P-51D February 2009

A demonstration flight of the Military Aviation Museum's P-51D Mustang, "Double Trouble two" and SNJ-4 on Valentine's Day 2009. The Mustang is painted to represent the aircraft of Lt. Colonel Wild Bill Bailey of the 353rd Fighter Group which flew in England in WWII. The SNJ is in it's original dark blue markings for operations in the Aleutian Islands during WWII.

The Mustang did carry a passenger on the flight: a WWII P-51 pilot who was just visiting the museum for the event. In many of the shots is the museum's PBY 5A Catalina which didn't fly that day.

The Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia has a growing collection of WWII and Korean War military aircraft, most of which are flyable. The museum has an educational lecture followed by a demo flight on a monthly schedule. Former USAAF Capt. Joseph Russo gave a great talk about the P-51 he flew in the western Pacific in WWII. www.militaryaviationmuseum.org

The Fighter Factory in Suffolk, Virginia is the restoration arm of the museum and is restoring more beauties to fly in the future. www.fighterfactory.com

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• WWII
• fighter
• aircraft
• P-51D
• Mustang
• SNJ
• flight
• aviation

[oksalahti]

Is it just me or is it the camera angle but those men seem to work awfully close to the propeller when the planes shut down. For example around 8:41 in the vid.

[pmg757]

I think it's the camera angle. The guy out to the front is at wing tip distance, the other two work along the wing to keep behind the prop.

[mustangjunkie1]

i wish air combat was still performed in these birds!

[kolbpilot]

@miamad "It's not the krate, it's the man in the krate" : Manfred von Richthofen.

[miamad]

Best fighter of world war II... period.

[navalaviator92]

i saw this plane fly todat completely amazed go to the museum october 3rd and the corsair b25 and mustang will be flying

[tuca999]

....I remember this beautiful bird in germany always flying on airshow in Hilzingen with Max Vogelsang...awesome...