Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
An amazing spectacle of WW2 era American Warbirds - North American B-25J Mitchell, Chance Vought F4U-4 Corsair, Lockheed P-38 Lightning and North American P-51D Mustang, together in an amazing display at Sywell Airshow 2024. The aircraft are part of 'The Flying Bulls' display team and historic aircraft fleet based at Salzburg Airport, Austria.
Lightning:-
This aircraft was delivered to the United States Arm Air Force (USAAF) as serial number 44-53254 in July 1945, about a month before the end of World War 2 (WW2). Almost immediately it was sent to Dallas, Texas for conversion to an F-5G reconnaissance version. In April 1946 it was sold as surplus and converted for air racing, with civil registration NX25Y (later N25Y).
It passed through several private owners and became well-known as "White Lightnin'" when raced by Marvin L. "Lefty" Gardner at the Reno National Air Races.
In 2001 it had an engine failure and forced landing, resulting in significant damage. The remains were bought by The Flying Bulls in 2005 and underwent a four-year restoration in Texas.
Its first post-restoration flight was on 2 June 2008. It arrived at its current home at Hangar 7 in Salzburg on 9 March 2009.
Corsair, OE-EAS:-
This Corsair c/n 9149 was built in 1945 for the United States Navy with Bureau Number (BuNo) 96995 and didn't see action in WW2, nor is it known whether the aircraft was utilised during the Korean War 1951-53.
Her first civilian owner was Robert Bean from Arizona, registered as N5221V. He sold her and 8 other Corsairs to the Fuerza Area Hondurena (FAH/Honduran Air Force), with this one delivered during 1960, as FAH 614. In July 1969 it saw action during the "Soccer War" with El Salvador. On 17 July 1969, flown by Lieutenant Marco Tulio Rivera, it was one of two Corsairs which helped turn the course of The Battle of San Rafael de las Mataras and the war itself in favour of the defending Honduran forces.
Honduran Corsairs were phased out in the early 1970s. This one was stored and recovered from Honduras in 1979.
Bought by Robert Ferguson and Howard Pardue of Texas in 1979, she was registered as N4908M. After a year she was sold to J.K. "Buck" Ridley, of Abilene, Texas, where she would be air raced until 1989.
In 1990 it was sold to Siegfried Angerer and registered OE-EAS in Austria. Siegfried Angerer is now the Chief Test Pilot of the Flying Bulls.
Mustang 'Nooky Booky IV' - 44-74427 - OE-EFB:-
Completed in June 1945, it went straight into storage with the USAAF. It was redesigned as an F-51D in 1948 and then passed to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in 1950 as a Mustang IV. In 1959 it was sold to a civilian buyer in Florida, USA registered N9148R before going back to Robert Hoover of North American Aviation as a Cavalier Executive 2000 in early 1962, registered N2251D. Hoover flew it as the 'Yellow Mustang' on the airshow circuit until 1970, when it was badly damaged by an exploding oxygen bottle.
From 1970 it went through a number of new US owners after repair and restoration.
During 1978 it was air raced as 'Miss Coronado'.
In 1994 it became 'Nooky Book IV' with a new owner, before going to France in 1998 registered F-AZSB. It flew in the movie 'Red Tails' in 2009.
It was sold to The Flying Bulls in 2021.
North American B-25J Mitchell 44-86893 - N6123C:-
Built in Kansas City in 1945. Went to the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) on August 7, 1945. Over the next two years it was used between Ft. Dix, Mitchell Field, New York and Newark, New Jersey for administrative flights with Air Transport Command. In June l947 she was sent to Olmstead Air Force Base (AFB), Pennsylvania and modified for electronic testing. She was used at Griffiss AFB, New York for testing radar systems for Air Defense Command. She had more modifications and electronics and was reclassified as an ETB-25K and used for more radar testing and calibration. She was attached to the 6520th Air Base Group at Hanscome AFB, Massachusetts for a couple of years until the unit was moved to Laurel, Mississippi. She transferred to the 412th Fighter Group at Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan in 1956 until 1957, where she was used for instructing radar intercept crews. In December l957 she was stored at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.
On 8 October 1958, she was sold and converted into a forest fire fighting tanker aircraft. then used for only a couple of years before the type was banned in 1962. She received civil registration N6123C. By May 1959, she was converted to an agricultural sprayer. Sold in November 1965 to Aircraft Specialties of Mesa, Arizona, she was then purchased by Cen-Tex Aviation in San Marcos, Texas stored at Chino, California. In May 1977, she was bought by Kansas City Warbirds of Kansas City, Missouri. She was ferried there, had a 7 year restoration and then flew as "Fairfax Ghost". In May 1995, she was bought by The Flying Bulls.
Copyright © StephenKeeler (HightFlight/SkyHighFlightTV) All Rights Reserved
An amazing spectacle of WW2 era American Warbirds - North American B-25J Mitchell, Chance Vought F4U-4 Corsair, Lockheed P-38 Lightning and North American P-51D Mustang, together in an amazing display at Sywell Airshow 2024. The aircraft are part of 'The Flying Bulls' display team and historic aircraft fleet based at Salzburg Airport, Austria.
Lightning:-
This aircraft was delivered to the United States Arm Air Force (USAAF) as serial number 44-53254 in July 1945, about a month before the end of World War 2 (WW2). Almost immediately it was sent to Dallas, Texas for conversion to an F-5G reconnaissance version. In April 1946 it was sold as surplus and converted for air racing, with civil registration NX25Y (later N25Y).
It passed through several private owners and became well-known as "White Lightnin'" when raced by Marvin L. "Lefty" Gardner at the Reno National Air Races.
In 2001 it had an engine failure and forced landing, resulting in significant damage. The remains were bought by The Flying Bulls in 2005 and underwent a four-year restoration in Texas.
Its first post-restoration flight was on 2 June 2008. It arrived at its current home at Hangar 7 in Salzburg on 9 March 2009.
Corsair, OE-EAS:-
This Corsair c/n 9149 was built in 1945 for the United States Navy with Bureau Number (BuNo) 96995 and didn't see action in WW2, nor is it known whether the aircraft was utilised during the Korean War 1951-53.
Her first civilian owner was Robert Bean from Arizona, registered as N5221V. He sold her and 8 other Corsairs to the Fuerza Area Hondurena (FAH/Honduran Air Force), with this one delivered during 1960, as FAH 614. In July 1969 it saw action during the "Soccer War" with El Salvador. On 17 July 1969, flown by Lieutenant Marco Tulio Rivera, it was one of two Corsairs which helped turn the course of The Battle of San Rafael de las Mataras and the war itself in favour of the defending Honduran forces.
Honduran Corsairs were phased out in the early 1970s. This one was stored and recovered from Honduras in 1979.
Bought by Robert Ferguson and Howard Pardue of Texas in 1979, she was registered as N4908M. After a year she was sold to J.K. "Buck" Ridley, of Abilene, Texas, where she would be air raced until 1989.
In 1990 it was sold to Siegfried Angerer and registered OE-EAS in Austria. Siegfried Angerer is now the Chief Test Pilot of the Flying Bulls.
Mustang 'Nooky Booky IV' - 44-74427 - OE-EFB:-
Completed in June 1945, it went straight into storage with the USAAF. It was redesigned as an F-51D in 1948 and then passed to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in 1950 as a Mustang IV. In 1959 it was sold to a civilian buyer in Florida, USA registered N9148R before going back to Robert Hoover of North American Aviation as a Cavalier Executive 2000 in early 1962, registered N2251D. Hoover flew it as the 'Yellow Mustang' on the airshow circuit until 1970, when it was badly damaged by an exploding oxygen bottle.
From 1970 it went through a number of new US owners after repair and restoration.
During 1978 it was air raced as 'Miss Coronado'.
In 1994 it became 'Nooky Book IV' with a new owner, before going to France in 1998 registered F-AZSB. It flew in the movie 'Red Tails' in 2009.
It was sold to The Flying Bulls in 2021.
North American B-25J Mitchell 44-86893 - N6123C:-
Built in Kansas City in 1945. Went to the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) on August 7, 1945. Over the next two years it was used between Ft. Dix, Mitchell Field, New York and Newark, New Jersey for administrative flights with Air Transport Command. In June l947 she was sent to Olmstead Air Force Base (AFB), Pennsylvania and modified for electronic testing. She was used at Griffiss AFB, New York for testing radar systems for Air Defense Command. She had more modifications and electronics and was reclassified as an ETB-25K and used for more radar testing and calibration. She was attached to the 6520th Air Base Group at Hanscome AFB, Massachusetts for a couple of years until the unit was moved to Laurel, Mississippi. She transferred to the 412th Fighter Group at Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan in 1956 until 1957, where she was used for instructing radar intercept crews. In December l957 she was stored at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.
On 8 October 1958, she was sold and converted into a forest fire fighting tanker aircraft. then used for only a couple of years before the type was banned in 1962. She received civil registration N6123C. By May 1959, she was converted to an agricultural sprayer. Sold in November 1965 to Aircraft Specialties of Mesa, Arizona, she was then purchased by Cen-Tex Aviation in San Marcos, Texas stored at Chino, California. In May 1977, she was bought by Kansas City Warbirds of Kansas City, Missouri. She was ferried there, had a 7 year restoration and then flew as "Fairfax Ghost". In May 1995, she was bought by The Flying Bulls.
Copyright © StephenKeeler (HightFlight/SkyHighFlightTV) All Rights Reserved
