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Current warbirds that have been flown by someone famous

Thu Nov 20, 2014 8:16 pm

Hi All I thought I would start a thread just for fun to see how many current warbirds that are currently flying, static, or being restored that can be proven thru pics or video to have been flown by someone rather famous. I'll start with a few I can think of this has to add some type of value.
1. The 2 seat 109 recently sold by Connie Edwards was flown by Adolf Galland and Peter Townsend
2. FiFi back in the 70's at Harlingen Texas flown by Col. Paul Tibbets
3. One or more of the current P-51's that depict Old Crow flown by Col. Bud Anderson saw that at Oshkosh.

Re: Current warbirds that have been flown by someone famous

Thu Nov 20, 2014 9:16 pm

Isn't Cliff Robertson's Spitfire still out there?

Re: Current warbirds that have been flown by someone famous

Thu Nov 20, 2014 9:35 pm

SaxMan wrote:Isn't Cliff Robertson's Spitfire still out there?

http://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/ ... tfire-mkix
This one!

Re: Current warbirds that have been flown by someone famous

Thu Nov 20, 2014 10:22 pm

If the old gray matter is correct, I do believe Ex Dallas Cowboys Coach Tom Landry got to take the controls of CAF B-17 Sentimental Journey (?)..... & ..(Tom C. flys P-51, blah,blah... :roll: )

Re: Current warbirds that have been flown by someone famous

Thu Nov 20, 2014 10:28 pm

Well, it WILL fly again, but the B-17 "Liberty Belle" was flown by Jay Zeamer MOH when he worked at Pratt & Whitney as a Test Pilot.

Also, Marion Carl MOH flew NEAM's XF4U-4 Corsair in some armament testing with the Navy.

Re: Current warbirds that have been flown by someone famous

Thu Nov 20, 2014 10:41 pm

Frank Tallman and Paul Mantz had several warbirds which are still with us.

Re: Current warbirds that have been flown by someone famous

Thu Nov 20, 2014 10:44 pm

SaxMan wrote:Isn't Cliff Robertson's Spitfire still out there?


Did he actually fly it?
It's always said he owned it, but did he pilot it?

BTW: The MoF's website is wrong. Robertson was not a "TV actor". He never had a weekly series and won an Oscar (the award, not the plane).
Who reviews their stuff? Time to send the interns home.

Re: Current warbirds that have been flown by someone famous

Thu Nov 20, 2014 10:49 pm

Well, our C-54 "Spirit of Freedom" has been flown by The Candy Bomber, Gail Halvorsen on many occasions.

It was specifically mentioned in the book (BuNo90414) "Before there were Jets", about NATS flying in the 1950s.

Also, it may or may not have been the R5D being flown by Cdr. Graham Bethune during his famous UFO spotting incident over Newfoundland in 1951. (There are a few reports that specify 90414...)


Our C-97 may have been flown by Paul Poberezny back when it and he were both assigned to the Wisconsin Air Guard (When it was a KC-97G)


That's all I have on that.....

Re: Current warbirds that have been flown by someone famous

Thu Nov 20, 2014 11:21 pm

Marseille's 109 was recently sold to a group in England

Re: Current warbirds that have been flown by someone famous

Thu Nov 20, 2014 11:59 pm

I'm guessing the survivors flown by Howard Hughes would make quite a list on their own.

Re: Current warbirds that have been flown by someone famous

Fri Nov 21, 2014 12:47 am

Charles Lindbergh flew the Planes of Fame's A6M5 Zero during it's evaluation after it was captured.

Dan

Re: Current warbirds that have been flown by someone famous

Fri Nov 21, 2014 1:19 am

1. The 2 seat 109 recently sold by Connie Edwards was flown by Adolf Galland and Peter Townsend


Ed - I'm not sure if Peter Townsend actually flew with Galland in this 109 but there are documented accounts that Galland actually flew with Bob Stanford-Tuck in the 2-seater as they were not only technical advisors on the BoB film but were also good friends for many years.

Barry

Re: Current warbirds that have been flown by someone famous

Fri Nov 21, 2014 9:04 am

Does Chuck Yeager flying the P-51 Glamorus Glen count? Or is GG no longer active in that scheme?

Bill

Re: Current warbirds that have been flown by someone famous

Fri Nov 21, 2014 9:45 am

Jimmy Doolittle used to joke that he had had his picture taken in the left seat of every B-25 still in existance.

I wonder if he ever personally flew any of the ones currently on the circuit.

Re: Current warbirds that have been flown by someone famous

Fri Nov 21, 2014 9:50 am

Dick Cole flew our C-47 in July. Tex Hill flew B-17 "Texas Raiders in 1995.
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