San Marcos photos (1977ish)

[bluehawk15]

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!

[Scott Rose]

Cool stuff, thanks for sharing

[T J Johansen]

Excellent stuff.

T J

[Pogo]

Boy, I'LL say that's excellent and cool stuff! Shady Lady was JKWest's '25? Really?? (And now I know where it went, to JStokes, eh?) And Sandy Sansing in the Sea Fury. Oh, man. I think I need a drink.

[Speedy]

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.

Hey, that's the Vernon Thorp Racing Team right there. Vernon raced the Sea Fury for John at Mojave '75 (where not only did the engine seize, but Uncle Vernon also set the record for number of deliberate pylon cuts in a single race--Just ask Jim Pate!), and then he raced the Mustang for John at Reno that September with the infamous "garbage can ADI" system (immoratlized by the Levitz Ramp Rat Report message that said "What I needed wasn't a bigger engine, but a bigger garbage can!").

Great stuff!!!

Interesting about Sandy Sansing in the other pics...Sandy Sansing used to own a car dealership down in Texas. I want to say it was in Corpus Christi when I was going through flight training.

[Lynn Allen]

Mike, Bill Powers flew John's Mustang??

Lynn

[bluehawk15]

Speedy, thanks! I couldn't remember for the life of me who flew the SeaFury at Reno! Now it comes back to me! Vernon also, if my memory serves, flew one of the two B-25's from Dothan to San Marcos for John. I think he flew the one that is now "Maid in the Shade". I remember that the one he flew in almost had a prop problem. A cam in the hub was almost broken in two. I don't remember needing to get a new one for the Rose, so I'm thinking it was the other one he flew.

The Sandy Sansing that owned the car dealership must have been a different one. My Sandy retired from the USAF as a full bird in 1973, then went to work for John Stokes as a flight instructor. He taught me for both my private and multi tickets, but not through the flight school. Did it as a friend.


Lynn, Bill flew John's P-51 like you wouldn't believe! Bill flew them in Korea, so he was the most qualified Mustang pilot around San Marcos...other than possibly Sandy, but Bill's time was more "recent"!

[Lynn Allen]

Speedy, thanks! I couldn't remember for the life of me who flew the SeaFury at Reno! Now it comes back to me! Vernon also, if my memory serves, flew one of the two B-25's from Dothan to San Marcos for John. I think he flew the one that is now "Maid in the Shade". I remember that the one he flew in almost had a prop problem. A cam in the hub was almost broken in two. I don't remember needing to get a new one for the Rose, so I'm thinking it was the other one he flew.

The Sandy Sansing that owned the car dealership must have been a different one. My Sandy retired from the USAF as a full bird in 1973, then went to work for John Stokes as a flight instructor. He taught me for both my private and multi tickets, but not through the flight school. Did it as a friend.


Lynn, Bill flew John's P-51 like you wouldn't believe! Bill flew them in Korea, so he was the most qualified Mustang pilot around San Marcos...other than possibly Sandy, but Bill's time was more "recent"!

Roger that. Bet he didn't fly them off a carrier like Sandy did..

Lynn

[bluehawk15]

Say what? Who said Sandy flew a P-51 off a carrier? Was it Ray Harper, or Cuz Ober?

[D Fisher]

Some old Trade a plane ads I have listing Stokes aircraft:

[Tom Crawford]

I posted this inquiry sometime ago.. ref. to your description under picture number three. I don't know if this is the same P-51D because I don't have any N numbers, but the story seems very familiar and the time frame fits... I wonder who owns this aircraft today?

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9120

Regards,
Tom

[bluehawk15]

Tom,

I'll check around to see if I can find the N number. Or maybe someone on here has it already! You are right, it does sound like the same plane. I can't imagine two planes having the oxygen tank overfilled and exploding!

And the "FIRM" in the ads wasn't always firm. As I recall, John sold the P-38 for something like $100,000. I'll have to check that out too. If I can confirm the sales prices, I'll post them.

[Tom Crawford]

Mike,
I've researched the N-number on this aircraft looks like "N22510" but it comes up as something entirely different..
Tom

[bluehawk15]

I'll E-mail Bill Powers and see if he can look the N number up in his logbook, if he doesn't remember it. I'll also ask if he knows who bought it and where it is now.

[Rob Mears]

Hmmm, an RV-6 or an FG-1D Corsair? Choices, choices, choices.

Any idea how inflation from 1977 translates into 2009 dollars?