Howie Keefe - Galloping on Wings with the P-51 Mustang: Diary of an Air Race Pilot

Galloping on Wings with the P-51 Mustang
Miss America
by Howie Keefe

Aviation Supplies & Academics, Inc.
7005 132nd Place SE
Newcastle, Washington 98059
Website: www.asa2fly.com
Email: asa@asa2fly.com

2007 Howie Keefe. All rights reserved.

Published 2007 by Aviation Supplies & Academics, Inc. Ebook edition published 2013.
(First hardcover edition published by Prestige Group, 2001.)

No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, xerographic, audio/visual record, or otherwise, without the written permission from the publisher. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damage resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

Photography and illustration credits/acknowledgement (page numbers refer to print edition): All photographs, illustrations, and articles are from the authors collection (unless otherwise indicated), and are either owned by the author or used by permission. Photo of Cleveland air race crash of 1946 on page 92, copyright Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio, used by permission. Photo page 104 copyright Paul Neuman, used by permission. Some of the air race-related photography in this book comes from John Teglers extensive collection (Gentlemen, You Have a Race: A History of the Reno National Championship Air Races, 1984) and is used by permission (as is the excerpt reprinted on page 295).

Cover photo Buddy Childers, used by permission. Taken at California Air Races, Mojave, CAPhotographer in foreground is Bill Johnson. The wingtip looked so close in his viewfinder, he dove left. Next frame showed him parallel to the ground.

ASA-GAL-WINGS-EB
Print book ISBN 978-1-56027-643-2
ePub ISBN 978-1-61954-046-0
LC# 2007037943

Dedication

This book is dedicated to the two people who gave me the moral and financial support to have been able to race in the Unlimited Race plane class in part of three decades: 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

H.S. Pete Hoyt, 19232000

Pete was a few years behind me at Hamilton College. I saw him at the airport while doing my aerobatic training in the Waco and gave him a ride. Twenty years later he offered me his plane to fly. He not only started me flying again, he served as navigator on cross-country races and was a loyal member of Miss Americas crew.

Mike Eisenstadt, 19392001

Mike, through his company Omni Aviation, gave me both moral and financial support. When I started racing, replacing a blown engine was $1,000. When I finished, they were about $40,000. Mike helped me replace three. A great guy to have known. Always relaxed, always up.

Acknowledgements

Bob is the one P-51 Mustang pilot that all of us admire. He is truly the pilots pilot. His book Forever Flying is a great read for anyone in flying. His story is unique.

Bob checked me out in 1969 in his P-51 before I tried to fly mine solo. I sat in his back seat so I could be prepared for the loud roar of the engine and the landing attitude with the tail down (3 point). It was a ride Ill never forget! Bob Hoover was kind enough to write the following for this book:

Howie and his P-51 Miss America were always stand-outs at the many air shows we flew togetherthey were crowd pleasers. Howie catered to the kids at the shows, to have them sit in the cockpit to have their picture taken.

Many times when I was the pace plane starting a race, Id look back over my shoulder at the echelon starting formation of the race planes and there was Howie in Miss America eagerly awaiting my release at the race start with my transmission of Gentlemen, you have a race! Howie always deserved the term Gentleman whether on or off the race course.

R.A. Bob Hoover

The pilots pilot, Bob Hoover, with his vast experience flying P-51 Mustangs checked me out in the P-51 Mustang. It was something else! (1997 photo)

Bob shows his flying skill by landing on just one wheel! The crowd was always in awe of his flying feats.

My P-51 Checkout from Bob Hoover

We took off from LAX where the North American hangar was and went to the aerobatic area off Palos Verdes in the direction of Catalina Island. Bob did a slow roll. Never have I ridden through or even tried to do a slow roll with 0-G all through it. No sensation of leaving my seat. A barrel roll might do that but not a hold-your-nose-straight-ahead slow roll. I was in awe! Coming back to land at LAX, I looked forward to the 3-point landing which didnt happen. Instead he landed on just the left wheel, turned the plane off at the high-speed taxiway still on one wheel. When we got out he explained in his Southern gentleman accent, Im sorry about not doing the 3-point landing. I heard that the fellows in the tower gather together when I come in to see me do that. All day long they see just airliners. Giving them a little show breaks the monotony. I understood.

A special thanks to the volunteers who made it possible from 1969 to 1981:

Crew Chiefs (from first to last)

Dick Tomasulo

Dave Zeuschel

Don Bartholomew

Bill Pitts

Skip Higginbotham

Jim Quinlan

Crew (in random order)

Pete Hoyt

Jim Reid

Harry Quinlan

Don Reese

Ben Roberts

Brian Schooley

Ron Fleming

Bill Miller

Jack Corrick

Len Farmer

Ben Roberts

Bill Yoak

Bill Pruitt

Jerry OBrien

Maurice OBrien

Rich Horton

Steve Brown

Roger Vian

Randy Scoville

Hank Pohlman

Don Keefe

Dorrie Keefe

Mari Owens

Roger Davies

Tom Keefe

Sue Keefe

Mike Foster

Mike Cleary

Laura Cleary