It was Saturday Aug. 26 and we were late for the Rochester airshow. Sue and I had volunteered to drive the PX trailer to this show and had to renig due to work, causing Dave and Jean to have to reschedule a vacation they had planned. And now we were late, again, due to work.

We arrived around 1 PM on Saturday. The airshow was well underway. Most of the jet acts were over and the good stuff was flying. Ron Gorr in the B-17 Fuddy Duddy, and Mike Chess with the L5 in the flight of the L- Birds. I thought to myself, great people that I know and like, flying great old airplanes, and surrounded by good friends. Dave and Jean Kimmick, Bob Klinginsmith, and my wife. It doesn't get better then this at an airshow. As the day came to a close we gathered up the PX trailer and headed for the hotel.

Through Dave and Jean's influence we were invited to a crew dinner at one of Rochester's finer eateries. As we were waiting on the shuttle bus Dave pointed out Brigadier General Regis Urschler, the pilot of the P- 51 Gunfighter. After we arrived at the dinner, we grabbed a Keystone Wing table close to the food line,hence most everyone getting food went past our table. As General Urschler went past our table he stopped and said a few words with Dave and Jean, and Dave made the appropriate introductions. Reg acknowledged us and then excused himself to go to his table. Sometime during the evening Mike Chess and I were talking and Mike mentioned that the P-51 was leaving Rochester and going to Latrobe for a couple of days. My first thought was, Latrobe is only 15 to 20 miles from my home. I would get my cousin who likes warbirds and go up and locate Gunfighter on Monday or Tuesday. With the need to start early in the morning, we closed the evening early and were back at the hotel by 10 PM.

We had agreed to meet for breakfast on Sunday morning at 6:45 AM. Sue and I were the first down to the lobby. As we turned the corner from the elevator, there was Reg at the front desk. I told Sue to “Wait a minute I want to talk to the P-51 pilot about Latrobe”. When Reg finished at the front desk I stepped up and reintroduced myself. I explained that Latrobe was close to where we live and I would like to come up and see Gunfighter. Reg responded with a hearty “Sure! look all you want”. He went on to explain that he would not be there as he has family in the area, but since I was a CAF member, I was welcome to look and to take all the pictures I wanted.

Sunday's airshow went very well, the PX was busy and we met at a lot of very nice people. During the airshow Reg flew Gunfighter in Tora Tora Tora chasing a Val back and forth. After the Tora show Reg flew his own show, which I am ashamed to say I didn't see much of as we got busy with the PX. After Reg was done with his show he flew a heritage flight with an F-18. I thought how nice the two planes looked together and how cool it would be to fly in the P-51 on the wing of the F-18. As the day wound down we closed the PX and moved it onto the tarmac, ( It was supposed to rain Sunday night) and headed back to the hotel. We were all pretty tired and decided to eat at the hotel. As we made our way into the hotel restaurant we were seated at a large table in the corner. Moment’s later Reg and some friends came in and were seated on the other side of the restaurant directly across from us. Reg again made a point to swing past our table and say a few words. He bantered a few things with Dave and Jean and then ask us all when we were leaving for home? We said bright in early in the morning. Then Reg specifically asked my wife and me if we were going to Latrobe on Monday? We said basically yes, that we live close to Latrobe. Reg then turned to me and said “If you are interested, I have an extra seat going to Latrobe”. Talk about knock me over with a feather! But I didn't miss a beat, I said “Sure, you bet”! And then immediately turned to my wife and ask permission, as she was going to have to drive six hours home by herself. Being this saint of a wife that she is, she said “Oh all right go-ahead”. At that Reg said “After dinner we'll talk about it”, and went to his table. I had to endure ribbing the rest of the evening. Everything from no one was going to talk to me again for scoring a ride, to no one will be able to talk to me at because of my swelled head because I scored a ride. All in good fun. After our meal we made our way over to the table where Reg and his friends were setting. We decided to meet at the airport at 8 AM to check weather and preflight the plane.

Monday morning I was up early, I wasn't going to miss anything. I decided that I would call flight servicing to get a weather briefing. The briefer proceeded to give me the particulars along the way, the main thing was fog and low ceiling at Latrobe but it would be lifting. Everything is falling into place. Now checkout, have breakfast and head for the airport. We were going to meet at a small family style restaurant for breakfast. Sue and I were the first ones there. Then Reg came in and set in the booth beside us. Minutes later Dave and Jean came in and moments after that a couple from Houston TX that were a part of the Tora Tora group came in. Reg knew the couple from Texas and made the introductions all around. I'm sorry I can't remember their names but I enjoyed talking with them and their long Texas drawl. As we finished breakfast Reg began to leave, and I said to Sue we had better go, as I felt I should help Reg with the plane. Reg said “No, stay and visit. I’ll call for a weather update and see you at the plane.” We waited for Dave and Jean to finish their breakfast and we all said our good byes to the Texas couple, really nice people, and went to the airport to hook up the PX. After we had the PX checked and ready to start for Pennsylvania, we drove down the taxiway to where an F4F Wildcat and Gunfighter were sitting beside each other. Reg had already preflighted Gunfighter and was topping off the fuel tanks. Mike Chess and Bob Klinginsmith where there talking with the pilot of the Wildcat. Weather was a concern as the Wildcat was going to Norfolk Virginia and Mike and Bob wanted to come back to Allegheny County airport. Again I had to endure a bit of ribbing as Mike and Bob informed me that they had looked in Gunfighter and there were two parachutes and that meant aerobatics were in-store for our flight home and I should prepare myself. It turned out to be some more good-natured fun.

With Gunfighter fueled and preflighted I decided to get a couple of pictures of everybody with Reg by the nose art of the P-51. With the pictures taken the Keystone crew departed for Pennsylvania. Bob Klinginsmith decided to ride home with Sue instead of waiting out the weather. I appreciate Bob riding with my wife. It would have been a long ride by herself. Next important item before I board Gunfighter, find a restroom! That task out of the way I thought I had better call someone to pick me up at Latrobe, as Sue won't be home for six hours. I called my cousin that I thought about bringing to the airport to see Gunfighter. When we connected on the phone I ask if he would come to Latrobe to pick me up. He said, “Sure, are you flying home in the L5”? I said, well yes, I was flying home but how about a P-51D. Mustang”? There was silence for a couple of seconds and then jokingly he said, “You know I hate you, I really hate you”! He assured me not only would he be there, he would not miss this. He called his brother who was a B-29 mechanic at the end of the war, and my mother. They were all there when we arrived in Latrobe.

Back outside to Gunfighter. Reg was putting on his flight suit. He looked at me and said “This is your flight, you’ve seen my act. We're not going to do anything that dramatic but if you would like to do an aileron roll or something like that, we can do it”. I said “I have never rolled in an airplane, only have seen it on TV and would really like to try it”. Reg replied, “Okay what we'll do after we get out a way is lineup on a road or train track, I'll pull the nose up. As I do you look at the right wing. I'll roll right, the wing will lineup on the road, as we roll over we will still be lined up and then roll back up right still lined up on the road”. I said “Cool, I'm with you”. He then said “I won't do anything to scare you. I will tell you what we're going to do before we do it”. He then proceeded to show me how to board Gunfighter. It became obvious to me that when you park a P-51 you must let the flaps down, as there is a spring-loaded flapper built into the left flap of the plane. You push in on the flapper with your toe and it creates a step. When you remove your foot, the flapper springs shut to fill the hole and create a smooth surface. Likewise with the handhold at the rear of, and just below the canopy. Push in with your fingers and it creates a handhold.

 Remove your hand and the flapper springs shut to create a smooth surface. Another important note; It's left foot in the step on the flap and right hand in the handle. It won't work any other way. Up on the wing and my first look into the cockpit. The pilot seat was a flat gray canvas color on what seems by today's standards an extremely primitive metal frame. Reg reached in and leaned the back of the seat forward. “Okay there is a procedure to this” he said. “Left-hand on the canopy sliding rail, right hand on the top of my seat. Right foot in first as far over as you can go. Shift your weight to your right foot, move your right hand to the right side canopy slide rail and bring your left foot in”. Very simple when done properly, but again, it won't work any other way. Now the big task. Get my 200 plus pounds wedged into the back seat of Gunfighter. Reg instructed me to hold those canopy side rails for balance and lower myself into the rear seat. Amazingly I fit right into the seat. No pushing, prying or sucking it in to fit. A P-51 starts to get narrow right behind the pilot's seat, but I easily placed my large frame in the plane and was surprised how comfortable I was. Reg helped me with the shoulder harness and lap belt. The same as in the L5. One over each shoulder, a belt from each side around your hips, all connecting together by your belly button. Reg then gave me a headset and showed me how the talk button on the side of the plane down by my right knee worked. We worked out a few hand signals so I would not interrupt him while he was talking with the tower. Now it's Reg’s turn to mount up. He moves the back of the seat to the upright position and showed me the lock pins he installs to positively lock his seat in place. The last thing he would want would be for his seat to come loose during an aerobatic maneuver.

A few words about Reg and Gunfighter. Reg is the current pilot of Gunfighter, and served 32 years on active service with the United States Air Force, logging in excess of 13,000 flying hours. He retired as a Brigadier General and now resides in Bellevue Nebraska and is responsible for maintaining Gunfighter in flying condition, aided by a crew of dedicated volunteers.

Gunfighter was built in Inglewood California in 1945. After a tour in England with the Mighty Eighth it was returned to the United States and served at numerous fields and squadrons until 1957 when it was released from the U.S. Air Force inventory. The estimated cost to keep Gunfighter flying is approximately $1600 per hour. This includes the cost of engine overhaul, parts, maintenance, and insurance, hangar, fuel, oil, paint and all the other items necessary to safely operate the aircraft.

As soon as Reg was aboard I began to realize just how lucky and privileged I was to be riding in a legendary World War II fighter plane. I was extremely excited to be given this rare opportunity. My emotions were going wild. I was happy, thrilled, and even ecstatic with pride and yes, nervous.

Reg is now strapped in. He puts on a skullcap and then his helmet and adjusts his seat. A check of the ailerons and the rudder, and ready for engine start. The moment I had been waiting for, this ride is really going to happen. The smile on my face was ear to ear. Reg leans out the side of Gunfighter and yells “CLEAR PROP”!. A push of the starter button and the big Merlin engine awakens from its resting place and starts to cough and pop. The canopy is still open. As the big four blade prop starts to turn and pick up speed I realize that the prop wash is directing all the fumes into the cockpit. I offer up a quick prayer, “Please Lord don't let the fumes make me sick”. It only lasts about a minute or so as each cylinder starts to warm up and pull its share of the load. Reg puts in a touch of throttle and the engine starts to smooth out. Reg comes over the intercom and says, “It will be 10 minutes or so before we are airborne, we have to bring all the temperatures up”. Reg has two little mirrors attached to the windscreen frame; one is on his left and one on his right. He looks into these mirrors when he talks to you. I look into his right mirror and give him a thumbs up. One thing I would like to say to say at this point. I have driven some powerful cars and high-powered trucks and heavy equipment in my lifetime. Some with as much as 700 horsepower. I know what torque and horsepower feel like. From the moment Reg hit the starter button you can feel the torque affect on the plane, we're talking serious horsepower.

Next I hear Reg call the tower; “North American 5428 Victor on Piedmont ramp, request taxi for departure”. Tower: “North American 2 8 Victor, hold your position... About two minutes”. Reg: “2 8 Victor”. As we sat there on the ramp I am trying to absorb it all. The sounds, the smell, the vibrations. My smile couldn't get any wider. I look into Regs' right mirror, he has put on a pair of what looks like fighter pilot gloves and is folding his map. I also noticed his helmet has a visor on it that he has lowered. The dark visor and gloves, this guy looks like a real fighter pilot. I think this experience is just too cool to be happening to me but here I am! The radio crackles and I hear, “North American 2 8 Victor, taxi to runway 2 8 and hold short”. Reg: “Runway 2 8 hold short, 2 8 Victor”. Reg comes up on the throttle and Gunfighter starts to roll, a touch of left brake and we are on our way. Reg starts to weave left and right. He comes over the intercom “See how blind you are in these big tail draggers, we have to weave left and right to see where we are going”. My excitement and emotions were into overdrive by now. As we are moving along the taxiway I can really feel the heat from the exhaust on my face as the prop wash brings it into the cockpit. It blows out the back of the open canopy and doesn't cause a problem.

We taxi to the hold short line and stop. Reg keys the intercom and explains everything he is doing. I could really tell the change in engine tone as he checked the mags on the big Merlin engine. Then he moves the prop pitch control lever three times to work warm oil up into the prop. Again, a very distinct change in the sound of the engine. Reg calls the tower again. “North American 5428 Victor, ready for departure”. Tower: “North American 2 8 Victor, hold short for departing traffic”. Moments later a USAir Beech 1900 took off right in front of us. Then I heard the tower call to us, “North American 2 8 Victor, cleared for takeoff runway 2 8”. Reg: “2 8 Victor”. As Reg came up on the throttle and we started to move, he reached up with his right hand and cranked the canopy shut. The noise level lessened slightly, but that would be short lived. As we turned to line up on the runway I heard and felt the R P M.'s come up and the big four blade prop out in front disappeared. The one sensation I was waiting to feel was how much I would get pushed back into the seat. It wasn't as dramatic as a commercial jet but that feeling was definitely there. It seemed immediately that tail was in the air. I could feel the little bit of dance tail draggers do when on just two wheels. Within 1000 feet or so we were airborne. That feeling that you have broken free from Mother Earth. I look forward to that feeling every time I fly. We are in a very shallow climb as we gain speed on the runway heading. As we reached the end of the runway Reg puts a little back pressure on the stick and we go into a steeper climb. As we transition into the steeper climb, the G-Force pushes me down tighter into the seat. As we continue our climb that G-Force lessens and I start to settle in.

The sky is broken overcast. As we climb we fly around some clouds. I hear the tower come on and say to contact departure on a certain frequency. I had to cover my headphones with my hands in order to hear. The noise without the headphones would be deafening after a while. Reg made a wide turn to our left. As we made the turn I deduced this was correct. We departed on 2 8 which is West so a left turn would put us in a South direction. We continued to climb and stopped at 6500 feet. It turned out to be a beautiful day to fly. The sun was out and the sky was a beautiful Caribbean Blue. The ground below us was at times completely covered by clouds and other times the clouds were broken and I could see the sun shining down to earth and the shadows the clouds were making. At one point we had no cloud cover at all and Reg pointed out different towns along the way. Reg kept looking at his map and dialing in different airports along the way on the Nav radio. Of course I was doing my part also. Checking for bogeys! I could get myself turned around just enough either direction to see the outside leading edge corner of the horizontal stabilizer. I was watching, but nothing the entire trip. I really wanted to call out “Bogey, four o’clock” or “Bogey, nine o’clock” but not another airplane to be seen. The remainder of the flight was uneventful until we got closer to Latrobe. I must say though, to look straight up out the top of the canopy at clouds directly above us or out the side at clouds was an exceptional experience. Hardly comparable to what I have seen from commercial jets or other small planes. One other observation, this was one of the smoothest flights I have ever been on. A couple of small ripples along the way, the rest of the flight was smooth as glass.

My first indication we were getting close to home was when I caught the word Pittsburgh in my headphones. Reg had dialed in Pittsburgh's AWOS. I asked how far out we were. He looked at the panel and said “84 mile from Pittsburgh and 66 mile from Latrobe”. I said to myself that we must really be moving. I thought it would take us longer to get home. Then Reg came on the intercom again, “We are getting close to Latrobe and obviously we can't line up on any thing on the ground, (We had full cloud cover under us) so we will try a roll here and see how you like it”. I said “Okay”. My nerves started to work on me again. Reg came on the intercom to explain everything he was doing. “Okay, back on the stick bring the nose up (as he did the entire windscreen field with the nose of Gunfighter,) now look at the right wing, now roll right, and upside down, and on around and upright again”. Reg looked at me in his mirror, “What do you think?” I was speechless! A big thumbs up from me. To be quite honest though, if we were someplace that I could have stood up and taken a breather, I would have. I realized that as the plane rolled right, I leaned left and the plane actually pushed me around instead of me rolling with the plane. All of the senses went off in my head and I got an extreme sense of falling. I really had to talk to myself to maintain control over my emotions. Reg came on again; ”Okay we'll give you another one”. I thought, this time I'm going to enjoy this. I grabbed the crossbar on the back of Regs' seat and really relaxed. “Nose up, look right, upside down, roll upright”. That was too cool! This time it was absolutely enjoyable. “How was that” Reg asked? Another thumbs up. I was still speechless! “Okay, then we'll give you one more”. “Nose up, look right, (at this point the cloud cover under us opened up and Reg said in a very calm matter-of-fact voice) and there's the ground” and we completed the roll. As we were upside down I looked straight up out the top of the canopy, which was actually straight down at the ground, and rolled my head around as the plane rolled and I focused on the ground. How sweet! I could get used to this upside down stuff with the little practice.

No aiming, just hold the camera up and shoot. Reg brought Gunfighter back to level flight, pulled the power off a little and entered about a 30-degree roll to the left. I heard the gear come down and lock. I knew this time we were landing. As he completed the turn we were lined up right on the runway. Back off some more throttle, lower the flaps and float right down to the runway. Chirp, Chirp, about five feet beyond the numbers. As the tail settles down Reg has Gunfighter throttled down and the big four-blade prop reappears. As we taxi down the runway Reg apologizes for the landing. I'm not sure why, it seemed like a good one to me. As we turn off the runway onto the taxiway I check my watch, 11: 15 A. M., just 50 minutes to get home. Reg then asked if my wife is going to pick me up? I said, “No, she won't be home for six hours”. “Oh that's right,” he said. “That's my family on the observation deck though”, I said. “They came to pick me up”. With that Reg rolls open the canopy and unveils an American flag that waves in the wind as we taxi in. A truly patriotic site. The shutdown sequence takes a little over a minute. After stopping, rev the engine up a little to pump coolant through it and watch the temperature gauges for both sides of the engine. When they are close to the same reading, you can shutdown. This allows the entire engine too cool at the same rate and helps prevent warping of the heads.

After shutdown Reg, of course exited Gunfighter first and I followed. My family had moved from the observation platform to down by the fence at the edge of the ramp area. As I stepped onto the wing they waved, and I waved back with both hands. Reg said “Motion for them to over, they can be out here with us”. During our preflight briefing, Reg had told me to save some film for when we landed. He would take some good shots of me in Gunfighter for my (as he called it) “I love me wall”. I get into Gunfighter, this time in the pilot’s seat. Reg took pictures of me from different angles. With that out of the way it was time to button up Gunfighter.

It had become apparent that Gunfighter was going to remain on the ramp and not see the hanger. No problem, we just had to put on the nylon cover for the canopy and Gunfighter would be fine. Before we put the cover on, Reg handed me two shop rags and asked if I would wipe off the bottom of the cowling and center section of the fuselage and the wings. The Merlin engine slobbers a lot of oil and Reg does not like to see it drip off the plane onto the ramp. Both rags were sopping full of oil but I got it all. Reg had some relatives at the airport also, and as I wiped off the plane he took some things to their car. When he returned and I had come out from under Gunfighter, Reg asked to see my hat. He had a pin of Gunfighter for me. He placed it on my hat and held it up to show me. He said “You'll see some others with this pin but you'll see very few with it this way” and he turned the pin upside down. “You are qualified to where it like this because you've been upside down with me”. I thanked Reg for the opportunity and the privilege of the ride. We finished covering up Gunfighter and as a group walked to the parking lot. As we passed Regs’ relatives car, he stopped me for one more thing. He signed and dated a postcard of him and Gunfighter in-flight. He handed the card to me and very jokingly said, “Now go on, quit bothering me”! I thanked him again and said some more good-byes and at that we parted. I've done some neat things in my life but this was one of the coolest. I know how lucky I am to have had this experience.

Some final observations.

As we all love to go to airshows and hear the distinct sound of a P-51 on takeoff or the screaming howl as the air rushes through the radiators during a dive or high-speed maneuver, lets face it, P-51’s were war machines. As I write down all of my feelings of exhilaration I am brought to the sobering realization that for some young men, and possibly young women in the WASP corps, their last emotions in a P-51 were of fright and sheer terror. Their last ride in a P-51 was their last ride….. Ever. And if out of honor, pride, duty, love of God and country or all of the above, their was, and still is, always someone willing to step up and take the place of a fallen comrade. And whether you feel the Confederate Air Force needs a name change or not, our organization is not about the name. It's about the planes and the people who flew them and kept them flying. It's about the sacrifice’s made by the people who fought such a fierce war so long ago. As long as we don't lose sight of that, the name is only secondary to our mission.

As I write down all my thoughts and emotions about my ride in Gunfighter, I tried to do it in way that anyone as a reader might be able to imagine in their mind what it was like. I took this ride not only for myself, but to represent everyone in the Keystone Wing. I hope I have accomplished that objective.

I have determined there were three factors that got me the ride in Gunfighter.

No. 1: Sue and I were at the airshow in Rochester. To all those who don't make the airshows, not always, but once in a while something really neat does happen.

No. 2: Brigadier General Regis Urschler. His 13,000 plus hours of flight experience made my ride in Gunfighter a memory I will cherish the rest of my life and make for great storytelling at airshows.

No. 3: Last but not least was Dave and Jean Kimmick. Had it not been for Dave and Jean’s dedication to the Keystone Wing and especially to the PX and doing airshows, allowing them to meet and know many of the performers, I am certain I would not have been invited on my ride. Certainly they are far more deserving of a ride like this than me. So to Dave and Jean I owe you a great deal of thanks. If I am ever invited on another ride like this again, Dave and Jean will be the first I tell……… just as soon as we land!

The Post Card Reg gave to me.