List of Notable Warbird People

[marine air]

It's a somewhat unfocused, vague list. Maybe there should be sub-categories; warbird airshow performers, collectors , importers, salvagers, mechanics, restorers, and market builders.

[Noha307]

EDIT: Didn't notice his name on the original listing on page one...my bad.

That's okay, I do appreciate that you went back to check, though!

At least people getting mentioned more than once seems to confirm that they are indeed important.

I wouldn't include Chuck Yeager as he insulted the warbird community on more then one occasion! I know it would seem pretty harsh to exclude him from the list, but he hasn't done anything positive for the warbird movement but promote his name and brand and that has done nothing except get people to learn what a Bell X-1 is.

Again, remember that being disliked, or even hurting the warbird movement, does not prevent a person from being included. They simply have to have made an "impact".

However, you seem to suggest that he hasn't even done that, so for the time being I won't add him to the list.

As an aside, could you mention a specific time when he insulted the warbird community? Since its reception is overwhelmingly positive, I am genuinely interested in the few times it has been put down.

Would Moon Spillers be important enough to make the list?

If you think so. That is one unique name, I might add.

The Salis family in France to have owned and developped one of the nicest flying museum at La Ferté-Alais, starting collecting and saving planes before WWII, long time before the warbird movement started.

Can't say I've seen a suggestion from Europe outside of the UK yet, so good thinking.

On that note, whomever is responsible for Flug Werk, Meier Motors, Hangar 10, the Luftwaffe Museum, the Auto & Technik Museum Sinsheim, the Musée de l’air et de l’espace, the Central Air Force Museum, the Belgrade Aviation Museum, and the Brussels Air Museum would probably also be eligible.

Can you create another thread of "Self-Important Warbird People" and put my name on it?

Looked through all the pages to this thread, and I didn't see any mention of the creator/benefactor of one of the largest "flying/flyable" warbird collections in the USA........James (Jim) Cavanaugh.

I meant to include him, but had forgotten. Thanks for the reminder.

Anyone mention Col Pay yet?

Could you elaborate on who that is? The name is very vague, and I would like to be able to look these people up if need be.

What is the true criteria or requirements to be considered "important"?

Currently, the criteria is "one person on WIX thought they were important". I say that half jokingly. As I mentioned above, I made the criteria for this list extremely loose so as to not miss anyone.

Given the idea behind the above criteria, the one type of suggestion I have been rejecting are lists of people that have clearly been submitted without individual consideration as to each person's importance. So, for example, the posting above that simply linked to the Warbirds of America roster, was rejected. Now, I'm not saying those people don't make the cut, but that they need to be considered on more of an individual basis.

Originally, the criteria for the list I started this thread was "people I thought were important". In comparing my list with the suggestions here, I was just noting that it was focused on only the most prominent people.

The above notwithstandting, there is some more strict criteria for a final list (again, if it ever gets made), but I'm not quite sure what it is yet. I would say founder or important head of a major museum would be one.

Is he important?
...but was he important?
Enquiring minds want to know!

You thought they were, so for the purposes of this thread they are!

Mac MaCaulley (highest time B-17 Pilot ever)

Important point here.

At first, I didn't know if the Mr. MaCaulley you mention was only a pilot during World War II, afterwards, or both. After a quick Google, I found out he is the pilot for the Collings Foundation's B-17. (The same article describes him as "a legend in his own right", so I would say that, based on a third-party reference, he qualifies.) However, your mention of being the "highest time B-17 Pilot ever" made me think maybe he was a WWII vet.

World War II veterans that are only World War II veterans would not make this list. I don't know if this needs to be said, but given all the questions about who qualifies, I figured I should state it. However, if they were significantly involved in the warbird movement after the war as well, they would qualify for inclusion.

It's a somewhat unfocused, vague list. Maybe there should be sub-categories; warbird airshow performers, collectors , importers, salvagers, mechanics, restorers, and market builders.

I actually had the idea of different categories before posting here (as noted in my first post). However, I had not really gotten around to implementing it. The one exception is that I had separated out authors.

Further Mentions

• Vince O'Connor
• Bob Hoover
• Tom Friedman
• Al Casby
• Jon Blanchette
• Jim Tobul
• Joe Tobul
• Don Plumb
• Jim Mott
• Brain Baird
• Moon Spillers
• Bill Dodds
• Tom Crevasse
• Gary Norville
• Butch Schroeder
• Bob Cardin
• Art Vance
• Jim Read
• Scott Glover
• Terry Rogers
• Bill Rogers
• Gary Levitz
• Bill Turnbull
• Alan Preston
• Jim Terry
• Rick Garvis
• Peter Hambling
• Charlie Hilliard
• Matt Jackson
• Jason Somes
• Ray Krottinger
• Denny Lynch
• Harry Stenger
• Rob Stuessy
• Robert L. Waltrip
• Tom Gregory Jr.
• Tom "Gumby" Gregory III
• Charles "Tuna" Hainline
• Mike Burke
• Chuck Gardner
• Jim Goolsby
• Frank Hale
• Mac McCauley
• Salis family

Vern Raburn & Walter Soplata, who were already included, were mentioned again.

The new total stands at 291+ people. Although, I must admit that at this point I might be starting to lose track.

[Warbirdnerd]

EDIT: Didn't notice his name on the original listing on page one...my bad.

That's okay, I do appreciate that you went back to check, though!

At least people getting mentioned more than once seems to confirm that they are indeed important.

I wouldn't include Chuck Yeager as he insulted the warbird community on more then one occasion! I know it would seem pretty harsh to exclude him from the list, but he hasn't done anything positive for the warbird movement but promote his name and brand and that has done nothing except get people to learn what a Bell X-1 is.

Again, remember that being disliked, or even hurting the warbird movement, does not prevent a person from being included. They simply have to have made an "impact".

However, you seem to suggest that he hasn't even done that, so for the time being I won't add him to the list.

As an aside, could you mention a specific time when he insulted the warbird community?

http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.o ... hp?t=26196

[Noha307]

As an aside, could you mention a specific time when he insulted the warbird community?

http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.o ... hp?t=26196

I've always heard he was a bit rough around the edges, so I'm not really surprised. Anyway, thanks for the link!

I don't want to get too off topic, so now back to the list.

[marine air]

Bob Hoover, I would say no. Wouild say yes to military aviator, POW, military test pilot, factory test pilot, factory demonstration pilot, civilian demonstration pilot, Reno Air Race safety pilot (legend), aviation legend, yes. Honorary member of EAA Warbirds of America , yes. Author, etc.

The warbird market was the least of his achievements, he was a test pilot and entertainer first and foremost. He really didn't do the "warbird thing."

How about the Whittington Brothers? They imported, exported, bought and traded spares (huge inventory) restored lots of warbirds, collected warbirds and raced warbirds at Reno. They flew their warbirds to many airshows over the last 40 years.

[Nathan]

I forgot to add, Eric Miller: owner of Project Warbird. He has saved tons of warbirds and airplane parts.

[Noha307]

Having learned more about him after the accident the other day, I have a posthumous addition: Vlado Lenoch [1][2]

An addition for the list of authors is Edward Jablonski

EDIT (22-04-05): Came across an additional two (1, 2) articles memorializing Vlado Lenoch.

Last edited by Noha307 on Tue Apr 05, 2022 9:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[K5DH]

I didn't find this name mentioned (maybe I missed it): How about "Buffalo Joe" McBryan?

[Scott Rose]

Why the heck does it say "redacted" where I typed Mont-y Armstrong (obviously without the dash in the original text).

Is that a swear word in America????

This actually had to do with a lawsuit a couple of years ago involving a different "Monty". I created a filter to removed his name from any post on the forum. I just modified it to allow "Monty" to be a visible name again.

[Dave Homewood]

Ha! Thanks Scott, that had me very puzzled. I had a similar thing the other day on one of my forums where I was trying to write Scunthorpe, the place in Britain.

[Tinknocker]

Joe Denest should be added he has not only saved and restored some of the most beautiful examples of PT's flying but there are few others that don't have a Denest Ranger engine!

[tow-3]

did anybody mention john paul and family, or did i just miss it?

bob burns

[Noha307]

The other day I came across the EAA Warbirds of America Hall of Fame (which is also available in on the overall EAA website in a slightly more updated form) and I realized it was the perfect addition to this thread.

[ZRX61]

Since you asked, Col Pay:

https://aviationmuseum.com.au/vale-col-pay/

http://warbirdsnews.com/tag/col-pay

https://www.vfr.net.au/

[Enemy Ace]

Pat Epps (Glacier Girl P-38)
Don Brooks (liberty foundation)
Ray Fowler (liberty foundation)
Capt. Connie Bowlin (EAA Warbirds)
Capt. Ed Bowlin
Tom Wilson ( Curtiss Hawks)
Neil Bird (P-40 Collector)
Jack Roush
Benny Britt (Georgia Aviation Museum)
Capt. Paul Hunt (DAL, Warbird Pilot)
Capt. Jimmy Hunt (NWA, Warbird Pilot P-51 Vertelungswaffe”
Hess Bomberger (P-51 owner/ pilot)
Capt. Richard Hess (DAL, international Jets, EAA Warbirds Board)
Jack Erickson
Dan Gryder (DC-3)
Steve Collins (P-51, T-6, Stearmans and Waco Rides)
Steve Larmor (Stallion 51)
Wiley Sanders
Hoot Gibson (USN, NASA, Reno Racer)

Whole bunch more that I could list if I had more time....-Robert