Thinking about Lefty

[Lynn Allen]

Does anybody have any old pictures from the early days of Lefty at Rebel Field and then on to Harlingen??

TIA,

Lynn

[PeterA]

Lynn,

Lefty first came to our attention in the UK with the participation of a group of 'Confederates' in the BoB film in 1968.

Here are a few shots from my files from unknown unit stills photographers.



Here with Lloyd Nolen and Gerald Martin and of course old adversaries Bob Stanford-Tuck and Adolf Galland, both technical advisers to the film.


Connie Edwards in the centre with Lloyd Nolen and Gerald Martin and A N Other.


Gerald Martin, Lefty Gardner, Connie Edwards & Lloyd Nolen.


Lefty looking the part.


I met Lefty just the once. Breakfast at the Gathering of Warbirds at Madura in 1986. Fascinating stories.

PeterA

Madura Aug 1986

Last edited by PeterA on Mon Dec 29, 2008 8:55 am, edited 2 times in total.

[RickH]

Here's a Lefty story.

At one of the few times Lefty came to Wings Over Houston he didn't arrive during the open times on Friday. They used to fly almost the whole show for special needs on Friday, it's much abreviated now. Leo Loudenslanger was in the middle of his show when we heard on tower frequency that 25Y was inbound for landing. He was told, " unable, we're in the middle of the show ". Lefty says, who's flyin' ? ", tower told him Loudenslanger, Lefty says " no problem Leo and I have flown together before, tell him it's Lefty and to stay high and I'll just land underneath him while he does his thing ". Tower relays to Leo and Leo says OK. Lefty is cleared to land and rolls out while Leo continues on ! He never missed a beat !

I sure hope the Red Bull folks allow White Lightning a pass at the funeral to say goodbye to her old friend. He took care of her for a long time.

[Obergrafeter]

Now that does sound like Lefty! The first time he came to our show at Stinson his arrival was somewhat the same. While not under waiver his radio transmissions with a TRAINEE controller were classic. "Stinson Tower 25 Yankee seven miles north for landing. (tower) 25 Y continue inbound, Cessna 150 continue downwind. Lockheed 25 Y is 5 miles would like to do the overhead. (tower) 25 Y continue, Cessna 150 turn final cleared for touch and go. 25Y is two miles, (tower) continue 25Y, Cessna 150 winds are 140 at 4, 25 Yankee how about that overhead.....(trainee) I don't understand your request, what is that you want.............at that point a P-38 sharply breaks right and says (its classic Lefty) NEVERNIND. Now the tower supervisor comes on and says Cessna 150 expedite touch and go continue straight out till I contact you, 25Y you are cleared for the option. " Lefty lands and the trainee comes back on handling the local traffic, until a short time later we hear "Stinson tower , North American 28D How about one of those overheads for me?" The tower transmission immediatley returns to the supervisor" North American 28D cleared as requested" and the trainees are done for the rest of the weekend.

[aerojock]

I have a Lefty story from Harlingen.

It was the press day for Airso 77. Lefty had won Reno in his Mustang not too long before.

Lloyd went up in the Bearcat and Lefty in his Mustang to fly for the press.

Once in the air I heard Lloyd say something like this on the radio.

Hey Lefty, let's settle once and for all which is faster, the Mustang or the Bearcat.

OK says lefty.

The next thing you know the Bearcat is zooming in on a low approach. The press goes wild and I hear some say that the Bearcat is faster.

About that time you see Lefty pass the Bearcat while in a knife edge pass.
The press is stunned.

After they land all the press goes over to Lloyd and asks what happend, since the Bearcat was supposed to be faster than the Mustang.
Lloyd was making some sort of comment about a mag cutting out.

I then walked over to Lefty, who the press were ignoring, and asked if that was the plane he had just won Reno in.
He said yes it was.
I then asked just how fast will it go.

He said "Well, if you were watching, just a little bit faster than a Bearcat".
I chuckled and he just climed down and walked away.


That left a big impression on a little kid.


Jim

Last edited by aerojock on Sun Dec 28, 2008 8:04 pm, edited 7 times in total.

[tom d. friedman]

not the lloyd nolan i'm thinking of......

[aerojock]

I read his obit in the Austin Paper and I was puzzled that it did not mention his war time record.


Jim

[tom d. friedman]

not the lloyd nolan i'm thinking of......

the 1 i'm thinking was was a 40's to 70's movie / tv actor , american.

[RickH]

The Nolan in the pictures is considered the founder of the CAF. Others, including Lefty joined him to become the beginning core members of the organization.

[CAPFlyer]

The confusion stems from the fact you're all spelling Col. Lloyd P. Nolen's name wrong...

[b29flteng]

My Lefty story is from the early eighties. He flew his 38 up to Minnesota for an airshow at St. Paul. He stord the airplane at the South St. Paul airport for a few weeks prior. The Minnesota wing of the CAF has a really good maintenance unit there and Lefty took advantage of it. He tried to lower the landing gear using the emergency system but was unable to accomplish it and this is what he squawked. The maintenance guys disassembled the emergency system and found the O-rings brittle and broken, they changed them, and the system worked fine. While doing an operational check they found the ailerons streamlined but the control wheel turned about ten degrees to the left. They dug into the system and re-rigged the ailerons to the maintenance manual specs. The system has hydraulic boosted ailerons and they found brass safety wire on the aileron boost packages (brass safety wire hasn't been used since WWII) proving the system has been untouched since WWII. Lefty returned and flew a test flight and did a few slow rolls over the field. Upon return he gave the maintenance guys hell (with a smile) as he had to relearn to fly it as he had been flying it for 20+ years with the wheel cocked over.

[PeterA]

The confusion stems from the fact you're all spelling Col. Lloyd P. Nolen's name wrong...

My post corrected.

[PeterA]

Some movie here of filming the BoB in Spain, including the Confederates in full regalia.

http://www.newsplayer.com/filming-of-battle-of-britain’-movie-video

Search on 'Spitfire'.

PeterA

[Jack Frost]

At an Airsho in the late 80's-early 90's, Lefty had started both engines on his 38 while parked in the overflow area along the closed Runway 31. Airsho was over and no marshalers or anybody else was around. I came walking up in my CAF costume and noticed the nosewheel was chocked. I assumed he was just running the engines for whatever reason so I just stayed back and watched. But then the power came up and the airplane rolled an inch or so against the chock before he brought the power back to idle. I was the only person around so I waved my arms to try to get his attention but he didn't react or look my way. He tried to move it a couple of times again with the same result before he looked at me with a non-smile on his face. I pointed at the nose gear and with a questioning look, gave the chocks out hand signal. He nodded his head and I walked up and pulled the chocks and got out of the way. Power came up and away he went without another look my way (or a wave of thanks, either). Maybe it wasn't the first time (or last) this happened to him.

[Jerry O'Neill]

Some movie here of filming the BoB in Spain, including the Confederates in full regalia.

http://www.newsplayer.com/filming-of-battle-of-britain’-movie-video

Search on 'Spitfire'.

PeterA

Peter;
That's great footage. Thanks for posting it.
I'll have to find more time to sit down and watch it.
Jerry