Warbirds Worldwide : Page 1 of 4

As I strapped into the dual control TF51 in the winter sunshine at Kissimmee, Florida several things flashed through my mind. My lust affair with the P-51 began in 1970 and I've been lucky to fly in several since. However, here we are, in the latter part of the 20th Century and I'm about to undergo the experience of a lifetime. Needless to say the beautiful form, the appropriate, purposeful, almost art deco design appeals as much to me now as it did in 1970. The North American Mustang looks right from every angle. And I was about to fly one.

Nothing could have prepared me for this experience. I'm not a pilot. O.K., engineering power and acceleration has always managed to get the adrenaline flowing - I've been amused by relatively powerful cars before but this was to be something else.

I'd already spent several hours with Lee getting the feel of the new operation at 3951 Merlin Drive. Much different to the modest, but effective operation on Hoagland Boulevard where Stallion 51 Corporation was born. The early years meant hard work for partners Lee Lauderback and Doug Schultz. Long hours reputation building not only with a close knit warbird fraternity but with financial institutions as well, for we all know they view specialist 'odd ball' operations with some suspicion. The hangar come office accommodation at Merlin Drive is impressive, custom designed by the Stallion team to facilitate and totally support the smooth operation of the money earner sat on the immaculate aculate hangar floor below. Crazy Horse is the most utilized, but carefully maintained Mustang on the planet and rightly deserves such accommodations. Who could fail to look down the aircraft from the hangar window and fail to be impressed.

Recently, Crazy Horse has been joined by another TF-51D newly rebuilt by John Dilley's Fort Wayne Air Service and leased from owner Max Chapman. Now named Mad Max, the aircraft is painted in a startling overall silver with red tail stripes a la 15th Air Force. The eventual aim is to have a third pilot instructor, Eliot Cross, up and running as part of the Stallion operation. The ultimate aim is to make Merlin Drive the home of several Mustangs (up to nine in fact) and a place where owners can house their aeroplane have it annual checked or whatever by the Lauderback Brothers (who have recently completed two superb looking single place Mustangs for owners Selby Burch and Dick Thurman the latter of which won Best Mustang' at E A A Oshkosh in 1996. The owners fly their aeroplanes as often as they like in friendly Florida airspace or even winter their aircraft here instead of 'grounding' them for the winter as the snow piles up outside the hangar doors. This would also give them the opportunity of undertaking continuation training at Stallion 51 where they can operate 365 days a year.

We last covered Stallion's operations in Warbirds Worldwide 17 (November 1990) and though some things have changed (like Lee and Doug's Mustang experience!) their basic raison detre remains the same. Stallion operates in four closely related spheres, with a 5th, that of high quality corporate entertainment for blue chip companies like Rolls Royce and Cessna, coming on line more recently. One of the factors throughout the equation remains constant the Stallion team actually get a buzz from flying people, from helping them to fly Crazy Horse and contributing (in very real terms) to flight safety in the warbird fraternity. Stallion 51 is a very professional company with a corporate feel and a great deal of pride in demonstrating their abilities and passing on their expertise. Whilst the aircraft is 'hired out' at a flat rate, even if you paid ten times that rate you would not come anywhere near the worth of all that knowledge and experience available to you. Lee flies Crazy Horse so much I suspect his rear end is moulded to fit the aeroplane and yet, in an almost bizarre kind of way, his wry grin indicates he wants more, and above all is willing to teach more. Above all, value for money for the customer is unrivalled and the clients come in all shapes and sizes, characters and ability.

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