Little Washington Pa B25

[dirtysidedown430]

Ok heres one you all can look up. Used to be this TV guy in Pgh. Pa. name was Don Riggs a pilot member EAA CAF and airshow anouncer all around airplane nut. I grew up watching a kid show he did on Saturday morn called Bwana Don they ran old Tarzan movies. He told me bout this story he covered for ch 11with video of this B25 landing at Washington Pa Co Airport to be towed to this nearby Vet grave yard. He interviewed the crew and swear the pilot on airplane looked just like the who used to fly the CAF Ju 52 out of Chicago. Then vid goes a number years later and the airplane is towed back to the airport and lifted out by a CH 54. So wonder if anyone knows what happen with the airplane. Vid might be on youtube somewhere not sure. Oh yea Don had allot to do with old mailplane Miss Pittsburgh that hangs in Pgh Inter Airport near Franco Harris's statue.

[Craig59]

Referencing my handy, dandy copy of Scott Thompson's, B-25 Mitchell in Civil Service, it sounds like B-25J-15-NC, 44-28925. It is a 12th AF veteran which was used in Catch-22 and is currently restored to it's 12th AF status with the Cavanaugh Museum near Dallas.

[Jerry O'Neill]

I've seen the TV piece and have a bad VHS copy of it. It was the Catch-22 Mitchell and a WWII combat vet named "How Boot That"

[mike furline]

Growing up in the "burgh", I was about 10 years old when it flew into Washington County Airport. It also happens to be the very first warbird that I got to climb in. I remember my Mom telling me "don't go in there, you'll get all dirty". I currently live about 30 miles from where it's displayed (Life's full circle I guess.).

Here you go, https://cavanaughflightmuseum.com/index ... Itemid=119

[aerovin]

The late Frank Pine, then chief pilot for Tallmantz Aviation, told me he made the delivery flight of this airplane to the airport near the cemetery. He recalled the wing corrosion at the angle attach points was pretty bad on the airplane on that supposed last flight so he flew it 'gently.'

[aerovin]

A photo...

[dirtysidedown430]

Sort of figured the Catch 22 movie thing. Be great to get that vid on youtube some how. Old stories and old airplanes will only die if we let them. Thanks all.

[Woodsy Airfield]

In the Air Classics March 1975 Issue (Vol 21 No. 3), an article titled Graveyard Guardian shows the B-25 being airlifted to the cemetery plus a shot of it on a stand. In Air Classics May 1984 (Vol. 20 No.5), an article titled - Search For Phantom Bomber - Finding A B-25 For The NASM with photos of Mitchell's arrival at cemetery, and also an Air Classics Airlines Column in the April 1985 (Vol 21 No.4) indicates the aircraft's removal and subsequent move to a museum in Florida may fill in a couple of blank spots...

[GARY HILTON]

Was this the -25 that was named "Final Approach"?

[Nathan]

Born and raised Pa hick, never knew about this, thanks for the story. Very interesting!

[bdk]

An award winner restored by Aero Trader. Probably the finest B-25 restoration performed at the time. Not sure how it stacks up to more current offerings.

[Woodsy Airfield]

Gary - First of all I must correct Air Classics I referred to as Vol. 21 No. 3 - It should have been Vol. 11 No. 3 (March 1975). In this volume it says name of Mitchell was "Daisy Jean"...

[Chris Brame]

Was this the -25 that was named "Final Approach"?

IIRC the cemetery display was called "On Final Forever". Luckily for the plane, "forever" wasn't.