Beech 18 Fly-By

[Taigh Ramey]

Hey Ryan,

I think the other Beech 18 aerobatic act that you were talking about was Mike Rust from Red Bluff, CA.

He did a Beech 18 acro act a while ago at air shows in California. Mike died in the crash of a Cessna 150 Aerobat.

Mike gave me my first Twin Beech ride in his AT-11 at Madera airshow a long time ago. I will never forget the take off and landing in the nose of that AT-11!

Later Mike gave me my first Beech 18 dual in the same C-45H that he used for air shows just before I went back to Saginaw, Michigan to retrieve the SNB-1 from the Yankee Air Force.

Mike and I haggled for many years as I wanted to buy his AT-11 project. This AT-11 was the most straight and original AT-11 in existence so I wanted it very badly. I ended up getting that awesome AT-11 and it is currently awaiting restoration at my shop in Stockton.

Mike was one of those colorful characters involved with Warbirds and anything else in aviation. Sad that he died so young like many others I have known over the years.

Taigh

[tom d. friedman]

does the at-11 named ms jo ring a bell with anyone on this forum??? my friend ron stone, the at-11 owner had the bird, it won best bomber award at sun n fun in 1998, & made the cover of eaa magazine a few years later. it had the norden bomsight, etc, bomb bay, the only bad thing was it had a side cargo door & was pimped out in the interior. 1 of my oldest friends since grade school did the nose art on her. i got him the job. it took 14 hours to complete. i sat their, handed him brushes etc, while drinking beer. to date as far as i know, she's still for sale as ron lost his medical. it was a cool paint job. we took a pic of ron's wife's face & put it on an original ww 2 nose art work from the war.

Last edited by tom d. friedman on Sun Jul 08, 2007 7:20 pm, edited 2 times in total.

[wls3]

You made me dig for this one Tom. I had to check my Wayback Machine.

Bill

[tom d. friedman]

that's her!!! thanks!!! my friend larry the artist has had motivational problems the last few years, he needs to get back into the swing of things, maybe his nose art on wix will kick his butt back in gear!!! larry macmahan's aviation art website is www.geocities.com/larmacavart check out his killer work!!!

[rwdfresno]

I think the other Beech 18 aerobatic act that you were talking about was Mike Rust from Red Bluff, CA.

Taigh,

Now that you mention the name and being from Red Bluff that really does sound familiar. That AT-11 really is a beautiful airframe. Thank you for putting a name behind the memory.

Ryan

[Steve Nelson]

I remember seeing a Beech 18 aerobatic routine back in the mid '90s at Elkhart, IN. The plane may not have been an actual SNB, although it was painted as one..blue-gray over light gray with the "star and meatball" insignia. I'm trying to remember the pilot..it may have been Pete Frasca. I remember the announcer saying the pilot had to look long and hard for the specific model of Beech he needed for aerobatics. I've got some pics, but they were from the dark ages of film, so I'll have to dig them out and scan them.

SN