I was in Columbus, OH over the weekend and spent part of the day at the Gathering of Mustangs and Legends at Rickenbacker Airport. I'd flown a P-51D Mustang years ago when I was in New Zealand. It was something I'd wanted to do when I was a kid so it was a dream come true. I didn't just ride in it, I flew it.
This event was the largest gathering of flying Mustangs since World War II, there were about 90 of them on the ramp there. There were B-17s, P-40's, a Zero, B-25s, and two P-38s. Some of these were one of two examples of the aircraft of their type left flying in the world. This was a truly rare experience.
I was wandering down the flight line and came across the Mustang in the photo here. Not unusual except for this; I have a model of this very aircraft signed on its right wing by Gen. Chuck Yeager. This is Captain Yeager's third Mustang I'm standing next to.
I've been near Chuck Yeager twice in my life. The first time was when he was on the same plane to Australia when Ed Parker and several of us were on the way down there in 1988. I saw him again in 1999 in Lakeland, FL just after the first Gathering of Mustangs and Legends (it's only been done twice). He taxied up and got out of a Mustang just as I was walking that way with one of our Swedish exchange students, Helena Fernstrom. Helena snapped his picture after I told her he was the first man to break the sound barrier.
The Gathering was a truly memorable experience and one I'm glad I had the opportunity to have.
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