Fred Sebby-Warbird Legend
Thu Feb 05, 2009 9:23 pm
Fred with the Paul Family's P-40N
FS
Fri Feb 06, 2009 12:19 am
Worlds oldest teenager.Taken way too soon.
Fri Feb 06, 2009 12:44 am
A very odd character indeed.
Not sure about the legend part though.
Not sure about the legend part though.
Fri Feb 06, 2009 1:24 am
and a very good cartoonist
Fri Feb 06, 2009 4:08 am
Never saw him have a 'down' second, aalways fun, funny, and having fun usually at someone elses minor expense-hell of as pilot too!
Fri Feb 06, 2009 7:44 am
He was a blast to listen to at Breckenridge airshows and yes a great cartoonist. Always laughing and joking with Tiger.......
Lynn
Lynn
boy does that bring back some memories....
Fri Feb 06, 2009 10:36 am
Fri Feb 06, 2009 3:24 pm
What a neat guy. Do you know when this was taken, and what year he passed? I met him at Butch Schroeder's on a super-cold, snowy and windy winter day in (about) 1987. About a crummy of a day as there could be for a cross-country T-6 trip. The California dude was frozen solid. He was ferrying a T-6 to somewhere out east. Man, what stories he told about warbirds. I remember he took out time to get his kids postcards and mailed them from Danville. What a cool way for a pilot to keep in touch with his kids. I hooked up with him a few times at Oshkosh in subsequent years. I'd love to hear him tell his story about his first flight in a Mustang (Jerry Miles) again. He could make you feel as if you were there. One of the most interesting and fun-loving guys you could ever meet.
???
Fri Feb 06, 2009 4:37 pm
I took the photo in Corvallis, OR on 7-30-1989 about 8 months before he died
The Fred Sebby Memorial Scholarship Fund was created after Fred died in May of 1990, beginning with donations that came from many family members and pilot friends. A display case was unveiled at the Chino Air Museum in 1991, with memorabilia and photos of Fred's flying career.
Fred was born in 1938 in northern Minnesota and ever since he saw a squadron of P-51s fly over our little town during WWII, he was hooked for life. He had his room wallpapered with aircraft photos and models hanging from the ceiling, etc. Beginning in high school, he worked to get enough money for flying lessons and finally got a Piper Cub. From there he moved up to the PT-19 and then AT-6, before flying the P-51 and P-40, and many, many other WWII aircraft. In his 20s, he finally quit working a regular job. When he wasn't flying, he was buying and selling aircraft parts, ferrying aircraft, etc. He raced at Homestead, Texas and many years at Reno, flew at air shows around the country and was well-known and liked in the flying world.
In November of 1989, Fred was proud to be inducted into the Hall of Fame at El Segundo High School (where he graduated from). Each year since he died in May of 1990, I have given a scholarship to a graduating senior there.
The scholarship is given for Aviation or Fine Arts. If there is no one for Aviation, I give it for Art or Music, since Fred was also a musician and terrific artist. 2006 will be the 16th year for the scholarship to be given.
Since it's inception, I have donated my time and efforts to raise money for the fund by soliciting donations, selling some of Fred's flying memorabilia, and from donations for copies of his movie and air racing cartoons. I have tried to manage the fund so it will be perpetual and not run out of money. I was granted a non-profit status for the fund, so any outright donation or amount donated over and above the value of an item received, is tax deductible.
All donation checks should be made out to:
Fred Sebby Scholarship Fund
and sent to me:
Marcia S. Winborne-Graven
24211 Ash Court
Auburn, CA 95602
Email me with any questions or to order something.
mswgraven@gmail.com
The Fred Sebby Memorial Scholarship Fund was created after Fred died in May of 1990, beginning with donations that came from many family members and pilot friends. A display case was unveiled at the Chino Air Museum in 1991, with memorabilia and photos of Fred's flying career.
Fred was born in 1938 in northern Minnesota and ever since he saw a squadron of P-51s fly over our little town during WWII, he was hooked for life. He had his room wallpapered with aircraft photos and models hanging from the ceiling, etc. Beginning in high school, he worked to get enough money for flying lessons and finally got a Piper Cub. From there he moved up to the PT-19 and then AT-6, before flying the P-51 and P-40, and many, many other WWII aircraft. In his 20s, he finally quit working a regular job. When he wasn't flying, he was buying and selling aircraft parts, ferrying aircraft, etc. He raced at Homestead, Texas and many years at Reno, flew at air shows around the country and was well-known and liked in the flying world.
In November of 1989, Fred was proud to be inducted into the Hall of Fame at El Segundo High School (where he graduated from). Each year since he died in May of 1990, I have given a scholarship to a graduating senior there.
The scholarship is given for Aviation or Fine Arts. If there is no one for Aviation, I give it for Art or Music, since Fred was also a musician and terrific artist. 2006 will be the 16th year for the scholarship to be given.
Since it's inception, I have donated my time and efforts to raise money for the fund by soliciting donations, selling some of Fred's flying memorabilia, and from donations for copies of his movie and air racing cartoons. I have tried to manage the fund so it will be perpetual and not run out of money. I was granted a non-profit status for the fund, so any outright donation or amount donated over and above the value of an item received, is tax deductible.
All donation checks should be made out to:
Fred Sebby Scholarship Fund
and sent to me:
Marcia S. Winborne-Graven
24211 Ash Court
Auburn, CA 95602
Email me with any questions or to order something.
mswgraven@gmail.com
Sun Feb 08, 2009 12:16 pm
Your awesome Jack.
Sun Feb 08, 2009 12:49 pm
Sun Feb 08, 2009 1:43 pm
I didn't know him well but he was a friend of my dad's and there were several great stories about him.
One year at Oshkosh, someone noticed that the propellor on his Mustang was a few inches shorter than any prop on any other Mustang. It was like a couple of inches shorter on each blade. The other Mustang pilots started asking him about this and he had a great story.
Fred would do anything to make a little money for his flying passion. Yes he sold rides for cash. He was in California, Chino or somewhere and he was taking this guy for a Mustang ride for $500 bucks. While flying the engine quit from fuel starvation and he had to put it down on a ranch. He landed on a dirt road, off the road thorugh a pasture, down a hill, and through a couple of barb wire fences. The airplane groundlooped to a stop in a huge cloud of dust and sage brush, and barb wire wrapped around the propellor blades.
Hastily opening the canopy and exiting in fear of a fire, He yells over his shoulder to the passenger. This one's on me , No Charge!!
One year at Oshkosh, someone noticed that the propellor on his Mustang was a few inches shorter than any prop on any other Mustang. It was like a couple of inches shorter on each blade. The other Mustang pilots started asking him about this and he had a great story.
Fred would do anything to make a little money for his flying passion. Yes he sold rides for cash. He was in California, Chino or somewhere and he was taking this guy for a Mustang ride for $500 bucks. While flying the engine quit from fuel starvation and he had to put it down on a ranch. He landed on a dirt road, off the road thorugh a pasture, down a hill, and through a couple of barb wire fences. The airplane groundlooped to a stop in a huge cloud of dust and sage brush, and barb wire wrapped around the propellor blades.
Hastily opening the canopy and exiting in fear of a fire, He yells over his shoulder to the passenger. This one's on me , No Charge!!
Mon Feb 09, 2009 1:13 am
Fred certianly had plenty of stories. He told me that he saw a guy shoot a pistol up at him when he was flying his PT-19 into Compton airport one day. The next day he said that a bowling ball mysteriously fell through the roof of the guy's house... 
Not sure how many of his stories were true, but they could have been!
Fred was a real sun worshipper. The only guy I ever saw that traveled around with a lawn chair and an aluminum reflector in his car, all in an effort to soak up a few more rays. I believe that skin cancer is what finally did him in.
Not sure how many of his stories were true, but they could have been!
Fred was a real sun worshipper. The only guy I ever saw that traveled around with a lawn chair and an aluminum reflector in his car, all in an effort to soak up a few more rays. I believe that skin cancer is what finally did him in.