Just a few photos of some of John Stokes' over 37 warbirds that he had at San Marcos (T98 back then, HYI now).
B-25 Shady Lady (once J.K. West's) and the P-38 N3JS. John was actually the 4th owner,
and each before put their number in the ownership line, plus their initials, as the N number
(so John told me). N4JS wasn't available, so he just left it N3JS. This was one of three
P-38L's to be converted to an "M" as a proof of concept. The humpback returned to
San Marcos and was put on the Scatterbrain Kid II.
With a PT-22 beside it on the line, the P-51D we referred to as "Checkerboard Nose" was
usually flown by Bill Powers. I had the ultimate ride in this plane with Bill. We flew some
formation aerobatics in the slot behind Ed Messick in his P-51 "Minute Man". You haven't done
a loop until you've been though one looking at the underside of another P-51 just in front and
above you!
The P-39 and SeaFury beside it on the line, I was told that Bob Hoover had once flown this
P-51, and that the back half had been replaced after a line boy over filled the oxygen bottle
that it once had, which blew up, and blew the plane in half.
Coming back from flying over the Austin Aquafest water parade. The P-39 and SeaFury (with
Sandy Sansing at the controls), off the wing of the P-51.
After landing at San Marcos, just back from the fly over of the Austin Aquafest water parade
in the back of the P-51 with Bill Powers, we taxi past the Shady Lady and TBM.
One of the El Salvador Corsairs that John Stokes bought. This one being rebuilt, it would eventually
go to Howard Pardue. After he had to put it down in a corn field, it came back to San Marcos
for repairs.
Arrival at Randolph AFB for their AeroFiesta. Taken from the ME-108 flown by Ray Harper.
George Wilhite was flying the FW-44, which John ended up donating to the CAF. It's with
the Rio Grande Valley wing now. John also owned the Chipmunk and Tiger Moth.
Ray Harper tightens it up as we get over the field at Randolph.
Hope you enjoyed these memories of mine! When I get some more scanned, I'll share them as well.
No telling what, or who, we might see!
