Who Case: 196
I agree with Mr. Eaton and Mr. Kingsley. I have a picture in my office taken of me on landing with Gordon Plaskett in late April of 1981. It would have been shortly after Gordon had rebuilt it. I had the privilege to fly with him because he and my father-in-law Jim Albright were friends. Jim had some parts Gordon needed to complete the reconstruction of a Grumman TBM Avenger. Jim had the 50 cal cooler jackets to finish the project. He gave them to Gordon, and in turn Gordon gave us each a ride.

Who Case: 312
I was Mick’s neighbor for a number of years. He told me his last Mustang, which became Samurai, was the 5th Mustang he had owned since the 1960’s.
He took my then-wife for an aerobatic ride on her birthday, at my request, shortly before the transition from Old Crow to Samurai. Never took me, though.
We had some moments…that are better left unsaid.

When he was looking for an engine builder, as he was getting serious about racing, a local high performance engine machine shop owner I had worked with in the past recommended me. Unfortunately, Mick chose a guy with Formula 1 boat engine experience instead. The guy had no aircraft engine experience. I never bothered to ask Mick if he regretted his choice.

I was on the ground at Naked Lady Ranch one day, when Mick was testing his race engine. He came in on the deck at 400+ mph, then suddenly chopped the power, and circled south out of sight. After an uncomfortable period of time, he came in to the north-south runway, dragging it in, and landed on 36.
I witnessed the landing, which was not up to his usual standard, but there was a curtain of red blanketing the rear of the canopy.
He taxied home, and shortly after, EMS came in.
He had hit a buzzard at over 400 mph…didn’t break the windscreen, but wrapped around it and shattered the canopy. He lost one eye immediately, from plexiglass fragments, and the other eye was obscured by blood from cuts on his forehead. It took him some time flying blind, to find a point where the airstream blew the blood away from his good eye. Then, he was able to orient himself, and land the plane successfully.
Although we sometimes had differences of opinion, I greatly respected him for being able to make that landing.

He continued to fly, after getting an FAA waiver for the loss of one eye.

I also saw the last crash, after the fact. If he hadn’t clipped an oak tree on short emergency final, he likely would have had way less damage, and Samurai might have survived. It was a sad day.

I still have a couple of Roush pistons from Samurai, one that raced at Reno, one spare.

Who Case: 20
In 1979 I first saw Miss Coronado parked at the Nashville, Tn Airport along Murfreesboro Road next to Mr. Baugh's Stearman and Messerschmitt. Quite a display.

Who Case: 14
This was my father's airplane. He was Bill Clark, and no one knows why the airplane fell out of the air March 7th 1988.
I gave most of the pieces to a group from the West Coast.
They apparently found the serial number plate among the pieces and used it on the Mustang they now call Kimberly Kaye.
There have been many rumors that Dolly has been rebuilt, and renamed. Those rumors are 1000% false.
Dolly was not rebuilt. I personally took the airplane out of the mountains in quite a few pickup truck loads.
I still have several pieces, including the parts of the fuselage right below the canopy that had his name and state on them. I also have the engine although no one will ever see it again, along with the original log books and maintenance records.
The lower sides of the canopy said very clearly:
" Bill Clark State College Penna"
It is now time to stop the rumors.

Who Case: 62
Just discovered this on the internet. Heartbreaking loss of Barbara and John. I knew the family as I was family's babysitter when I was in high school and remember the young children Kimberly, Debbie and Eric well. I remember staying a few days when Barbara and John went to Hawaii. I also remember Barbara substituting in several of my high school classes. I was very close to the family in the late 60's. Margie Peterson

Who Case: 152
Nothing new here!

Thanks for checking in!

Ben Gay III
bfg3@directcon.net

Who Case: 104
I had seen Passion Wagon at the little airport adjoining the Hyannis airport. I contacted George and begged a ride. That was a Wednesday, I think. He phoned me saying our arrangement for a Thursday ride was out, but Friday was "on". Then he called again, very apologetically, to say I had been "bumped" until Saturday, due to someone winning a golf tournament. Saturday, we would do a trip up to Provincetown for a "fly-in". I think someone (hopefully) might be able to determine, from his flight filing, that that was the plan for the day following the golfer's flight. "my" flight". In any case, I felt simultaneously heartbroken for this fine man and his copilot, and also lucky for serendipity. My uncle flew P-38s in North Africa, then P-51 Ds in Korea. He made me, as a kid, watch the superb Rock Hudson film "Battle Hymn". No Hollywood fakery. Real ROK Mustangs in peerless footage. If you're a Mustang addict, this is your film.

Fred Douglass
Cataumet MA

PS. I have flown (ridden) in sevedral planes over the Cape and you SE New Englanders should contemplate flying with the "Red Baron" in his bright red Stearman-like biplane.

Who Case: 4
Bill Hane gave me a free ride in Ho-Hun back in October of 1990 at a airshow in Chino Valley, AZ. He stated that he had been fighting with a engine oil leak, but we’d be ok to fly. What a ride that was!!! Bill Hane was nice Man.

Who Case: 223
I feel like one of the family here, just tracing Don Plumb to find out about an air show I attended in about 1972/73 at Sandwich airport in Windsor ON. I was just about to join the army and this was about the last thing I did before leaving. I remember being out in my school yard years before in the back field and hearing an aircraft engine overhead, looked up and it was a Spitfire doing a slow roll overhead at about 1000ft. Probably 1968(?) Clear as could be and no one else noticed. I didn't know Don was gone (RIP) and of course didn't know the circumstances. I come from the area and feel like I knew him and am just now finding out he's gone. Never met him though...condolences. Bob and Carol met though and there IS that... Still feels like I lost an acquaintance and am just finding out. Sad...

Who Case: 223
My dad Fred Sandfort and I painted this plane for Mr. Bolton. Flew in it with Robbie Roberts " Old Cuz" several times along with others Mr. Bolton owned. Have several pictures from the "WAH Room" of all those planes some I took while flying back seat at airshows. Have the painting of " Hi Honey" that was in the showroom at Johnny Bolton Ford. Wish someone in the family would get it from me. Robbie taught me how to fly I was only 13 then when I started 1st time up in Mr. Bolton's Queen Air. Planes were buried on Connie Edwards Ranch after wreck but never made it out to see it for sure.