There is a LOT more to this story that hardly anyone knows.

This was the P-51 auctioned about 2016. A spare Merlin V1650-9 was also auctioned with it, which I had sold to Ken Scholz back in 1974.

Tony

Jerry -

Better late than never!

Anyway, you made me note my Daily Reminder to check the site at least once a month from now on!

Please stay well and in touch!

All the best!
Ben
(800) 248-3555
WWW.BFG3.COM

Notice the Canadian DC-4 "North Star" in the background? It was part of Air Caicos, all white with a lightning bolt down the side in either black or dark blue (I don't remember which) and was aptly name "Moby 1". Was really cool to hear 4 Merlins singing at one time.

Back in the early 80's I was an ex-sailor just out of Spartan School of Aeronautics working at an FBO in Nashville. John approached me one day looking for parts for another one of his projects that he knew I had. I gave it to him and he asked how much. I didn't have a clue and he knew that too so he offered me a ride in Miss Coronado! Four years later (he was a busy man after all) he showed up on the ramp and off we went. He gave me an hour long ride that seemed to last about 10 minutes. My only regret is I didn't have a camera. Still see John from time to time. That was certainly a memorable day!

Thank you, I often wondered what happened to that airplane. I was involved in the restoration efforts for several years at Van Nuys airport with Angelo's and his brother Pete' P-51's.

I stumbled on this site while looking for the spelling of Chris Hagert's last name. My son is in Copenhagen and went to the home I lived in while working there for HM. The house in question belonged to Chris who died in the P-51 accident. He had been transferred to Belgium and I rented his house when transferred to Scandinavia.
I had visited the site with Eric Alexander, another HM exec a few months after the crash. There wasn't much left of the plane as I recall, just some scattered pieces of metal, and no signs of any fire on the grounds.
Ben, hope you catch this message.

Hi Guys the true ID of the grey 51 is unknown the 51 with the sharkteeth is my photo which i obtained from the FAV museum the id is 44-72059 and i also have photo,s of it being rebuilt in the US via Dick Phillips it was replaced by a fiberglass one for the museum gent man END of Story

Hi Curtis,
Really super cool website you have here. Ben Gay III asked me to reach out to you. He wanted to see if we can setup a time to chat?
Kind regards,
Clinton Smith
310-270-3765
clinton.s.smith@gmail.com

Having looked at this photo again, and with the added knowledge of just having seen a different photo of this line- up I can add that the 3rd P-51D is N469P which crashed in Atlanta, GA on April 8, 1973. The fifth Mustang is not Bill Ross N2112 but rather N2251D after being rebuilt following the oxygen- bottle explosion at Oshkosh 70.