Excellent, excellent video and what a great tribute to your Dad!! It had to be amazing to experience in the -51, feeling the same flying sensations your Dad experienced, not counting other airplanes shooting at you or the flak😉. After a few manuevers, it looks like you got your Dad's fighter pilot genes, it really does! And you did this on my 71st birthday. From my reading of the European theatre fighter aircraft histories of World War II, I know the Blue Nose Bastards well. I've logged two hours in the very same aircraft with Lee Lauderback, first in 1993 and again in 2002. As a pilot since '75, it was the ultimate thrill of a lifetime for me to fly the P-51 with Lee. Those two years were my wife's gift to me as a graduation present on earning my doctorate degree and again our #25 wedding anniversary (we're still together in '24!). My '93 flight is posted on my YT channel if you care to compare. But my flights can not compare to your experience in Crazy Horse and what it meant to you honoring your Dad's service during WWII. And Stalllion 51 is a top notch operation as I'm sure you discovered!! So pleased for your experience in the aircraft that it and your Dad won WWII. That was an amazing way to honor your Dad!!!
I was lucky to fly in a P-51D “little Horse” in 2012 out of Ellington field. Did some barrel rolls and splits’s over Galveston Bay. Amazing day. Flew in formation with “the Dakota Kid/ Long Island Kid” P-51. Like being in a giant hot rod! P.S. I was a back seater after the fuel tank normally behind the pilot was removed and a seat and another stick installed
The Packard V-1650 Merlin is a licensed version of the Rolls-Royce Merlin aircraft engine. The Merlin engine has a time between overhauls (TBO) of typically 650-800 hours, depending on use. In fighter use, the Merlin engine may only last 300 hours, while in civil life it may reach 1200 hours.
Congrats Mike!! What a thrill. I am going to look to do the same when I am in Orlando next time. I did a T-6 flight last year it was a blast, but Mustang would be next level! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GPV4-N5i874.html
