Warbird Alley's
Warbird News
Here's the latest news from the warbird aircraft community.
We update this page on an as-needed basis, and items
are moved to the News Archive after approximately fourteen months.

Today's Date:

[Click the newspaper to jump to the latest news.]

September 2008:

• 1 September: A Lockheed SP-2H (P2V) Neptune airtanker, N4235T, crashed after takeoff from the Reno-Stead Airport, Reno, Nevada, USA. All three persons on board were killed. The aircraft was enroute to battle a wildfire in nearby Inyoe County, California. It was operated by Neptune Aviation of Missoula, Montana.

• 1 September: A Yakovlev Yak-52 crashed into the sea off Stradbroke Island, Australia while performing aerobatics. Both the pilot and passenger were killed.

• 5 September: The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) has gone back to court over a dispute with the U.S. Air Force Museum (USAFM) over the ownership of a rare North American F-82B Twin Mustang. The CAF contends that the aircraft was donated outright by the Air Force in 1968. A ruling in July favored the USAFM, but the CAF has appealed, citing multiple documents that contain the word "donation."

• 16 September: The Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston, Texas, USA has issued a series of press releases detailing the damage sustained by the museum during this weekend's passage of Hurricane Ike. About a dozen of the flyable aircraft were previously flown out of harm's way. [Click through for a heartbreaking photo gallery of the damage to the museum and its exhibits.]

• 19 September: A 1965 Aero Vodochody L-29 Delfin, N129DH, lost its canopy while on the takeoff roll in Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA. No one was injured.

• 28 September: A 1941 North American Harvard Mk.IIA, N9272C, departed the edge of the runway during a touch-and-go in Dayton, Ohio, USA, resulting in the collapse of the left landing gear. The pilot suffered only minor injuries.

October 2008:

• 9 October: A Canadair CT-114 Tutor jet operated by the Canadian Forces Snowbirds team crashed in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada, during a rehearsal / photo flight, killing both the pilot and a photographer.

• 9 October: The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has proposed sweeping new regulations that would require operators of all aircraft over 12,500 pounds maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) to enact strict security background checks and/or screening of crewmembers and passengers, much like that required by commercial airlines. The implications of such measures on warbird operations are obvious, and several organizations are studying the matter.

• 11 October: Art Nalls and his privately-owned BAe Sea Harrier, XZ439 (N94422), made their airshow debut at the Culpeper Air Fest in Virginia, USA. Nalls' Harrier is the first one to fly in private hands, and its airworthiness is a significant accomplishment considering the complexity and expense of this type.

• 11 October: A 1958 Focke-Wulf P.149D, N149PE, suffered the collapse of its nose landing gear during landing in San Diego, California, USA.

• 31 October: A 1952 North American/CCF Harvard Mk. IV, N2047, operated by the Commemorative Air Force and modified as a replica of a Japanese "Kate" dive-bomber, landed at San Marcos, Texas, USA, with its landing gear only partially extended. Thanks to some expert handling by the pilot, damage was minimal as the left gear collapsed upon touchdown.

November 2008:

• The Commemorative Air Force's (CAF) Gulf Coast Wing in Houston, Texas, USA has been notified that the lease on their hangar containing their Boeing B-17 Flying Fortess, "Texas Raiders," will expire at the end of this month, and the plane must me removed. Since it is under restoration and cannot be moved, it may have to be dismantled and shipped to the CAF's home base in Midland, Texas, unless a new home can be found.

• 13 November: A North American FJ-4B Fury, N400FS, landed gear-up during an airshow at the Pensacola Naval Air Station, Florida, USA. The pilot was not injured.

• 16 November: The Hagerstown Aviation Museum in Maryland has taken delivery of one of the last airworthy Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars in existence. N8093 was flown to the museum from Graybull, Wyoming, where it had been a fire suppression bomber with Hawkins and Powers Aviation since the 1980s. The C-119 joins a C-82 Packet already on display at the former home of the Fairchild Aircraft Company.

December 2008:

• 6 December: One of the Commemorative Air Force's first aircraft, a Curtiss P-40N Warhawk, N1226N (s/n 42-105867) has made its first post-restoration flight, with sponsor Ray Kinney at the controls.

• After over seven years in flyable storage in Ohakea, New Zealand's fleet of Aermacchi MB-339CB strike trainers may be brought back into service. The new defense minister announced that the government would be considering the action shortly. The sale of seventeen Douglas A-4 Skyhawks to an American contractor is still held up by bureaucracy at the U.S. State Department.

• 24 December: Marvin L. "Lefty" Gardner, WWII pilot, famous P-38 airshow performer, crop-duster, and one of the founding members of the Confederate Air Force, passed away at the age of 87.  [Blue skies, Lefty... --Ed.]

• 26 December: The world's only remaining restored Handley Page Hampden bomber was badly damaged by heavy snowfall at the Canadian Museum of Flight. The left wing structure failed under the load of the snow, and separated from the airplane. The wing then fell onto a display case containing one of the plane's original engines.

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January 2009:

• 3 January: A Nanchang CJ-6, N99YK, crashed into a field during a landing approach at the Propwash Airport in Denton County, Texas, USA. Both the pilot and passenger were killed.

• 5 January: The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) has announced that their Director of Maintenance and Quality Assurance, Gary Austin, will be leaving the organization to pursue "non-aviation related" activities. Austin, who has worked tirelessly on many major efforts including the CAF's B-29 and B-24, is noted for leading some of the vast improvements in the way the CAF maintains its fleet of vintage airplanes.

• 5 January: A Russian polar explorer and three crewmembers survived the crash of a Basler BT-67 (a turbo-conversion DC-3/C-47) in Antarctica. The Russian-owned plane was carrying vehicle parts for a British expedition when it apparently crashed into the ice. All four survivors were evacuated on a second airplane.

• 11 January: A 1945 Nord 1101 Noralpha (a license-built Messerschmitt 208), N208ME, lost engine power and landed short of the runway in Sparta, Illinois, USA. The pilot was not injured.

• 12 January: A 1948 Ryan Navion A, N4387K, force-landed in a field near the Latrobe, Pennsylvania, USA airport. The pilot was not injured.

• The Yankee Air Museum in Willow Run, Michigan, USA, may soon have to move from its current hangar facilities, apparently because the airport needs to close the building to save money. The museum had taken up residence in its current home after a fire in 2004 which destroyed its former hangar.

• 15 January: A two-seat Supermarine Spitfire Mk. IX, ZK-WDQ (MH367) owned and flown by Doug Brooker, suffered the collapse of its landing gear upon landing at Masterton Aerodrome, New Zealand, just before a weekend airshow in which it was to play a large role. [See photo below]. Details of the accident are not known, but most the aircraft appears to be relatively undamaged. The aircraft had recently been restored in Florida.

Photo courtesy Wairarapa Times-Age

• 16 January: A North American T-6/SNJ-5, N7861B, ground-looped on landing at Merritt Island, Florida, USA. Damage to the airplane was substantial, but the pilot was not injured.

• 17 January: The Heritage Flight Museum of Bellingham, Washington, USA reopened in its new location at the Bellingham International Airport. Showcasing nearly a dozen flyable vintage aircraft, the museum was founded in 1996 by Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders and his family.

• 24 January: A rare Avro Vulcan bomber on display at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, USA is threatened with destruction unless the base's 8th Air Force Museum passes an accreditation inspection by the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. [More information here.]

• 27 January: The Hangar 11 Collection at North Weald, UK, is pleased to announced that their Hawker Hurricane X, G-HHII ("BE505") has made its first post-restoration flight.  

• 28 January: A SIAI Marchetti SF-260C, N688C, crashed shortly after takeoff from the Santa Monica airport in California, killing both the pilot and passenger. Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft attempt to make an aggressive turn back to the runway after losing the engine.

• 31 January: The Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston, Texas, USA, heavily damaged during Hurricane Ike in September 2008, has reopened.

• 31 January: All four people involved survived after a North American T-6G Texan, N51KT (s/n 49-3266) was involved in a midair collision with a helicopter at an airport northwest of Houston, Texas, USA. The T-6 landed safely after losing its left wingtip and part of the wing, and the helicopter fell about 40 feet to the ground.

February 2009:

• 1 February: A Aero Vodochody L-29 Delfin lost its brakes and departed the end of the runway at North Shore Airfield, Dairy Flat, New Zealand. The plane crossed a road and came to rest against a fence, but the pilot was not injured.

• 4 February: A Douglas DC-3 / C-47, N834TP, operated by the National Test Pilot School, veered off the side of the runway and nosed over at Mojave, California, USA. The plane was substantially damaged, but neither pilot was injured.

• 7 February: A 1944 Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress, N93012 ("Nine O' Nine"), operated by the Collings Foundation, struck approach lights during landing in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. The aircraft apparently suffered no damage.

• A 1943 Fairchild PT-26A Cornell, N49071, lost engine power and force-landed off the airport at San Juan Island, Washington, USA. The aircraft was substantially damaged, but the two occupants were not injured.

• 18 February: A Douglas AC-47T / BT-67 "Fantasma" ("Phantom") on a training mission with the Columbian Air Force crashed in the village of El Purnio, Columbia (100 miles northwest of Bogota) shortly after taking off from its home base. 5 people were killed. First reports say that the aircraft involved was designated FAC 1659, an aircraft that had been involved in another fatal accident in September 2000.

• 18 February: A second AC-47T / BT-67, registered PNC-0211, was damaged in Columbia, this time at the Medellin Airport. The press reported that a "tear-gas grenade" exploded inside the aft cabin -- however, since photos show that the fuselage was cut in half, it is likely a more powerful explosive was also involved.

March 2009:

• 7 March: The left wing of a Grumman TBM-3 Avenger, N188TD (Bu. No. 53522), caught fire shortly after takeoff from Millville, New Jersey, USA. Pilot Terry Rush managed to return quickly to the airport, land, and run away from the burning airplane. He suffered second- and third-degree burns, but his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. The aircraft, which was destroyed, was owned by Tom Duffy, who also owns a Corsair, B-25, and other aircraft.

• 11 March: The National Museum of the Air Force declined a settlement proposal made by the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) regarding the stewardship of a rare North American F-82 Twin Mustang. The aircraft, which was restored by the CAF during the past ten years with the intention to eventually fly it, was immediately dismantled and returned to the Air Force. The CAF intends to appeal the ruling.

• 11 March: A newly-restored, authentic-restored Fieseler Fi 156 Storch, G-STCH, has made its first post-restoration flight. Owned by Peter Holloway, the aircraft will be based at Old Warden, UK along with his other vintage aircraft.

• 12 March: The Illinois-based Warbird Heritage Foundation announced the addition of a Douglas AD-1 Skyraider, N2AD (Bu. No. 09257), to its collection.

• The wreckage of what might be a long-lost Argentinean Air Force Avro Lancaster, missing since the 1950s, has been found in a remote fjord in Tierra del Fuego, Chile. [More information].

• 20 March: The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum has announced that their Avro Lancaster bomber has been grounded due to corrosion issues. They have launched a fund-raising appeal to get the plane back into the air.

• 28 March: A Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat, N7825C, operated by the Commemorative Air Force's SoCal Wing, suffered a progressive loss of power and made a successful forced landing at Burbank, California, USA. Pilot Steve Barber is reported to have done a magnificent job getting the plane on the ground.

• 28 March: The left main landing gear of 1944 North American T-6D Texan N554Q collapsed upon landing in Destin, Florida, USA. The pilot was not injured.

• 29 March: A 1975 Siai-Marchetti SM-1019B, N273LH, struck a tree after takeoff in Dade City, Florida, USA. The aircraft was substantially damaged, but the pilot escaped injury.

• 30 March: ABC News aired an investigative report on potential safety issues with a 1957 Grumman HU-16E Albatross operated by energy drink maker Red Bull. The report alleges that the aircraft is used to fly media and celebrities at public sporting events and airshows, and that its airframe might be beyond its designed "fatigue life."

April 2009:

• 3 April: An Aero Vodochody L-39C Albatros blew a tire and went off the side of the runway during landing at Houma, Louisiana, USA. Neither occupant was injured.

• 5 April: A Curtiss P-40N Warhawk, N740RB (s/n 44-7368) crashed into the water near Fire Island, New York, USA, while preparing for an air display. The aircraft's owner and pilot, Robert Baranaskas, was killed.

• 14 April: A North American SNJ-4, N269WB, ground-looped on landing and ended up on its nose in a line of nearby trees in Bessemer, Alabama, USA. The pilot was not injured.

• 18 April: North American NA-64 Yale N64FL (serial # 64-2207) completed its first flight since 1945, following a 8-year restoration in Slaton, Texas. The flight was completed with only a few minor issues being noted, and a second flight was made the same day. [Thanks to Malcom Laing]

• 21 April: A 1944 Grumman FM-2 Wildcat, N909WJ, struck a wingtip during landing at Lakeland, Florida, USA, resulting in minor damage.

• 24 April: After resting at the bottom of Lake Michigan for over 64 years, a Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber was successfully recovered. The aircraft, which was ditched in 1944 during naval carrier training operations, will be restored and displayed at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana. [More news and videos.]

• 24 April: Legend Flyers, LLC in Everett, Washington, USA rolled out a replica Messerschmitt Me-262 that, like previous flying examples, was painstakingly assembled using original German drawings and specifications (see below). This museum-display aircraft, which took five years to create, will not be made airworthy. Its new home will be announced shortly.

• 24 April: A 1979 Siai Marchetti SM-1019 utility aircraft, N391RV, came to rest on its nose during a landing in gusty wind conditions at Novato, California, USA. The pilot and passenger were not injured.

• 25 April: A Lockheed P2V Neptune firebomber (Tanker 42, N442NA, s/n 150283), enroute from its base in Montana to a wildfire in New Mexico slammed into a mountain near Stockton, Utah, USA, killing all three crewmembers aboard. The aircraft was being operated by Neptune Aviation, of Missoula, Montana.

• 26 April: The crew of a 1942 Douglas DC-3 / C-47 Dakota, N136FS, reported a fire in the cockpit while taxiing at San Juan, Puerto Rico. All four occupants successfully evacuated the aircraft before it was destroyed by fire.

• 26 April: A 1940 DeHavilland DH-82 Tiger Moth, N82EK, made a forced landing on a beach at Smith Point, Islip, New York, USA. The pilot was not injured, and the aircraft was undamaged.

• 30 April: An Antonov AN-2 Colt biplane, registered RF-00842, crashed on approach to Nemyugyunskogo, Yakutia, Russia in heavy snow. Witnesses reported the aircraft made three attempts to land and hit powerlines on the third attempt. All three people on board were killed.

May 2008:

• 17 May: A 1941 Boeing E75 / PT-17 Stearman, N4787V, was substantially damaged during landing in Cottonwood, Arizona.

• 18 May: A 1942 Boeing A75N1 / PT-17 Stearman, N450JN, departed the runway on landing at Joshua Tree, California, USA. The aircraft pitched onto its nose, caught fire, and burned. The pilot was unhurt, but the aircraft was destroyed.

• 19 May: The Evergreen Air and Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon, USA has secured ownership of a rare Lockheed EC-121T (s/n 52-3417) that for years had been used as a training airframe at a technical college in Helena, Montana. The museum plans to have the aircraft restored in Arizona, then fly it to Oregon for permanent display.

• 22 May: A 1974 BAC Jet Provost Mk.5A, N78SH (XW336), force-landed in a field near Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA. Neither occupant was injured.

• 23 May: A 1972 Nanchang CJ-6, N81817, was involved in a formation mid-air collision with a RV-8 homebuilt aircraft in Decatur, Alabama, USA after the CJ-6 had participated in a flyby. The CJ-6 pilot safely returned for a landing. The pilot of the RV-8 was killed.

• 23 May: A North American T-6G Texan, N25KP, suffered the collapse of its main landing gear and slid off the runway during landing in Belmar, New Jersey, USA. The pilot was not injured.

• 29 May: The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) released a modified version of its security directive (SD-8G), the previous version of which would have severely curtailed the ability of aircrew to access certain airports. [More information here].

• 29 May: The Arizona Wing of the Commemorative Air Force is pleased to announce the successful first flight of their North American B-25N Mitchell, N125AZ (s/n 43-35927), called "Maid in the Shade," in Mesa, Arizona, USA. Crewmembers Tim Jackson, Russ Gilmore, and Spike McLane reported that the aircraft performed very well. The aircraft last flew in 1981, and during its restoration it was returned to authentic wartime configuration.

Photo courtesy Francois Bergeon

June 2009:

• 4 June: A rare 1939 Messerschmitt Bf-109E-4, CF-EML, operated by the Russell Aviation Group, made an emergency landing in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, after hitting a flagpole near the end of the runway after takeoff. One of the aircraft's wings sustained damage, but pilot John Romain landed safely. The pole was allegedly one of several erected shortly before the incident by a disgruntled man who owns property adjacent to the airport.

• 4-6 June: The National Biplane Association held their final Biplane Expo in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, USA. The event had been held every year for 23 years.

• 6 June: A 1947 deHavilland DH-115 Vampire Mk.3, N6878D, owned by Wings of Flight, Inc., lost engine power after takeoff at Rochester, New York, USA, and made a forced landing short of the runway. Pilot Peter Treichler was injured, but is expected to make a full recovery. This particular aircraft was once owned by actor John Travolta, and it is generally considered to be the oldest jet aircraft still flying.

• 6 June: A 1944 Lockheed P-38 Lightning, N79123 (s/n 44-27231) ("Ruff Stuff") experienced an apparent "runaway propeller" during takeoff at an airshow in Fairmont, Nebraska, USA. Pilot Rob Ator did a great job aborting the takeoff, but a tire blew in the process. The aircraft was not damaged.

• 8 June: A 1996 Yakovlev Yak-11, N7YK, veered off the runway and struck a concrete barrier during a landing in Culpepper, Virginia, USA. The pilot was not injured, but the aircraft was substantially damaged.

• 8 June: A 1948 Meyers OTW-145, N34335, came to rest in a ditch upon landing in Haskell, Texas, USA, after the right brake locked. Neither occupant was seriously injured.

• 9 June: The Canadian Warplane Heritage's rare Westland Lysander, C-GCWL, made its first post-restoration flight, with Rob Erdos at the controls. The flight was reported to be a complete success.

• 17 June: A 1979 Dornier Alpha Jet, N707XA, landed gear-up at Arlington, Washington, USA. The aircraft was only slightly damaged.

• 17 June: The U.S. Air Force's venerable Cessna T-37 "Tweet" flew its final student training flight at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. Over 78,000 pilots were trained in the T-37 during its 50+ years of service. [Including this editor, who has fond memories of the "6500-lb. Dog Whistle"... Ed.]

• 19 June: A Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber has been recovered from the bottom of Lake Michigan, where it had rested since 1944. Former McDonald's CEO Fred Turner financed the recovery, and the aircraft will be restored in Pensacola, Florida, before being permanently displayed in a museum in Hawaii. [More details here.]

• 19 June: A North American T-6A Texan, N9793Z, incurred damage in Olympia, Washington, USA as the result of a bounced landing, during which the right wing contacted the ground.

• 23 June: The Florida-based Valiant Air Command's Douglas C-47A Skytrain, N3239T ("Tico Belle"), made its first flight after an eight-year long restoration following a landing accident in 2001.

• 24 June: A 1973 Nanchang China CJ-6, N6339V, suffered the collapse of its landing gear after landing in Aurora, Oregon, USA. The pilot was not injured.

• 26 June: The American Airpower Museum in Farmingdale, New York USA, might lose its historic hangar home at Republic Airport due to a federal airport improvement project. [Details here.]

• 29 June: A 1941 Boeing A75N Stearman, N38978, flipped over while landing at Quinton, Virginia, USA. The pilot was not injured.

July 2009:

• 4 July: A North American T-28 Trojan suffered an engine failure shortly after a formation takeoff from Midlothian, Texas, USA and made a force landing in a field. Owner/pilot John Sledge was injured but is good condition. The aircraft was badly damaged and is believed to be a "write-off."

• 4 July: Two people were killed in the fiery crash of a 1968 Aero Vodochody L-29 Delfin jet, N97869, in Tehachapi, California, USA. Local airport manager Dave Zweigle and former Air Force test pilot (and retired airline pilot) Bob Chamberlain were lost after apparently attempting an emergency landing on a road.

• 8 July: David Lindsay, founder of the Cavalier Aircraft Corporation in Sarasota, Florida, has passed away at the age of 86. He was considered one of the world's leading experts on the refurbishment and re-design of the P-51 Mustang. Many of his Cavalier Mustang conversions are still flying today.

• 9 July: A 1944 North American SNJ-5/T-6 Texan, N212TC ("Mystical Power'), crashed while performing aerobatics near Kiowa, Colorado, USA. Well-known air-race and airshow pilot Gary Miller was killed.

• 9 July: A 1955 Percival P56 Provost T.1, G-AWVF / XF877, crashed near Bishop Norton, Lincolnshire, UK, killing pilot John Fairey.

• 11 July: The Collings Foundation will soon be taking delivery of a two-seat Saab Viggen SK 37E jet fighter, believed to be one of only two flyable examples in the civilian world.

• 15 July: A Canadair CT-133 Silver Star Mk. 3(T-33) jet, N3648 (Ser. No. 133648), enroute from CFB Trenton, Ontario, Canada, to its new home in the USA, went off the end of the runway during its takeoff roll, coming to rest in a ditch near the perimeter fence. The pilot was taken to a local hospital with unknown injuries. [News link] This particular aircraft was the final CT-133 produced by Canadair, as was used as an ejection seat test-bed during its military service.

• 16 July: The Royal Australia Air Force Museum and the Temora Aviation Museum in Australia are pleased to announce the first flight of their recently restored CA-27 Sabre (A94-983). [Photos and video here]. 

• 17 July: The Commemorative Air Force's "Red-Tail Mustang," (a rare C-Model North American P-51Mustang), (N61429, Serial No. 42-103645) has made its first engine run following a five-year restoration.

• 18 July: A 1944 North American SNJ-6 Texan, N1044C, made a forced landing in a field near Castle Rock, Colorado, USA after reporting an engine problem. Neither person on board was injured.

• 18 July: A 1944 Beechcraft TC-45J/SNB-5 Expeditor/Kansan, N6688, crashed near Verdel, Nebraska under unknown circumstances. The pilot was killed.

• 22 July: A North American T-6G Texan, N555Q, ground-looped on landing in Ely, Nevada, USA, and was substantially damaged.

• 22 July: The "Red-Tail" P-51C Mustang [see 17 July news above] has made its first post-restoration flight in Wahpeton, North Dakota, USA.

• 23 July: Pride Aircraft, of Rockford, Illinois, USA, has announced that they are offering for sale an airworthy pair of the first (and only) privately-owned Sukhoi SU-27 Flanker fighter jets.

• 30 July: A 1943 North American AT-6D Texan, N7517, departed the runway on landing roll in Redmond, Oregon, USA. No damage was reported.

August 2009:

• 4 August: A 1943 Boeing A75 Stearman, N5195N, crashed south of Flagstaff, Arizona, USA, under unknown circumstances. One of the two people on board was killed.

• 8 August: A 1943 Fairchild PT-19A Cornell, N54804, crashed on takeoff from a private airport near Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA. The pilot was seriously injured.

• 10 August: A 1942 Boeing A75 Stearman, N75263, flipped over on takeoff in Salina, Kansas, USA, and was substantially damaged. The pilot was not injured.

• 16 August: A 1942 Curtiss P-40N Kittyhawk, VH-MIK (s/n 42-104977), suffered the collapse of its landing gear during landing at Mareeba, North Queensland, Australia. The aircraft slid on its belly for nearly 1000 feet before coming to rest. The owner/pilot and his passenger were not injured.

• 22 August: A North American T-6G Texan, N5599L (s/n 51-14333) groundlooped during landing in Ocala, Florida. The sole pilot was uninjured, but the aircraft suffered significant damage to its propeller and left wing.

• 26 August: Midwest Texans, a restoration facility in Huntington, Indiana, USA, known for their near-perfect, white-glove restorations of North American T-6 Texans, has announced that it has ceased operations. An auction of its remaining assets will be announced shortly.

• 28 August: A 1942 deHavilland DH-82 Tiger Moth, CF-DHQ, operated by the Vintage Wings of Canada organization, crashed at Gatineau Airport, near Ottawa, Quebec, Canada, seriously injuring pilot Howard Cook. The aircraft reportedly lost power after takeoff.

September 2009:

• 1 September: A 1980 Israeli Aircraft Industries Kfir-C2, N404AX, operated by Airborne Tactical Advantage Company (ATAC), veered off the runway and into the grass during operations at Newport News, Virginia, USA. The pilot was not injured.

• 4 September: A Siai Marchetti SF-260, N517P, landed off the runway at McCollum Field, Kennesaw, Georgia, USA. Neither the pilot nor passenger were injured.

• 4 September: The pilot/owner of a 1970 PZL/WSK TS-11 Iskra jet, N315JB, was forced to land with only the nosewheel extended after experiencing a failure of the airplane's main gear extension system at Cleveland, Ohio, USA. A nearby F/A-18 pilot joined up and confirmed the gear's position before the uneventful emergency landing. The aircraft sustained damage to its wing and belly, but is expected to be repairable.

• 28 September: The assets of Midwest Texans, formerly one of the world's premiere restoration shops for the North American T-6/SNJ Texan, will go under the auctioneer's gavel on 17-18 October, in Huntington, Indiana, USA. Parts, tools, avionics, vehicles, and several aircraft projects will be sold. [For more information, see Starman Brothers Auctions, Inc.]

• 29 September: Divers searching the waters off Los Angeles International Airport have located the wreckage of a long-lost Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star that disappeared in October 1955. (They had been searching for a P-51D Mustang flown by Gertrude "Tommy" Tomkins Silver, the last missing WASP pilot, who disappeared in 1944.) The T-33 crewmembers were Lt. Richard M. Theiler and Lt. Paul D. Smith. [More information]

October 2009:

• 15 October: The Collings Foundation, operators of a collection of diverse warbirds in the USA, was notified that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had denied their request to operate four of their aircraft in a passenger-carrying role. The aircraft are the McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom, Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, Fieseler Fi 156 Storch, and a replica Messerschmitt Me-262.

• 22 October: A 1957 Fuji LM-1 Nikko, N2121J, crashed in Athens, Georgia, USA, shortly after takeoff. Both the owner/pilot and his passenger were killed.

• 24 October: A Curtiss P-40E Warhawk, N4420K, suffered the collapse of its right main landing gear while turning off the runway in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA. This aircraft won the Grand Champion Warbird award at EAA AirVenture this year.

• 26 October: Gary Austin, a noted warbird mechanic, crew chief and influential aircraft restorer/pilot known for his work as the Director of Maintenance for the Commemorative Air Force, passed away at the age of 39.

November 2009:

• 2 November: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled in favor of the National Museum of the United States Air Force (USAFM) in an ownership dispute with the Commemorative Air Force for a rare North American F-82 Twin Mustang. The ruling supports the original judgment of the District Court in July of 2009.

• 7 November: A rare 1951 Piasecki PV-18 (HUP-1) Retreiver helicopter, N183YP, crashed after hitting power lines near Adelanto, California, about 70 miles northeast of Los Angeles. All three persons on board were killed.

• 7 November: A Los Angeles Times online report published today includes a video of a pair of L-39 Albatros jets making low passes and aggressive pull-ups near the Santa Monica, California pier last year. The video also shows the frightened responses from the public, and contains recordings of several concerned calls to 911. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has since revoked the pilot's license of pilot David Riggs. He now faces civil charges over the incident. Riggs, who is a movie producer, claimed he buzzed the pier in an attempt to promote his new movie. The second pilot, noted air racer and test pilot Skip Holm, was apparently not cited. [Read the whole story]

• 9 November: A North American FJ-4B Fury, N400FS, made its first flight after repairs following a gear-up landing almost exactly one year ago. The following day, the aircraft was flown to Pensacola, Florida for the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels homecoming.  

• 11 November: A North American P-51D Mustang, N151AF, operated by the Heritage Flight Museum, made an successful emergency landing in Bellingham, Washington, USA, after the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit. The smoke was apparently caused by a resistor, and ceased after the pilot shut off the electrical system.

• 11 November: A Douglas DC-3 owner in Spaulding, Georgia, had a rather bizarre run-in with the law when he apparently nearly struck a police officer with his airplane, then taxied away and attempted a takeoff, before being apprehended. Officers were attempting to issue citations to Dan Gryder for airport vehicular violations, but he refused to sign them. He then boarded his 1937 DC-3A, N143D, and taxied away, ignoring police demands to stop. Gryder's Herpa DC-3 is well-known in the vintage aircraft community.

• 14 November: An English Electric Lightning jet (XS451/ZU-BEX), operated by the Thunder City organization, crashed during an airshow at the Overberg Air Show at Bredasdorp, South Africa. Thunder City's chief pilot, Dave Stock, was killed after an apparent hydraulic failure and the simultaneous failure of his ejection seat.

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