in WWII.
>
> Pilot let Larry take the stick after a few minutes to fly it for a few
> minutes and even do some barrel roles, etc and Larry all most floated out
> of
> that old  Mustang after it landed about 45 minutes later he definately was
> a
> happy new 'young' man.  If you ever wanted to take a ride in a B-17 'Flying
> Fortress", or the B24 Liberater or FLY a P-51 here's your opportunity.
>
> It's not a cheap ride but if its on your bucket list you need to do it....I
> saw a 70+ year old tired old friend get into that cockpit but an hour later
> saw a young man about 40 years younger climb out of that old war bird and
> slide across the wing on his ass like he had been doing it for 60 years.
>
> As an aside one of the veteran B-17 pilots was there with his daugther
> waiting to take it up. Once airport they let the veteran ride co-pilot....I
> heard he felt 20 years old again which was hold he was when he first flew a
> B-17!!!
>
> amazing weekend
>
> Mad Dawg Antenucci
> Team Pantera Racing
> "If you're not on the edge you're taking up space"
> www.teampanteraracing.com
>
>
>
>
>
> http://www.collingsfoundation.org/ma_p51mustang.htm
>
> Larry Kelsey
> Airports Development Group
> Sr. Construction Manager - Aviation
> D 424.646.7516
> lkelsey at lawa.org
>
> AECOM
> 7301World Way West
> Los Angeles, CA 90045
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-- 

Michael L. Shortt
Savannah, Georgia
www.michaelshortt.com
michael at michaelshortt.com
912-232-9390

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