The Commemorative Air Force (CAF), based out of St. Paul, MN, owns this aircraft. In 2001, restoration was done on this beauty. Odegaard Aviation did the wings and Tri-State Aviation of Wahpeton, ND, completely restored this aircraft. On May 10, 2001, Bob Odegaard did the first flight, which was just about perfect. Then, tragically on May 30th 2004, the airplane had mechanical problems during an airshow and crashed, taking the life of the pilot, Don Hinz. The CAF started restoring the aircraft before the end of that year, wanting to keep Don’s dream alive. In 2008, we rebuilt the wings, engine mount and flaps. The components were taken down to Tri-State Aviation and they completed the restoration of the “Tuskegee Airmen”. In May 2009, it returned to the air.
To read more about the Tuskegee airmen that this Mustang is a tribute to, click here.
