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Flight of the Phoenix Escadrille to Perform at Bowl Classic
The vintage T-6's that make up the Flight of the Phoenix Escadrille operate out of Flight of the Phoenix Aviation Museum at Fox Stephens Field in Gilmer, Texas. Each of the planes is flown by its owner, unlike in the Confederate Air Force, where the planes are owned by the organization and flown by CAF members. "We know the crowd will thoroughly enjoy the precision flying of the escadrille," said Marc McDaniel, MPISD Athletics Business Manager and a member of the Pilgrim's Pride Bowl Classic committee. "The entire pre-game show has a patriotic theme and is being done to honor our veterans. We believe the addition of the T-6's to the program will add a special touch."
Second left wing position is Stuart Milson from Midlothian, Texas. Stuart is married and has two boys. He flies a FedEx Boeing 727 and the CAF's F-4U Corsair WW II Fighter. Stuart's bright yellow T-6 Texan is a Royal Canadian Air Force Harvard Mark 4, with RCAF markings and the number 244. Stuart purchased his historic 1952 model aircraft in Canada in 1998. Third right wing is Carl Best, a commercial insurance executive from Plano. Carl is Element Leader and Deputy Team Leader. This pristine 1943 AT-6C was remanufactured as an AT-6G in 1951. It served the USAF at Georgia training fields until 1951, when it was declared surplus. Flying for owners in Alaska, California, and Michigan, she found a home in the Best family when Carl's dad, Henry, bought her in 1966. Henry often fills the rear cockpit and flies co-pilot with Carl. Fourth position is Roscoe Armstrong from Rhome, Texas, a former U.S. Army Cobra helicopter pilot and Vietnam Veteran. He is president of a Dallas based aviation company, and serves on the City of Decatur Airport Advisory Board. Roscoe's T6G was completely restored in 1989 to its original and authentic configuration. With his bright yellow Army Air Corps paint scheme, Armstrong is easy to spot in the formation. Normally flown as a trainer, this aircraft also was flown in combat in the 1960's when it was flown in Algeria.
Escadrille pilots meet the stringent performance standards of FAST, the official international safety and training organization for warbird formation operations. In addition to holding appropriate FAA pilot ratings and medical certificates, each pilot must pass proficiency testing and re-certification annually. The T-6's, which were the mainstay of pilot training for the Allied Forces in WW II, must also adhere to strict FAA maintenance and safety criteria each year, silent testimony to the engineering, materials, and craftsmanship that went into the construction of these marvelous examples of 1937 aviation technology. North American Trainer Assn. (NATA) is the governing body for operations, safety and training for the WW II North American Aircraft Co. types, including the T-6 Texan, the T-28 Trojan, the B-25 Mitchell, and the P-51 Mustang.
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The sound of round engines will fill the skies above Mt. Pleasant ISD's Sam Parker Field Saturday, December 3, when the Flight of the Phoenix Escadrille performs its precision formation flight as part of this year's Pilgrim's Pride Bowl Classic pre-game program.
Leader of the Escadrille is Steve Dean of Gilmer, a former Air Force T-38 instructor pilot and A-37 fighter pilot. He is president of a family lumber business and founder of Flight of the Phoenix Aviation Museum at Fox Stephens Field. Steve's T-6G came directly from active duty in the South African Air Force in 1994.
At the outset of WW II, all of Europe and the British Commonwealth, including Canada and South Africa called the T-6 the "Harvard". Official nickname was "Texan" derived from the fact that most of planes were built at North American Aviation in Dallas during the war. The South African Air Force was the last Air Force in the world to operate the Harvard. In November 1995, SAAF replaced the Harvard with the Swiss Pilatus PC-7.
Contact: Judi Saxton
