Warbirds Demo at Planes of Fame

Moreno Aguiari Published April 21, 2021

With Covid cases reaching lower levels in Southern California, the Planes of Fame Air Museum (POF) is able to invite more guests through their doors. With that in mind, they have planned some special activities.

Planes Of Fame will be hosting a “Flying Demo” of two incredible machines built by North American Aviation this Saturday (April 24, 2021) beginning at 11:45am. The P-51D “Mustang” was an elite aircraft of World War II and continued to fight during the Korean War. The T-28 “Trojan” was the definitive training aircraft for the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard throughout the 1950s and into 1980s. The T-28s also served with distinction in Vietnam. They will begin the event with a brief presentation about both of these versatile aircraft.

After the presentation, the airplanes will be performing a flight demonstration for approximately 20 minutes. The flight of both aircraft can be seen from anywhere in the outside areas of the Museum campus. Pilots Dan Hill (T-28) and Ken Wagner (P-51D) have graciously volunteered their aircraft and their time to help with this event, and they’ll both be available for questions following the flight.

The museum’s Mustang (s/n 45-11582) was manufactured at the North American Aviation plant in Dallas, Texas and delivered to the United States Army Air Corps on July 26, 1945. It was initially received by the 4121st Base Unit, Kelly Field, Texas and then assigned to the 31st Fighter Group, Turner AFB, Georgia. Re-designated F-51D in July 1948 (with the formation of the independent United States Air Force, all USAF fighters were given the F for Fighter designation in place of the previous P for Pursuit), the Mustang went into Air National Guard service with the 155th Fighter Squadron, Memphis, Tennessee in March 1949 and was transferred to the 134th Fighter Squadron, Burlington, Vermont in January 1951.

In November 1952 the Mustang was assigned to the Air Defense Command’s 37th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Burlington, Vermont until being returned to ANG service again with the 167th Fighter Bomber Squadron, Kanawaha County, West Virginia in September 1953. Withdrawn from service in December 1956, the Mustang was transferred to the Sacramento, California Air Material Area where it was officially removed from the inventory and sold.

Ed Maloney purchased 45-11582 during the surplus sale which was held at McClellan AFB, California in November 1957. At that point the Mustang received the civil registration N7715C and became one of the star attractions in his growing museum collection which later came to be known as Planes of Fame Air Museum at Chino Airport in Southern California.

Planes of Fame Air Museum has two flyable P-51Ds, ‘Dolly’ and ‘Wee Willy II’, which are flown regularly.

Doors to the Museum open at 10:00am.Discount admission prices to the Museum are in effect for this family-fun event.Guests are asked to wear a face-covering while at the Museum and maintain social distancing. All the museum’s hangars are open for viewing. Guests can see the majority of the aircraft up-close and wander through many of the hangars while they learn about the collection and aviation history from our team of Museum Guides.

Furthermore, the museum’s Boeing B-17 will be open for visitors to enter and gain a unique perspective on the important role this aircraft played during World War II.

For more information about the Planes of Fame Air Museum and their programs, visit www.planesoffame.org