Joe Gast ready for take off with his helmet and parachute in place
Landing Crazy Horse 2
December 7, 2007 marked the 66th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. December 7th has
always been a special day for my husband, Joe. He was born on December 7, 1937 in Kansas City, Kansas. From a very early
age he was fascinated with airplanes. During World War II Army Air Force AT6 trainers flew from the old Fairfax Airport in
Kansas City. They would fly out over the farm country of Eastern Kansas for their training . A little curly, red haired,
freckled face, 5 year old kid with thick glasses would stand out in the pasture and wave frantically at the planes as they
flew over at 500 feet (or sometimes less). Some would buzz him, but all would do a wing wave to him. He never forgot the
sight and sound of those airplanes. Later in the war he experienced the sighting of a P-51 Mustang and it was love at first
sight. He went on to join the Air Force Reserve, but was not destined to become a pilot because of poor eyesight. He
earned a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Kansas University, went to work for TWA right out of school and got his
Masters Degree in Aerospace Engineering a few years later. I can remember our first date. We went to watch
airplanes....!!! He has traveled all over the world in his career, always working in the airline aviation business.
Seventeen years ago he started his own engineering consulting business and now consults to airline and engine overhaul
facilities around the world.
He never forgot his love of the P-51 and for years he has said he was going to fly one on his 70th
birthday. Well, he can now check that off of his list of things to do before he dies. On December 6, 2007 we flew to
Florida for the flight of his life, an hour in a TF-51 (trainer version) Mustang. Ironically his flight took place early in
the morning on December 7th, his 70th birthday.
In April of 1987, Stallion 51 was created by an aviation visionary, Douglas Schultz. Shortly
thereafter Lee Lauderback came on board and the company evolved to become the world's premier P-51 Mustang flight
operation. The heart of Stallion 51 is the state-of-the-art hangar facilities located in Kissimmee, Florida and is home
to Crazy Horse and Crazy Horse 2 the dual-control / dual-cockpit TF-51 Mustangs that is normally utilized for flight
operations.
Joe flew Crazy Horse 2. Here is some of it's history.
Acquired by Stallion 51 Corporation in 2005, Crazy Horse 2 was originally an USAF P-51D-20NA and was
used as a trainer at the RCAF Air Armament School. After which it was sold into civilian hands and has a history of being
an air racer.It was placed into storage pending restoration in 1990 due to a crash landing
in Seattle Washington. In 1997 it was acquired by Vintage Warbirds, who had the restoration and conversion into a TF-51
started. The restoration was completed by Stallion 51 Maintenance in 2000 and won Best P-51 at Oshkosh the same year.
Repainted as Crazy Horse 2, just like its sister ship it wears the authentic colors of the 48th
Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group, 8th Air Force at Asche, Belgium, 1945. Crazy Horse 2 also has the honor of being
one of an estimated sixteen dual controlled Mustangs existing in the world. Its extruded bubble canopy allows visibility
unmatched in any warbird, and its Rolls Royce Merlin engine delivers the heart stopping performance expected in a Mustang.
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This was Joe's experience as told by himself.
The first clue to the size of the cockpit came when I was told the airplane was designed around a
5'8'' 140 pound pilot. Once settled into the seat with the parachute cinched up tight and shoulder harness and belt tight
there was little maneuvering room. All of the controls were at hand so there was no problem reaching anything.
Instrumentation was just as it was in 1941 when this aircraft, serial number 413806, was manufactured. At the time this
plane was built the US was not in the war yet. Aircraft were being supplied to England and Canada to complement the
Spitfires during the Battle of Britain. The engine in this airplane is the Rolls Royce Merlin built in the US under
license by Packard. It is a V12 in line engine that produces a sound unlike any other aircraft engine. As a kid, and
even to this day, I can identify this sound when the aircraft approaches. You would have to be a real airplane nut to
understand this but there are plenty of us out there.
The engine started and the wonderful aroma of 100/130 Octane burned fuel wafted into the open
cockpit from the six exhaust stacks on either side of the engine. Unfortunately they are in line with the cockpit so
there is no way to avoid this. Take off was really great. Take off and landing are required to be done by the FAA
certified instructor. The old Merlin really sang when we reached full take off power (55 inches manifold pressure). Once
we were airborne and had departed the airspace of the Kissimmee Airport the aircraft was handed over to me to do as I
wished. The instructor kept telling me not to worry about the airplane, it's a fighter and you can't hurt it. We flew
Southwest over the swampy part of Florida and climbed to about 6000 feet. The airplane flies very nicely in a normal
wings level mode. Most of the flying can be done with the elevator and rudder trim wheels. Once you go into the
aerobatics mode with the airplane the stick gets heavy. I was surprised at how hard it was. I thought is best to work
into this slowly (even though I only had an hour) so I did some wing overs, turns and steep turns. Not bad at all. Then
I tried the airleron roll. This is where you rotate the airplane 360 degrees ending up in the same attitude you started
with (hopefully). That was not too bad either so I proceeded to do several more. Then came the next maneuver I wanted to
try-the loop. This is where you start from level flight, pull back on the stick to make the airplane go up and over the
top of a circle (where you are upside down) and then back down the other side, again coming out somewhere near where you
started. You see these all the time at airshows. What you don't see is the coordination it takes to perform this. The
first loop was fine. On the second loop I failed to give it down elevator on the downhill side and continued to tighten
the loop so that it was more like a comma than a circle. Pulling 3.5 to 4gs is not a nice thing to do when you are not
accustomed to them. I settled down a little after that, but the flight was an amazing experience. We did a high speed
run over some clouds and a few more minor maneuvers and then returned to the field where we were given permission to do
the overhead break, which is a neat maneuver when seen from the ground also. Landing was smooth and the rest is history.
I was given a video taken from three cameras, one in the vertical fin, one in the horizontal stabilizer tip and one in the
front of the cockpit that looked back at us. What a great experience, one that I will never forget. The only cause for
concern was when Linda made me give her the keys to the rental car and my billfold before I flew! Confidence! But she
was really supportive and helped to make my 70th memorable. Now, what do I do for the 80th?
Joe's Pilot/Instructor
John Posson is a P-51 and L-39
instructor for Stallion 51 Corporation. During the summer airshow season he also flies an L-39 on the left wing in the
diamond formation for the Patriots Jet Team. His 25 years of commercial flying includes a season as a bush pilot as well
as three years with Wien Air Alaska, six years with Hawaiian Airlines and fifteen years with United Airlines. John’s
vintage aircraft experience includes DC-3’s, Beech 18s, Howards, Norsemans, Grumman Widgeons and a mix of others from
Mustangs to Cubs. He has a strong sport aviation background that includes over 2300 parachute jumps, over 100 hours in
hang gliders, competition aerobatics through the unlimited category and he’s currently part owner of a Bonanza, a Super
Cub and a Cessna 180.
Information on Stallion 51 where Joe took his
flight http://www.stallion51.com/
To contact Linda:
Linda Gast
www.hummingbirdmountain.com
www.mariposaspca.org
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