My favorite plane of all time! I loved seeing Lefty at Reno 86 87 and later in Georgetown TX in 2000. I still have a VHS of the Reno shoe he put on. He was magnificent pilot and really knew how to fly her. Watching him do low acrobatics on one engine was quite something. He also raced it. To bad she has changed but is still flying. My highlight was Oshkosh 1987 I saw several there.
now this beaytiful plane stands here in my hometown salzburg, in the redbull hangar7. its complete rebuilt, and is polished aluminium silver now. and that crazy nice sound ;) i allways stand there mouth opend when i see her flying over.
cool i wished i owned asecond lockheed p-38 lighting and the turbosperchargers are still there they were never removed at all because if he had he would have f'd up the engines and those are hard to find. i know my p-38 has 2 rolls-royce merlin engines instead of the allisons.
anyone know where the skyfire 86 clip of this video is? theres another one with classical music, and for the life of me wanting to know what the song is on that video
I first met Lefty @ The C.A.F. Airshow '75 @ Harlingen Texas! He was the kind of person you took an instant likeing to! Seeing Lefty & white lighting every year @ Harlingen was something my best friend Charles & I looked forward to! We were so lucky to have been there & meet the people we met; Bob Hoover,Adolf Galan,Greg Boyington,Saburo Sakai, to name a few! It was such a fantastic time & always there was Lefty & White Lighting showing us what a P-38 could do! Lefty, you will always be missed
Lefty removed the turbos because they are not an advantage at low altitude, and extra wieght. That is why you hear the unmuffled sound of the allisons from straight exaust stacks.
@411member The compressor on the left turbo is what brought this bird down in Mississippi...It flew apart, severed the fuel and hydraulic lines, and caused a fire.
wikipedia: list of surviving p-38s... White Lightnin' had superchargers, compound turbos removed, with straight exhaust. This is the way it was when I saw it at Reno 94.
I re-read the crash report, and found that you are correct about the turbos; it was the supercharger compressor that lost 4 or 5 blades, and caused the crash. The crash occured on June, 25, 2001 at about 0920cdt near Greenwood Mississippi, Ladd Gardner was the pilot.
I like the video and the music. Another good choice would have been "Spirit in the Sky". I swear he wasn't off the ground before the gear started coming up. I guess after so long you just know.
Lefty was a family friend during his stay in Crystal City and was an inspiration for many who followed in his footsteps to discover the magic of flight. Rest in peace Lefty.
parece mentira que este avion despues de mas de 60 años se ve tan hermoso e inofensivo, pero en realidad sembro el terror para los alemanes y los japoneses a tal punto que le llamaban diablo de dos colas
I haven't checked this board in a few months but it's great to see people still responding to it.
For those that are interested, White Lightnin is flying again. Ezell Aviation has done a suburb job in restoration, and Steve Hinton made the first flight in June.
That kind of Gracefull ship, Deserves an applause.. Can only imagine the freedom in the Aileron Rolls. Just wish my own seaplane could do that. Very Sweet,
fellow aviator. Captain Robert. "Touch the Face of God"
I represented Lefty in a lawsuit in Austin over the title to White Lightning. The value of the plane was placed at 3M-5M. But the cost of "hull insurance" was such that Lefty didn't unsure it. The attorney for the other side asked Lefty on cross-examination if there wasn't increased danger of the plane being destroyed because of his advanced age (he was in his 70s)and slower reaction time. Lefty said: "You don't have to react fast if you know what you are doing." The jury loved it.
My dear friend, Richard L. Hood, flew his first combat mission in a P-38 8/44. He dived on and placed a 1,000 pounder amidst
a cracking plant at Ploeti. He was a gentleman to the end and all who knew him respected him ... he told of his element leader's demise during that first dive. As I watched this magnificent offering many memories flooded by. Thanks for sharing this video ... the music was just right ...
Got a question....Is that an original with the Superchargers? From what I hear, that is what makes the plane so nasty. Exports to england where shipped without them and It made a huge difference. God I love that plane. Long live the "FORK-TAILED DEVIL"!!!
actually im doing a research project on the P-38 and ive known alot about them even though im kinda young. The RP-322s that were exported to England did not have the turbosuperchargers that the American versions did. so yes. all american versions had the GE Turbosupercharges. Even N25Y does =D
Regarding the music, it came from a band that played at one of his favorite restaurants in Mexico - just across the border from where he lived. He and I were eating there one night and the same band played the same song. He leaned over and told me that he and his wife had chosen that song for the video.
I was fortunate to become a friend of his in the 90's, and ended up on his crew - during the last of his flying days. I flew many an hour in the back "seat" of this beautiful plane and have so many stories on it that several have suggested I write a book about it. Suffice it to say that all of the maneuvers - and more - you see in this video I witnessed while in the back seat of 25Y
Lefty was an amazing pilot. The very first time i saw his aircraft was in a Skyfire '86 video when i was about 2 years old. Ive never seen or met Lefty in real life, but him and White Lightnin' ive always kind of kept an eye on them for most of my life. its sad to see N25Y in the hands of Red Bull now...i hope they dont turn it into something it just isnt....
This was part of a video that Lefty did in the mid 80's. It also included a ton of stuff about his WWII (B-17 and B-24) days, his dusting days in Stearmans, and some footage about founding the CAF.
because the P-38 was called the Lightning and this one was mostly white (in Thunderbird colours)....."White Lightning" sound so much cooler than "Blank P38" and rolls off your toung MUCH better...
I love rock of all ages, but as far as music videos are concerned, I cannot think of a better-blended piece than "Ballade pour Adeline." Every time I hear this classical piece I will think of the P-38...Well done!
The paint scheme is the original colors of the CAF. When the CAF first came into being, all the planes were painted in pretty much the same paint scheme. In later years as they began giving the planes more military paint schemes, Lefty never changed it on the P-38. Plus, I think it looked better in those colors coming around the pylons at Reno! But, that's just my opinion.....
@fiftycaliberfistfuck In the late 1960s, before the move to Harlingen, Texas, the Confederate Air Force was located with Mercedes Flying Service (crop dusting service) at Old Rebel Field near Mercedes, Texas. At that time, most of the aircraft in the collection sported this paint job! I have pictures of my dad crawling out of a P-51D with this paint job. White Lighnin' kept this paint job because it was Lefty's, and it was a recon unit as opposed to a fighter. Also raced as # 14 and #13.
@tz138 I recall reading that the P-51 had the same paint job was also Lefty's. I THINK he also raced it, but he eventually sold it to keep White Lightnin'.
cool vid. Beutiful plane. Music SUCKED!!! I was looking up P-38s, and saw this, thinking that i was going to see an awsome plane, put to some awsome music! Someone should put the song on here that matches the title (ACDC "white lighning")
Hey! I was simply voiceing my opinion, no need to get all bent out of shape about it! In my opinion, this music is tacky elevator music, ACDC is hardly bad music.
Sorry bout that, I wasnt saying ACDC was the bad taste you had in music, but because you said the piano number sucked, you should recognise it as classic music, and beautiful, just like the p-38.
again, difference in opinion. I don't listen to much classic music (other than classic rock/metal '50s on up). I love classic plains, classic cars. But the music that comes to mind when thinking of vintage plains, especialy high performance "extreem" plains such as the p-38, p-51, F4u, ect. is classic rock. Metallica "one" is the very first that came to mind in this case, as it is about a WW2 vet. But as a musician myself, i recognize the skill that goes into the piano number.
Well, I like your taste in music, thinking metallica's "one" would be because their singing about the war.
This all boils down to which kind of music you prefer to each plane, car, and etc. (personally I cant think of any particular songs that go with the warbirds, but metallicas I dissappear is appropriate for the chevrolet camaro '69, as james is riding in the music video.
Well, your not that bad after all, tastewise, but saying right from the getgo that some music sucks, will offend some people... instead just say that you would prefer some other song
lol, i think i was in a bad mood that day. I sometimes do that, and then go on the internet with a bad attitude. For wich i have to right myself later. Plus it was kind of a shock (in that mood) to be expecting ACDC, and then getting a Piano piece. lol
It wouldn't fit this vid for sure. But personally, i'm not much of one for such "soft" music. And i believe that such a wild plane (and ride) is deserving of a "harder" sound track. If i were to make a P28 vid. i would edit much faster (more extreme if you will) clips, with a much "harder" sound track. But thats just me :-)
Beautiful video!! I had to sit and watch it numerous times not just for the awesome P-38, but for the music you used here. What song is this? It's so soothing and relaxing...combined with the slow rolling of the Lightning, it's one of the most enjoyable aircraft vids on Youtube!
That is correct.
tz138 5 months ago
I think this is a earler model p-38.
MOJONIXION 6 months ago
@MOJONIXION its an L with G radiators that were used when she was a racer at reno
TwinBoom 6 months ago
what a beautiful specimen of an aircraft. does anyone know if it still flies?
Riggro 10 months ago
@Riggro Yes RedBull Has bought her fully restored her and she is on tour
TwinBoom 10 months ago
Like everything else Kelly Johnson had a hand in, a magnificent airplane. Beautifully flown, too.
mjkobb 11 months ago
awesome looking plane. Just love the sound of the engines!
cherb49 11 months ago
If the p-51 is the cadilac of the sky, then this is the rollce roys
MrCongate 1 year ago
honestly, listening to this thing taxi gives me a stiffy. those engines must have the most wicked cams in the world
taterfamine 1 year ago
My favorite plane of all time! I loved seeing Lefty at Reno 86 87 and later in Georgetown TX in 2000. I still have a VHS of the Reno shoe he put on. He was magnificent pilot and really knew how to fly her. Watching him do low acrobatics on one engine was quite something. He also raced it. To bad she has changed but is still flying. My highlight was Oshkosh 1987 I saw several there.
danielnordeen 1 year ago
only Allison Lightnings are real lightnings...sorry. Merlins sound like shit.
galvenizedsteel 2 years ago
now this beaytiful plane stands here in my hometown salzburg, in the redbull hangar7. its complete rebuilt, and is polished aluminium silver now. and that crazy nice sound ;) i allways stand there mouth opend when i see her flying over.
sanatarium1111111 2 years ago
cool i wished i owned asecond lockheed p-38 lighting and the turbosperchargers are still there they were never removed at all because if he had he would have f'd up the engines and those are hard to find. i know my p-38 has 2 rolls-royce merlin engines instead of the allisons.
F6fhellcatace 2 years ago
Lefty Gardner was a true natural!
KATAERO 2 years ago
now she's flying for the Flying Bulls
P214Stearman 2 years ago
anyone know where the skyfire 86 clip of this video is? theres another one with classical music, and for the life of me wanting to know what the song is on that video
longbow986 2 years ago
I first met Lefty @ The C.A.F. Airshow '75 @ Harlingen Texas! He was the kind of person you took an instant likeing to! Seeing Lefty & white lighting every year @ Harlingen was something my best friend Charles & I looked forward to! We were so lucky to have been there & meet the people we met; Bob Hoover,Adolf Galan,Greg Boyington,Saburo Sakai, to name a few! It was such a fantastic time & always there was Lefty & White Lighting showing us what a P-38 could do! Lefty, you will always be missed
dobodura1943 2 years ago
What kinda engine does it have?
It sounds like a chevy engine! :P
roboman79 2 years ago 2
2 allison engines v12
TwinBoom 2 years ago
Allison V-1710 turbosupercharged =)
longbow986 2 years ago
Lefty removed the turbos because they are not an advantage at low altitude, and extra wieght. That is why you hear the unmuffled sound of the allisons from straight exaust stacks.
411member 2 years ago
@411member The compressor on the left turbo is what brought this bird down in Mississippi...It flew apart, severed the fuel and hydraulic lines, and caused a fire.
tz138 2 years ago
Comment removed
411member 2 years ago
wikipedia: list of surviving p-38s... White Lightnin' had superchargers, compound turbos removed, with straight exhaust. This is the way it was when I saw it at Reno 94.
411member 2 years ago
I re-read the crash report, and found that you are correct about the turbos; it was the supercharger compressor that lost 4 or 5 blades, and caused the crash. The crash occured on June, 25, 2001 at about 0920cdt near Greenwood Mississippi, Ladd Gardner was the pilot.
tz138 2 years ago
Yeah, I thought, 'except for the inertia starter the #1 engine sounds like my tractor trailor!'
Then I saw your comment too, hehe.
freiherrudet 2 years ago
@roboman79, you are pretty much correct. The Allison engine was a General Motors product. "Allison" transmission sound familiar? :-)
NoDakBees 1 year ago
I like the video and the music. Another good choice would have been "Spirit in the Sky". I swear he wasn't off the ground before the gear started coming up. I guess after so long you just know.
Grandam1974 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Lefty Gardner recieved 7 million dollars for this previous Confederate Air Force's famed
"White Lightning" with spare parts.
Damn shame he sold out for cash. The plane is not even in the United States anymore.
Long gone Red Bull crap !
Sadly, Im sure it will crash in the next few years ! Complete waste !
apatheticempathy 2 years ago
this planr is now a "Red Bull" chrome finish plane and is be shipped outta the United States !
apatheticempathy 2 years ago
Lefty was a family friend during his stay in Crystal City and was an inspiration for many who followed in his footsteps to discover the magic of flight. Rest in peace Lefty.
p2driver 2 years ago
It's an airplane. Almost as interest as Oprah Winfrey.
caltrop69 3 years ago
Wow! Your good. It is an airplane. But it's not just any airplane. And by the way, you need to work on your grammar.
kevin3267 3 years ago
That was a typo. I'd imagine that when you say, "your good," it is NOT a typo. Who should watch their grammar?
caltrop69 3 years ago
It saved us during WWII before the P-47 and P-51.
hutigg 2 years ago
parece mentira que este avion despues de mas de 60 años se ve tan hermoso e inofensivo, pero en realidad sembro el terror para los alemanes y los japoneses a tal punto que le llamaban diablo de dos colas
Olmecru 3 years ago
Love the timing of the music and the glory around the shadow as he ascends over the green field (3:43).
GoatBarn 3 years ago
Most beautifull WWII bird!
Perfect match flying & music!
HansThunderbolt 3 years ago
Beautiful plane, sound & music. Worth watching!
BammBammBering 3 years ago
Lefty ... we will miss you and never forget what you did.
Blue Skies
Don
dandbtucker 3 years ago
Yes truly sad Lefty will be missed.
TwinBoom 3 years ago 3
Ok, finally.
I haven't checked this board in a few months but it's great to see people still responding to it.
For those that are interested, White Lightnin is flying again. Ezell Aviation has done a suburb job in restoration, and Steve Hinton made the first flight in June.
fly524 3 years ago
I'd give my Left Nutt to ride in that Sukka!
One of the best War Birds ever!!
OutbackBros 3 years ago
Have to admit, I had tears in my eyes watching this. My father was a P-38 pilot in the European Theater in WWII. Thanks.
hmrdulcimer 3 years ago
That kind of Gracefull ship, Deserves an applause.. Can only imagine the freedom in the Aileron Rolls. Just wish my own seaplane could do that. Very Sweet,
fellow aviator. Captain Robert. "Touch the Face of God"
RjMorganB2 3 years ago
I represented Lefty in a lawsuit in Austin over the title to White Lightning. The value of the plane was placed at 3M-5M. But the cost of "hull insurance" was such that Lefty didn't unsure it. The attorney for the other side asked Lefty on cross-examination if there wasn't increased danger of the plane being destroyed because of his advanced age (he was in his 70s)and slower reaction time. Lefty said: "You don't have to react fast if you know what you are doing." The jury loved it.
jkeaheyx 3 years ago
My dear friend, Richard L. Hood, flew his first combat mission in a P-38 8/44. He dived on and placed a 1,000 pounder amidst
a cracking plant at Ploeti. He was a gentleman to the end and all who knew him respected him ... he told of his element leader's demise during that first dive. As I watched this magnificent offering many memories flooded by. Thanks for sharing this video ... the music was just right ...
n1014f 3 years ago
Got a question....Is that an original with the Superchargers? From what I hear, that is what makes the plane so nasty. Exports to england where shipped without them and It made a huge difference. God I love that plane. Long live the "FORK-TAILED DEVIL"!!!
bentpreacher 3 years ago
actually im doing a research project on the P-38 and ive known alot about them even though im kinda young. The RP-322s that were exported to England did not have the turbosuperchargers that the American versions did. so yes. all american versions had the GE Turbosupercharges. Even N25Y does =D
longbow986 3 years ago
i like the P-38 better in its war paint schemes. it makes it look meaner. this looks cool to, though.
stranger590 3 years ago
Regarding the music, it came from a band that played at one of his favorite restaurants in Mexico - just across the border from where he lived. He and I were eating there one night and the same band played the same song. He leaned over and told me that he and his wife had chosen that song for the video.
fly524 3 years ago
I was fortunate to become a friend of his in the 90's, and ended up on his crew - during the last of his flying days. I flew many an hour in the back "seat" of this beautiful plane and have so many stories on it that several have suggested I write a book about it. Suffice it to say that all of the maneuvers - and more - you see in this video I witnessed while in the back seat of 25Y
fly524 3 years ago
Lefty was an amazing pilot. The very first time i saw his aircraft was in a Skyfire '86 video when i was about 2 years old. Ive never seen or met Lefty in real life, but him and White Lightnin' ive always kind of kept an eye on them for most of my life. its sad to see N25Y in the hands of Red Bull now...i hope they dont turn it into something it just isnt....
longbow986 3 years ago
This was part of a video that Lefty did in the mid 80's. It also included a ton of stuff about his WWII (B-17 and B-24) days, his dusting days in Stearmans, and some footage about founding the CAF.
fly524 3 years ago
Ok, first of all, contrary to what people called it, the correct spelling of the plane was "White Lightnin"
fly524 3 years ago
a thing of beauty. just wish there were more around. would have been nice to have been vintage though
roflrocksmysocks 3 years ago
Best WW2 Plane ever!
DeKarle1992 3 years ago
An excellent aircraft combined with an excellent piece of music that I've played on the piano...5 stars from me!!! :)
Irvine5312x6ma 4 years ago
me cago en richard clayderman... jajajaja.. q ganas e estropear este video
pepasso 4 years ago
Sorry if this is a double post, I can't see the comment I just posted. Why isn't it called "Blank P38"? I think that name rolls of the tongue better.
Irrit8d 4 years ago
because the P-38 was called the Lightning and this one was mostly white (in Thunderbird colours)....."White Lightning" sound so much cooler than "Blank P38" and rolls off your toung MUCH better...
comradeboris 4 years ago
I love rock of all ages, but as far as music videos are concerned, I cannot think of a better-blended piece than "Ballade pour Adeline." Every time I hear this classical piece I will think of the P-38...Well done!
paulojosverde 4 years ago
color scheme on airplane : why?
fiftycaliberfistfuck 4 years ago
retired reno racr
TwinBoom 4 years ago
The paint scheme is the original colors of the CAF. When the CAF first came into being, all the planes were painted in pretty much the same paint scheme. In later years as they began giving the planes more military paint schemes, Lefty never changed it on the P-38. Plus, I think it looked better in those colors coming around the pylons at Reno! But, that's just my opinion.....
chitlinpita 3 years ago
@fiftycaliberfistfuck In the late 1960s, before the move to Harlingen, Texas, the Confederate Air Force was located with Mercedes Flying Service (crop dusting service) at Old Rebel Field near Mercedes, Texas. At that time, most of the aircraft in the collection sported this paint job! I have pictures of my dad crawling out of a P-51D with this paint job. White Lighnin' kept this paint job because it was Lefty's, and it was a recon unit as opposed to a fighter. Also raced as # 14 and #13.
tz138 11 months ago
@tz138 I recall reading that the P-51 had the same paint job was also Lefty's. I THINK he also raced it, but he eventually sold it to keep White Lightnin'.
rustyATV 9 months ago
cool vid. Beutiful plane. Music SUCKED!!! I was looking up P-38s, and saw this, thinking that i was going to see an awsome plane, put to some awsome music! Someone should put the song on here that matches the title (ACDC "white lighning")
salemcripple 4 years ago
You obviously have a crappy taste in music if you think this sucked.
BikerRussell 4 years ago
Hey! I was simply voiceing my opinion, no need to get all bent out of shape about it! In my opinion, this music is tacky elevator music, ACDC is hardly bad music.
salemcripple 4 years ago
Sorry bout that, I wasnt saying ACDC was the bad taste you had in music, but because you said the piano number sucked, you should recognise it as classic music, and beautiful, just like the p-38.
BikerRussell 4 years ago
again, difference in opinion. I don't listen to much classic music (other than classic rock/metal '50s on up). I love classic plains, classic cars. But the music that comes to mind when thinking of vintage plains, especialy high performance "extreem" plains such as the p-38, p-51, F4u, ect. is classic rock. Metallica "one" is the very first that came to mind in this case, as it is about a WW2 vet. But as a musician myself, i recognize the skill that goes into the piano number.
salemcripple 4 years ago
Well, I like your taste in music, thinking metallica's "one" would be because their singing about the war.
This all boils down to which kind of music you prefer to each plane, car, and etc. (personally I cant think of any particular songs that go with the warbirds, but metallicas I dissappear is appropriate for the chevrolet camaro '69, as james is riding in the music video.
BikerRussell 4 years ago
Well, your not that bad after all, tastewise, but saying right from the getgo that some music sucks, will offend some people... instead just say that you would prefer some other song
BikerRussell 4 years ago
lol, i think i was in a bad mood that day. I sometimes do that, and then go on the internet with a bad attitude. For wich i have to right myself later. Plus it was kind of a shock (in that mood) to be expecting ACDC, and then getting a Piano piece. lol
salemcripple 4 years ago
Thats ok, we can all have a little attitude sometimes...
BikerRussell 4 years ago
AC?DC would be nice, but it would not fit the gracefullness of the flight, and definitely not the pilot's personality! Blue skies, Lefty!
tz138 3 years ago 4
It wouldn't fit this vid for sure. But personally, i'm not much of one for such "soft" music. And i believe that such a wild plane (and ride) is deserving of a "harder" sound track. If i were to make a P28 vid. i would edit much faster (more extreme if you will) clips, with a much "harder" sound track. But thats just me :-)
salemcripple 3 years ago
But you are not familiar with the pilot, the music was of the type from Lefty's time.
tz138 3 years ago
Beautiful video!! I had to sit and watch it numerous times not just for the awesome P-38, but for the music you used here. What song is this? It's so soothing and relaxing...combined with the slow rolling of the Lightning, it's one of the most enjoyable aircraft vids on Youtube!
mmamajor 4 years ago
hey, the piano number is called ballade pour Adeline.
BikerRussell 4 years ago
Waw! Great plane, Awsome flying, very nice video!
HansThunderbolt 4 years ago
What an accomplishment for over 65 years ago and it's still AWESOME. Makes one feel good to be an American.
paulojosverde 4 years ago
As always: the LIGHTNING, an exceptional aircraft...congratulations man, but try to bring her back-we all miss her!!!
hsxakj 4 years ago
Sure miss her... please bring her back!!!
RedBarcheta 4 years ago
It's now owned by Red Bull and the restoration in new colors is almost finished. The first flights will probably be very soon.
FiveCentsPlease 4 years ago
FANTASTIC video! God, I love that plane! =D
antred11 4 years ago
Lefty at one time was my step uncle... great pilot and a genuinely nice all around nice person -- i wish him and his family well. :-)
GreyRacer5 4 years ago
very cool airplane..great video...great flying
owen48 5 years ago