LOCKWOOD'S ALASKAN CORSAIR
On Friday - May 18, 1984, at approximately 8:30 p.m., amid typically-rainy SE Alaska skies - a 32-year old pilot named Bruce Lockwood, arrived in Ketchikan from Prince Rupert, B.C. for an RON-stopover, while enroute his hometown of Juneau - Alaska's Capital City.
Lockwood was engaged in completing a very long, but exciting, ferry flight back from Florida to fly home his recently-purchased vintage aircraft. More accurately put- Bruce was really flying an important mission of true historic significance: he was now the proud new owner of an immaculately-restored WW2-designed U.S. Navy F4U-5NL Corsair carrier fighter aircraft. NX4901W (Mfr. S/N 124569) was the first privately-owned WW2-vintage warbird fighter plane to base in SE Alaska.
I had the fun privilege of meeting up w/Bruce Lockwood that special day long ago, to shoot some photos to capture the event on film, and made a good friend in the process. We spent the evening 'hangar flying' - talking about fast old airplanes, and famous people involved w/keeping them flying. The next morning I went back to see Bruce off, and helped him 'pull-thru' his Corsair's big 4-blader propeller during his preflight for departure, and took some more photos of his Bent-Wing Bird in action in the air.
Bruce Lockwood was just a rookie warbird pilot back then, but he got hooked on The Big Iron- Big Time! After selling his Corsair to Alan Preston in Dallas, TX., Lockwood started a successful career for himself as a professional warbird pilot & a restoration expert of vintage flying museum aircraft, by first working for Preston & then for David Price's Museum of Flying in Santa Monica, CA. Bruce also showed his mettle as an Unlimited Class air racer for a number of years racing several different fighter aircraft types & then notched two consectutive Reno NCAR Gold Championships flying P-51D #4 DAGO RED for owner Terry Bland, before retiring from racing after the 1999 season.
Here's a mini-gallery of photos of Bruce Lockwood's 'Alaskan Corsair' taken Sat. 5/19/84 at Ketchikan International Airport. Some air race fans will recall this F4U-5NL was raced by Alan Preston at Reno '85 NCAR as Race #12 'Old Deadeye'. Hope you enjoy the pictures.
DBD
Lockwood was engaged in completing a very long, but exciting, ferry flight back from Florida to fly home his recently-purchased vintage aircraft. More accurately put- Bruce was really flying an important mission of true historic significance: he was now the proud new owner of an immaculately-restored WW2-designed U.S. Navy F4U-5NL Corsair carrier fighter aircraft. NX4901W (Mfr. S/N 124569) was the first privately-owned WW2-vintage warbird fighter plane to base in SE Alaska.
I had the fun privilege of meeting up w/Bruce Lockwood that special day long ago, to shoot some photos to capture the event on film, and made a good friend in the process. We spent the evening 'hangar flying' - talking about fast old airplanes, and famous people involved w/keeping them flying. The next morning I went back to see Bruce off, and helped him 'pull-thru' his Corsair's big 4-blader propeller during his preflight for departure, and took some more photos of his Bent-Wing Bird in action in the air.
Bruce Lockwood was just a rookie warbird pilot back then, but he got hooked on The Big Iron- Big Time! After selling his Corsair to Alan Preston in Dallas, TX., Lockwood started a successful career for himself as a professional warbird pilot & a restoration expert of vintage flying museum aircraft, by first working for Preston & then for David Price's Museum of Flying in Santa Monica, CA. Bruce also showed his mettle as an Unlimited Class air racer for a number of years racing several different fighter aircraft types & then notched two consectutive Reno NCAR Gold Championships flying P-51D #4 DAGO RED for owner Terry Bland, before retiring from racing after the 1999 season.
Here's a mini-gallery of photos of Bruce Lockwood's 'Alaskan Corsair' taken Sat. 5/19/84 at Ketchikan International Airport. Some air race fans will recall this F4U-5NL was raced by Alan Preston at Reno '85 NCAR as Race #12 'Old Deadeye'. Hope you enjoy the pictures.
DBD
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