Mustangs and Legends
to gather for the last time
By Randy Dufault
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Legendary pilots Chuck
Yeager and Bud Anderson lead a flight of Mustangs at the last
Gathering of Mustangs and Legends. Photo by Paul Bowen |
In what is being billed
as the The Final Roundup, P-51 Mustangs, their owners, their pilots and
the legendary veterans who made it one of the most recognizable
airplanes in the world, will gather in Columbus, Ohio, September 27th to
30th, 2007.
More than 100 of the
approximately 150 flying examples of the airplane are expected to be in
attendance at the Gathering of Mustangs and Legends, to be held at the
Rickenbacker International Airport.
"[Rickenbacker] is
an ideal location from several standpoints," said Lee Lauderback,
president of Stallion 51 Corporation and one of the primary organizers
of the event. "It has two parallel 12,000-foot runways and more
ramp space than we need. We could put 1,000 P-51s there and still have
room.
"We will have
operational control of the airport from sunrise to sunset and can do
some very special things," Lauderback added. "It’s about
flying the airplanes."
Plans are in the works
for solo Mustang flight routines, formation routines, and a wide range
of other flying demonstrations only possible with such a large
collection of one aircraft type. "It will be stuff you don’t see
everyday," Lauderback said.
The organizing committee
has asked the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration team to put the
event on their 2007 schedule.
A key closing-day feature
will be a flight of 51 P-51s. Organizing such a large operation is a
challenge, so Lauderback enlisted the aid of air show legend and
long-time Mustang pilot Bob Hoover to help.
Other contemporary
fighters of the era, such as the P-38 Lightning, P-40 Warhawk,
Supermarine Spitfire, and P-63 Black Widow Night Fighter will occupy
ramp space next to the Mustangs. Lauderback has a commitment for a
German Focke Wolfe FW-190 to attend and is working hard to secure
commitment for a Messerschmitt Me-109, opposing fighters the Mustang
encountered in the skies over Europe.
Beyond the airplanes, the
gathering will feature 51 individuals who have achieved legendary status
for their involvement in the history of the airplane. Those legends will
include representatives of the pilots that flew it in combat, the crew
chiefs who maintained it and the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots
(WASP) who ferried many of the planes to their combat assignments, among
others.
This event is billed as
The Final Roundup and according to Lauderback there won’t be another.
"This will be a tribute to these folks, a way to say thank you for
what they’ve done for us."
Ticket packages for single days or for
the entire event will be available on the event website www.GML2007.com.
