Roger's Mustang Ride

[Dan Newcomb]

A couple of years ago a friend of mine lost his wife of many years after a long struggle with cancer. He once told me that if he ever got a chance to fly in a Mustang that it would be about the most exciting thing that he could think of. Well a few weeks after his loss some of us got together and arraigned a little surprise for our friend. We would use Dave Price’s Mustang flown by Gary Barber. Fellow wing member and artist Thomas Van Stein did a little temporary artwork by putting Roger’s wife’s name “Lucy” on the nose. We brought Roger out to the hangar and invited him to do a walk around of the Mustang. He had no idea that in a few minutes he would be in the back seat! As he walked around he suddenly stopped as he noticed “Lucy” on the nose. That is when I told him to get in the back seat. It produced the first smile that I had seen in many months. Forty minutes later he was back on the ground. I don’t know who had more fun, Roger or those that set the flight up.

[Robbie Stuart]

Dan, now that is first rate. What a nice thing to do. That first ride is truly amazing for some one that has the itch. I know I will never forget my first Mustang ride.
Robbie

[Mudge]

Dan...Good on ya', mate.

Mudge the impressed

[mustangdriver]

That is awsome. You guys are true friends.

[Bill Greenwood]

A great story, I think the addition of the name on the fuselage was an extra touch that made it special. Some years ago in England Nick Grace rebuilt a Spitfire with a rear seat. Someone contacted him about a man who had been a WWII ground crew, but was now older and had a severe disability, so that he was mostly in a wheelchair. They took him out to a grass strip to watch the planes. He was delighted to see a Spit fly over, even more so when it landed and taxied up. He was amazed when around the corner came a sort of fork lift. They hoisted into the rear cockpit and he got to fly one of the planes he had spent so many hours working on 45 years earlier. Nick and Carolyn found the New Zeland pilot who had flown the very plane on D Day, shooting down 1 German bomber, and he gave him a flight and also the fitter and rigger that crewed that same plane.

[Dan Newcomb]

You know I’ve met some of the nicest most generous people in the world thru my involvement with aviation. Airplanes and good folks just seem to go together. Thanks for sharing your great story.