Mustang Madness continues over Malibu
These are from a 1997 flight i did with warbird mechanic/air racer (he flies "Voodoo") Matt Jackson. His client in the front seat (whose name I now forget) was a WW2 B-17 pilot who had long wanted a P-51 and from the group that escorted his bombers, the 325th "Checkertail Clan." On this final check ride, he became the world's oldest Mustang pilot. He has since passed on and the airplane has a new owner back east somewhere.
We launched out of Van Nuys at "magic hour", flew through Mulholland Pass then over the LA West Side and Santa Monica out to the beach, then ran up the coast over Malibu and The Colony (below the airplane in the second shot - the late Johnny Carson's estate is in the lower center background of the third shot). I was in the back seat of the late John Martin's T-28B. We got to Zuma Beach and then turned north over Kanan Dune Road, as we turned, the sun caught the polished aluminum fuselage and the next 10 seconds made the flight truly worthwhile.
If you follow the pictures in order, you'll see the moment as it happened.
Nice shots of a gorgeous airplane. Thanks for sharing.
all ways thought double OO was double nut'in
Those are the markings of Col. William Beverly, the last wartime CO if the 325th FG (the name was different though).