Current warbirds that have been flown by someone famous

N3Njeff · **Posted:** Mon Nov 24, 2014 9:16 am

Jerry O'Neill wrote:

N3Njeff wrote:

Richard W. wrote:

Jimmy Doolittle used to joke that he had had his picture taken in the left seat of every B-25 still in existance.

I wonder if he ever personally flew any of the ones currently on the circuit.

I believe this is yes. Back in the early 80's a Ceremony called "30 seconds over Washington, D.C." Took place. A formation of B-25's flew down Pennsylvania Ave in formation. My father went with Dean Martin and his B-25 from Vt to participate. Dean owned what is now the Doolittle raiders. A reporter from a local tv station went with a camera and filmed it. I have a copy on Betamax. Carol Jean, hap Arnold & briefing time were the others. Jimmy was there and he was interviewed on camera. I believe he was flying one of them. One day I hope to get the footage converted on a DVD.

I have a VHS copy of the raw footage when Gen. Doolittle was being introduced to the crews of each B-25 there. Unfortunately, it has the timecode window on it, but it is interesting as Jeff Ethell walks with Doolittle and introduces everyone.

Cool. I remember into footage also. A lot of formation footage going over the Capitol. The cameraman rode in the nose and it even has the landing and all intercom comunication in Deans B-25.

wendovertom · **Posted:** Mon Nov 24, 2014 10:19 am

John Bagley owns and flys on a regular basis Bob Hoovers P-51 "Ole Yeller"

Tom P.

airnutz · **Posted:** Mon Nov 24, 2014 10:24 am

Speedy wrote:

JohnB wrote:

SaxMan wrote:

Isn't Cliff Robertson's Spitfire still out there?

Did he actually fly it?
It's always said he owned it, but did he pilot it?

BTW: The MoF's website is wrong. Robertson was not a "TV actor". He never had a weekly series and won an Oscar (the award, not the plane).
Who reviews their stuff? Time to send the interns home.

Yes, he did fly his Spitfire. Cliff also flew Ed Browning's P-51 "Flying Undertaker" at Tonopah in August 1979...on TV. He did a report on the RB-51 Red Baron's 3km record run for ABC's "American Sportsman" with Kurt Gowdy. He also did at least one AT&T commercial on tv in the '80's that I can remember. So yeah, he kind of was a TV actor too.

Hmmmmnn...a fellow identifying hissself as Mitchell Billing posted back in 2005 that his grampa flew Cliff's Spitfire for the entire 21 years, until he sold it and told grampa to piss-off. He said Cliff never flew it. Just sayinnnn.... :wink:

Speedy · **Posted:** Mon Nov 24, 2014 1:54 pm

airnutz wrote:

Hmmmmnn...a fellow identifying hissself as Mitchell Billing posted back in 2005 that his grampa flew Cliff's Spitfire for the entire 21 years, until he sold it and told grampa to piss-off. He said Cliff never flew it. Just sayinnnn.... :wink:

That would be Canadian ace Jerry Billings, who did indeed do all of the airshow flying in Cliff's Spitfire for the better part of 25 years. I just recall Ralph Payne, who did a restoration on the plane in the early '70's for Cliff, telling me that Cliff did fly it from time to time but since Jerry was 'the guy' for Spitfires, he pretty much gave Jerry the keys and told him to have fun.

I'm not sure if Jerry is even around as I haven't heard from him in over a decade.

k5083 · **Posted:** Mon Nov 24, 2014 4:19 pm

Jerry is still around but quite frail. They just erected a monument to him in Essex Ont. of a plastic effigy of his wartime Spit.

This is the first time I've heard it claimed that Cliff flew the Spit or any aircraft of comparable performance. I had always heard he had the good sense not to try.

August

florida.warbirds · **Joined:** Fri Aug 22, 2014 8:25 am **Posts:** 158

Michael Dorn of Star Trek has a T-33 and at point had a F-86.

Harvard 4 · **Joined:** Sat Nov 15, 2014 12:52 pm **Posts:** 27

We look after a PT-19 which was flown a few years ago by Obi-Wan Kenobi (or was it Ewan McGregor - difficult to tell as they look so alike).

airnutz · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2014 10:09 am

Speedy wrote:

airnutz wrote:

Hmmmmnn...a fellow identifying hissself as Mitchell Billing posted back in 2005 that his grampa flew Cliff's Spitfire for the entire 21 years, until he sold it and told grampa to piss-off. He said Cliff never flew it. Just sayinnnn.... :wink:

That would be Canadian ace Jerry Billings, who did indeed do all of the airshow flying in Cliff's Spitfire for the better part of 25 years. I just recall Ralph Payne, who did a restoration on the plane in the early '70's for Cliff, telling me that Cliff did fly it from time to time but since Jerry was 'the guy' for Spitfires, he pretty much gave Jerry the keys and told him to have fun.

I'm not sure if Jerry is even around as I haven't heard from him in over a decade.

Yup, I'm aware of Jerry Billings and his role in the relationship. I was just passing on what the fellow had posted. I figure he couldn't figure out how to edit his post to correct his name or the quote errors he committed. He posted additionally to say his gramps had told him Cliff never flew the plane, but I find that hard to believe. After being checked out in the P-51 among others and with almost 25 years ownership of the MkIX, it's hard to believe he never took it out for a few hops....tho, years ago I was corrected for suggesting such a thing. In the scheme of things...who cares? :wink:

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7560

Well you learn something new every day around here. I know a Craig McCaw in Montecito , CA quite well (but I guess not well enough) ... States he owns/owned Cliff's Spitfire that is now up in the Seattle area on display. Very interesting indeed if it's the same McCaw. He has some explaining to do if this is correct on the site below. :wink:

Wouldn't surprise he at all as Craig is a Gazillionaire

Different Craig McCaw anyone?

http://www.jerrybilling.com/Jerry%20Bil ... 0MK923.htm

JimH · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2014 3:07 pm

Johnny Rutherford owned and flew Mustang 44-74497 N51LW "Little Witch" also owned by WWII vet Hess Bomberger
Richard Bach owned and flew Mustang 44-73454 N2051D "This Is It"
Lex Dupont and his Wildcat
David Gilmour P-51 Comfortably Numb

the list grows

Jim

Ed Likes · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2014 4:14 pm

I believe that the Corsair now owned by Jim Tobul was flown by Cook Cleland of 1947 Thompson Trophy Fame.

Speedy · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2014 5:07 pm

Ed Likes wrote:

I believe that the Corsair now owned by Jim Tobul was flown by Cook Cleland of 1947 Thompson Trophy Fame.

I'm not going to state for certain that that is false, but Cleland was a Dauntless pilot in WWII and I don't believe he flew any Corsairs in the Navy. At Cleveland 1946 he flew an FG-1D called the Lucky Gallon Special. In 1947 he flew the #74 F2G Corsair, and in '48 and '49 he flew the #94 F2G Corsair.

The Tobul Corsair is an F4U-4.

Perhaps it was a Corsair that Cleland "owned" but didn't race?

Invader26 · **Joined:** Wed Aug 11, 2010 7:56 am **Posts:** 843

Well if it counts:

Glen Close in my TBM
Glenn Ford in my B-25
Bob Hoover in my T-28

K5DH · **Posted:** Wed Nov 26, 2014 2:54 pm

Country music star Aaron Tippin used to fly the CAF's B-24A.

warbird51 · **Joined:** Fri Jan 14, 2005 1:18 pm **Posts:** 262

I have 2.5 hours left seat time in B-23 N747M. Does that make me famous?? LOL

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