North American F-82 Twin Mustang
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we are visiting the last night fighter, the North American F-82 Twin Mustang, which was originally designed as a long-range escort fighter for the Boeing B-29 Superfortress in WWII. This aircraft was introduced in 1946, after the war had ended. With fast speeds of about 460 mph, this aircraft was dominantly used […]
Claude Davis
Tuskegee Airman Claude Davis was a cadet in Class 44-GTE. Class 44-GTE translates into the seventh class of 1944 for twin-engine pilot training. Claude and the rest of the class were training to be B-25 Mitchell pilots and aircrew. The first ten weeks of classes were considered “pre-flight.” This is when they learned about using […]
Bristol Beaufighter – Warbird Wednesday Episode #136
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we are visiting another night fighter, the Bristol Beaufighter. This multi-role aircraft was introduced in 1940 as a heavy fighter, having the ability to carry a torpedo, six machine guns and four cannons! The Beaufighter saw immediate success, leading to 5,928 models built and having 59 total squadrons. This effective aircraft was retired in 1960, leaving […]
Herman “Ace” Lawson
Herman Lawson was from the Fresno area of California. He attended Marysville High School where he picked up the nickname “Ace” as the schools star football player. After having a ride in a friend’s airplane, Lawson became interested in becoming a pilot. He took flying lessons and upon getting his license, he became one of […]
AT-6 Texan
In the flight training process, new cadets learned how to fly a small airplane, like a Piper Cub. After the Cub, they had dual instruction in an aircraft like the Boeing Stearman PT-17. At that point, they were transferred to Tuskegee Army Air Field for basic training in the Vultee BT-13. The final step […]
Boulton Paul Defiant – Warbird Wednesday Episode #133
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we are visiting our third night fighter, the British built Boulton Paul Defiant. With its first flight in 1937, the Defiant was best at approaching and attacking other aircrafts from underneath. Their success during the night was obvious, as they would be able to sneak up without the enemies knowledge, […]
332nd Ground Crew
While the pilots tended to get the glory, the often overlooked finely tuned fighter squadron are the people who make everything work. The ground crew are people who might not be talked about much, but are essential to the success of the squadrons and their pilots. Without the skill of the aircraft maintainers, […]
Messerschmitt Bf 110 – Warbird Wednesday Episode #132
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we’re visiting another night fighter, the Messerschmitt Bf 110, developed in Nazi Germany during WWII. Introduced in 1937, this fighter quickly became popular because it was heavier, had quicker speeds reaching up to 295 mph and could carry a large amount of weaponry. Later in WWII, it was developed into […]
Jack Daniels Holsclaw
In his senior year of college, Jack Holsclaw enrolled in the government sponsored Civilian Pilot Training Program and earned his pilot’s license. On October 5, 1942, he enlisted in the army as a private. He entered pilot training at Tuskegee Army Airfield as a member of class 43-G-SE. After completing his training, he received his […]
George “Spanky” Roberts
Airman George “Spanky” Roberts had already received his pilot’s license in the Civilian Pilot Training Program when he entered flight training in the first class at Tuskegee, Alabama. It was July 1941 and the US Army wasn’t convinced that young black men would make good military pilots. There were 13 pilot cadets in the first […]
Walt Disney’s Grumman Gulfstream I Airplane Returns to Palm Springs Straight from D23 Expo 2022
Walt Disney’s Grumman Gulfstream I Airplane Returns to Palm Springs Straight from D23 Expo 2022 The historic plane will be celebrated October 15th, 2022 as it joins the Palm Springs Air Museum’s aircraft on display Palm Springs, Calif. – September 8, 2022 – Walt Disney’s Grumman Gulfstream I plane will journey from D23 Expo 2022 […]
Elvis and the Learjet – Part Three
Five years quickly passed by since the wedding of Elvis and Priscilla Presley in Vegas. Lisa Marie was born on February 1, 1968. Now it is the end of April 1973 and all is not bliss. Clay Lacy answers the phone, it’s Elvis requesting Clay to fly the Presley’s from Palm Springs to Santa […]
Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit – Warbird Wednesday Episode #129
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we are visiting an intriguing heavy strategic bomber, the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit, also known as the Stealth Bomber. The B-2 is a flying wing design with only a crew of two. Designed during the Cold War, this subsonic bomber was built to deploy conventional and thermonuclear weapons, including eighty […]
Elvis and the Learjet – Part Two
In the early morning of May 1, 1967, Elvis and Priscilla were issued a marriage license at the Las Vegas Courthouse. Just before 10:00 AM, the couple was officially married at the Aladdin Hotel and Casino with just 14 guests in attendance. The entire ceremony took a mere 18 minutes. This was followed by the […]
General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark – Warbird Wednesday Episode #128
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we are visiting another strategic bomber aircraft, the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark. The F-111 was produced in the 1960s, pioneering several technologies, including variable swept wings, afterburning turbofan engines and automated terrain-following radar. It was able to carry several bombs, as well as one nuclear weapon. In fact, it dropped […]
Elvis and the Learjet – Part One
Elvis and the Learjet – As told to Stan Stokes by Clay Lacy Part One On May 1, 1967, Elvis Presley and Pricilla Beaulieu were married in Las Vegas at the Aladdin Hotel. They had started the trip just after midnight at Elvis’s Palm Springs home. In an effort to evade the press […]
Rockwell B-1B Lancer – Warbird Wednesday Episode #127
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we are paying a visit to one of the three strategic bombers serving in the US Air Force, the Rockwell B-1B Lancer. This supersonic bomber features a variable-sweep wing, the ability to fly low near terrain and can reach up to Mach 1.25. This aircraft was a result of the […]
Turner and Briggs
Andrew Turner enlisted into the US Army on October 8, 1942 as a member of class 42-I-SE at Tuskegee, Alabama. He received his wings and was inducted into the US Army Air Force on October 9, 1942. He deployed into WWII with the 100th Fighter Squadron. After a mission in which the 100th’s commanding officer, […]
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress – Warbird Wednesday #126
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we are visiting an aircraft that is still in use today, the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. This subsonic, jet-powered strategic/nuclear bomber was first produced in 1952 and was just approved to continue to fly until 2050. Some key features that make this aircraft stand out are its ability to carry 70,000 […]
Tuskegee’s First Five
Tuskegee’s first five cadets to receive their wings and become official US Army Air Force pilots were in Class 42C-SE. This group of black pilots completed their pilot training on March 6, 1942, at Tuskegee Army Air Field, in Tuskegee, Alabama. Of the 13 original cadets, five graduated: Charles DeBow Jr., Benjamin O. Davis Jr., […]
Convair B-58 Hustler – Warbird Wednesday Episode #125
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we are visiting the first operational bomber that was capable of Mach 2 flight, the Convair B-58 Hustler. This American aircraft entered service in 1960 carrying one nuclear bomb, it was later upgraded to carry 5 nuclear weapons. As a strategic bomber, it was designed to fly at high altitudes […]
Robert Diez
Robert Deiz was born on June 17, 1919, in Portland, Oregon. Prior to World War II, in the late 1930s, Diez enrolled in the Civilian Pilot Training Program at Swan Island in Portland, Oregon, receiving his pilot’s license. After graduation from the University of Oregon, Deiz joined the U.S. Army Air Corps. On […]
Boeing B-47 Stratojet – Warbird Wednesday Episode #124
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we are switching gears and visiting a nuclear bomber, the Boeing B-47 Stratojet, also known as the Model 450. The sleek-looking B-27 Stratojet showcased newly developed jet propulsion and 35-degree swept wings, which helped with its high speeds. The Model 450 took its first flight in 1947. This jet gained […]
Boeing B-47 Stratojet – Warbird Wednesday Episode #124
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we are switching gears and visiting a nuclear bomber, the Boeing B-47 Stratojet, also known as the Model 450. The sleek-looking B-27 Stratojet showcased newly developed jet propulsion and 35-degree swept wings, which helped with its high speeds. The Model 450 took its first flight in 1947. This jet gained […]
Colonel William Campbell
Tuskegee Class SE-42-F. He graduated from the program on July 3, 1942 as a second lieutenant. Campbell was then assigned to the 99th Pursuit Squadron. Campbell flew in the first combat mission of the 99th Pursuit Squadron on June 2, 1943. Having completed a long first combat tour, Campbell was sent back to […]
Grumman X-29 – Warbird Wednesday Episode #123
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we are paying a special visit to an experimental aircraft with a very unique look, the Grumman X-29. This aircraft was designed to test aerodynamics; most will notice the forward-swept wings, canard control surfaces, amongst other distinctive features. Composite materials, such as graphite epoxy and carbon-fiber, were used to control […]
Mac Ross
Ross’s alma mater, West Virginia State College (now West Virginia State University) had a Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP) created by the Civil Aeronautics Authority in 1939 to increase the number of active pilots in America in response to the ongoing war in Europe. The federal government had selected Tuskegee Institute as the official pilot […]
North American X-15 – Warbird Wednesday Episode #122
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we are visiting a hypersonic rocket-powered aircraft, the North American X-15. This aircraft was part of the X-plane series and was a complete test bed. Dropping from a B-52, the X-15’s engine put out a total of 57,000 pounds-force of thrust, reaching the highest speed ever recorded, 4,520 miles per […]
Benjamin O. Davis – Part 3
With the end of WWII in Europe, Col. Davis returned to the United States in June 1945 to command the 477th Composite Group at Godman Field, Kentucky. He later became base commander. In March 1946, he went to Lockbourne Army Air Base, Ohio, as commander of the base, and in July 1947 became Commanding Officer […]
XB-70 Valkyrie – Warbird Wednesday Episode #121
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we’re visiting one of the most futuristic airplanes that the U.S. has ever built, the XB-70 Valkyrie. This supersonic aircraft was initially designed to be a high-speed bomber which was spawned from Boeing’s MX-2145 concept. The XB-70 was proposed to use zip fuel, which increased combustion of the fuel and […]