The one and only time I've been to Oshkosh there was a row of P51s, about 8 or 10 as I recall. Standing around one of them was a crowd, talking to an old guy. It was Chuck Yeager, standing next to his plane. I'll never forget that.
I love the sound of Merlins - we get quite a few around here, as I'm very nearly under the circuit pattern for Duxford, where the Spitfire first entered service and is now home to the aviation and land army sections of the Imperial War Museum, which probably has more airworthy Spitfires and P51s than anywhere else in Europe. Of course, the best are airshow days, when we fairly frequently have the Battle of Britain Memorial flight paying a visit, with Hurricane, Spitfire (either or both Merlin and Griffin variants) and the Lancaster displaying. Now that is music!
That bird was ready to fly as soon as he released the brakes! Juan, Thanks for all you do, you've inspired me to make a career change at 59. I'm starting A&P school in the fall and volunteering with Larry Kelley's crew on Panchito.❤
I had a backseat ride in a P51D out of Fon Du Lac a few years ago as part of Oshkosh air show . Thrilling, exciting, will never forget the experience. Commemorative Air Force had restored it for public showing.
Had to wear a parachute, go through safety briefing. Tiny seat and foot area, had altimeter and airspeed indicator only for backseat. The pilot was superb, very professional and put the plane through all sorts of maneuvers as we avoided low clouds. An experience that any aircraft buff should plan. That Mustang had so much power it’s hard believe it was about 80 years old.
Steuart Walton and his cousin (grandsons of Sam Walton) have a couple of P-51s and a Bearcat at my home airport. My son and I saw them taxiing to take off and watched them do their run-ups and then take to the sky. That Bearcat was really more impressive than the P-51s at takeoff - maybe 75 yards of runway used. As they passed us in sequence on takeoff, my son yelled “holy crap that’s awesome!” I agree. Awesome birds to watch.
It's Monday morning here in Australia and yesterday was the Australian GP. I live a stone's throw from pit lane and every year there is an aerial display, usually RAAF fighters and the occasional Boeing 747 low, slow pass. I used to get outside to watch the fly-pasts but over the years I've become a bit ho-hum about them - they're mostly just the same thing over again. This year it was a merlin-engined P-51D. I was outside as soon as I heard the first roar of the merlin and watched the entire show both days. What a beautiful aircraft.
Juan you have a gift of capturing "aviation" and the nuances that separate it from other pursuits. Once again THANK YOU for sharing! A Mustang AND a Waco! Don't get much better n' that!
My dad wanted to buy one in 954 when I was 9 years old. We went and looked at some. He had a favorite (he was a WWII AAF combat pilot) but my mom was adamant against it and she won out. The price was 5,000 dollars. They looked enormous to me.
Someone call the mechanic! He mounted a helicopter rotor on that P-51! Damn, I never get tired of seeing or hearing that oh-so-perfect aircraft. Thanks for posting, JB.
@@ImProbablyThatGuy You should see the prop the P-47 uses. Most of the civilian P-47s now use Corsair props and they have less performance than the original Curtis electric paddle prop.
@@czoom51I wonder what kind of manifold pressure those R2800s are running. Limited engine power and removed turbosuperchargers are probably hurting P-47 performance a lot more than using a different propeller.
Two beautiful aircraft. I always like the sound of a P-51 as it reminds me of my one uncle. Went from an Ohio farm kid (where part of the Shenandoah crashed) to 101 missions in Europe, most of them in a P-51 and 30 years in the Air Force. Now Juan has to tell us about his new ride.
March 19th, huh? That day my wife and I were having lunch in Alpharetta (just North of ATL) when I heard this unmistakable roar that instantly made me think of the BOAC Argonauts (Canadair C-4 North Stars with 4 Merlins) flying over our house in Johannesburg in the mid 50s. I dashed outside just in time to see three P-51s in V-Formation batting it down toward KPDK. Grabbed my camera and headed down there. Sure enough they were parked over at the Atlantic Aviation ramp where it was pretty difficult to get a photo. But I hung around and eventually they taxied out along with a Beech Kansan. I suspect they'd been for an air-to-air photo shoot as there was a Bonanza with a huge open panel by the rear seats hanging around with them, too. N451MG [Old Crow]; N33B [Rebel]; N351B; N214CR.
I happen to attend AirVenture the year they had the P51 reunion, man the sight and sound of them flying formation was unforgettable. On a more realistic note the Waco is my dream aircraft..
One of my favorite sounds, like the air's being torn. At EAA several years ago, I stood behind a P51 warming up and taxiing just to be immersed. Awesome doesn't begin to describe it.
Wish I had known you were in town. Would like to have met you Juan! Love your channel. I live 5 miles from KAXH and have seen this Mustang flying a couple of times. Always a great day when there's a Mustang in the air nearby. If you get some free time there's an awesome airshow coming up in Breckenridge, TX on Memorial Day weekend. Lots of warbirds! Ezell Aviation is based at KBKD and has been doing some of the finest warbird restorations since the mid-80's. Worth the trip.
No way, I just saw your aircraft in one of our PowerPoint slides! Currently in A&P school, paints and finishes class. Quite a stunning paint job on that bird!!
Oh yeah! I'll be preparing for take off tomorrow morning, giving a novice a few rounds around the pattern as a refresher on his new old light plane. The winter was very long here in Germany... Beautiful plane you've got there! Have fun!
Nothing else sounds like a P-51! Got to ride in one in the mid 1980's. It was hangered at Danville, IL airport N51MX. Idling, it sounded like the engine was just going to jerk itself loose, but once pilot revved and started the roll out, it was pure music.
Watching this P51, and imagining its 1944, and the are 100s of Mustangs lined up in England heading off to join the B17s on their next mission... what a sound !!! ;) Thank you JB
Quite the experience to which I can relate. My brother rented an apartment on the tarmac of a local airport where we grew up. One Fourth of July, at his annual barbecue, we got to experience a B17 arriving and departing. On another occasion a Grumman TBF Avenger showed up at the hangar next to where he lived.
I was fortunate enough to fly Red Nose of the Commemorative Air Force in Peach Tree City years ago. The highlight of my aviation life. But the story I tell the most is when I lifted my headset off and heard what the OGs put up with in terms of engine sound (noise) in the cockpit. OMG...
I was in Germany at a airshow near Greven back in the late 80s. There were several elderly men there , all looking at the variety of airplanes and behind several aircraft there was a Mustang which started up and these gentleman all stopped talking at once and turned to see what I call the Merlin snarl. They all turned and look at each other and then moved to get a better look. My German friend said to me, what's that all about. I later explained that no doubt there remembering the past.
If you're ever able to, and haven't already flown a P-51, Stallion 51 is a bucket list place to go. I was fortunate enough to be able to go for a ride with Lee Lauderbeck as a private pilot when I was 18 as a high school graduation gift from my grandmother. I can say it was the single greatest hour of my flying career. The only thing I could imagine being better would be a ride with either the Thunderbirds or Blue Angels.
Juan, you always upload something interesting and this one was so cool. Can’t wait to see and follow along on this journey. Loved that pic with the cigar lol thanks and cheers
Nthing like the sound of those RR Merlins. I know the Luftwaffe hated the sound of one on their tails. I saw one once do a low level flyby just offshore of Oakland International at full throttle. That was something to behold. Be safe up there Juan.
Just imagine how many 21 - 22 yr old kids came off driving an old Chevy one ton truck hauling logs out the woods and ended up in one of these stupendous machines in the endless sky over Europe. Just imagine what a magical place that would have been. This was not a video game, it was REAL.
Never flown in a P-51 but did get to ride in a trainer with Ray Lancaster who flew them for real. Time has really flown by since then and I don't know how many of my old friends are still around. Everybody takes their on path in life and I seemed to go away from everyone I grew up with and everyday I seem to find that some else has taken the final flight.
There are few sounds better than a P-51 getting with the program……that took me back to early mornings at RENO starting the week before the races, the early mornings were great back in the day!👍👍🙂
Juan. Watching this, I needed to remind everyone that the lads who relied on pilots of P-51s for escorts into Germany and elsewhere are leaving us. It is with sadness that I must submit a final "flight log entry" for Maynard Dixon "Dick" Stewart, the last surviving member of the crew of B-17G-100BO 43-38942 "Belligerent Beauty" of the 335th Squadron, 95th BG (Heavy), Horham, East Anglia, UK. Dick was the Right Waist Gunner and did the nose art for his aircraft. Dick was a professor of Art at San Jose State University for over 30 years and retired as a Major in the USAF Reserves. His very fine and good friend, "Grif" Mumford was the lead pilot in the first daylight raid on Berlin. Dick peacefully passed away at the age of 101 at about 0430 on 24 March 2024 after a very short period under hospice care. May God Bless them all.
I don't think I can imagine what those WWII fighter pilots were thinking when they headed out on a mission in one of those mighty powerfull machines. Duty!!!
I'm sitting in my cabin at on the West shore of Tahoe @ 6500 feet ASL. There's still ten feet of snow in my yard, and all I can say is that I know you are heading this way in that two-hole bipe and into a whole bunch of cold. Mind your fingers and toes.
When they push up the throttle, she starts to accelerate and then you hear her get pushed up even more… heaven. There’s something about an airplane with so much power that full grunt will demonstrate physics beyond your control authority.
P-51 Take-off videos always remind me of Richard Bach's bit he wrote about not making it off the runway is his P-51D. The fire crew filled his cockpit full of foam, that ruined his avionics and cost thousands of dollars to replace. There was no fire....
Was most confused when only a couple minutes after watching this a P51D flew overhead at 1500ft, but I’m in CHC New Zealand! (They doing practice ready for Warbirds Over Wanaka show at Easter)
I have a picture of my dad going out to fly our Stearman in a sheepskin flying helmet with goggles and a face shield. Plus a silk scarf, because of course. Definitely takes some preparation to fly an open cockpit this time of year. Love the Spanish Fork hat.
There is nothing in aviation that sounds as good as a Merlin at idle and slowly coming up to takeoff power. Well, except maybe the crackling of the exhaust on landing.
