Valiant Air Command history

[Speedy]

As a teen I remember reading Martin Caidin's "The Saga of Iron Annie". A lot of the theme through that book was the group of pilots and planes that I believe made up the Florida Wing of the Confederate Air Force. If I recall right, that group was doing so many demonstrations and shows that weren't sanctioned by CAF HQ that their charter was yanked. Out of that the core of the group went on to form the Valiant Air Command in early 1977.

The VAC's home page online says that "The Valiant Air Command was started by a group of twelve individuals" who used their own private aircraft.

I can probably recall a few names and aircraft from back then that were associated with the group, but does anyone know all the names and the aircraft that were involved when the VAC was created? And do any of the old-timers remember more of the details of what led up to the split from the CAF?

[p51]

Beats me if they came from the CAF (never heard that story before), but if they did, it's a given they wouldn't want to acknowledge the fact. Makes a far better story for a few people to get together and make it up themselves.
I wouldn't blame them if it happened that way and they decided to just leave that out.

[cptsmith]

Caidins "Rag Wings and Heavy Iron" mentions the same thing, VAC being a splinter group from the CAF Florida wing.

[PinecastleAAF]

The guy I remember most was Kevin Quinlan working out of the little construction trailer that was the office at that time and that was it.

Iirc correctly the core of the original collection was the group of Fuji trainers from Japan along with Tico Belle. Can't remember all the names sorry it has been too long. Good thread hope some others fill in the blanks. Had some good times out there. Still have some great pics of BG's spitfire roaring down the runway.

[Speedy]

I recall when the 'squadron' of Fuji trainers showed up. Tico Belle, as I remember, was part of a group of three Danish C-47's that they made a flier out of.

Pete Sherman had a P-38 around that time. He and his wife were killed in early '78, but I remember that plane being a part of the group.

Someone had a Nord ME-208 too.

[PinecastleAAF]

Yeah I forgot about Pete. I have a buddy that lived in his neighborhood as a kid and he told me Pete had one of the P-38 allisons in his garage at home and would start it from time to time.

[p51]

I recall when the 'squadron' of Fuji trainers showed up. Tico Belle, as I remember, was part of a group of three Danish C-47's that they made a flier out of.

Pete Sherman had a P-38 around that time. He and his wife were killed in early '78, but I remember that plane being a part of the group.

Someone had a Nord ME-208 too.

Yeah, they all showed up at the Tallahassee airshows in the 80s. I'd forgotten about their "Fuji Squadron" until just now.
And that ME-208 as well. Yep, they had that.
Also had the B-25 called, "Capter 11" which I understood was part of the VAC, too.
I still have their insignia pin I bought from their PX at one of those shows, I was in high school at the time.
Was nice to get down to see theur museum with some airplane/space fan pals on our Kennedy Space Center trip in October, they loved the museum as much as I did.