Warbird Information Exchange

Seven decades after flying the Convair-built OY-1 Sentinal (the Naval version of the Stinson L-5) over Iwo Jima, 91-year-old veteran Mert P. Hansen got another ride in his exact WWII aircraft thanks to a unique twist of fate, as well as one man’s commitment to restoring the warbird.

While bringing the aircraft back to life, restorer Duncan Cameron came across flight logs that led him to Hansen, one of the few surviving veterans that flew the OY-1 during the war.

In a testament to Hansen’s service, Cameron vowed to restore the aircraft within three years in an attempt to give Hansen one more flight in the bird that took him into so many missions 70 years ago.

Many hours later, Hansen got to make that ride. Check out his reaction in the video below.