Aviation Park

From the time man first took flight in the early 1900s to the recent shuttle missions into space, South Central Kentucky has played a significant role in the history of aviation. One of the first pilots to fly in combat claimed ties to Bowling Green, as did a World War I flying ace, a pioneer instructor pilot, a Vietnam war hero, commanders of the famed Air Force Thunderbirds and Navy Blue Angels, the Commander/Pilot of “Marine One”, the presidential helicopter unit and the Mission Commander for the space shuttle Atlantis. These aviators – and their ties to South Central Kentucky – deserve to be recognized.

This park is near and dear to my heart; my Dad was in the “Air Force”, and his brothers served in the “Navy” and “Army”. My Dad didn’t speak too much of his days in the military, but I do remember one story. His superior was asking the platoon who would like to jump out of an aircraft; the ones with their hands up weren’t picked, and my Dad wasn’t one with his hand up. He got to jump out of an “Air Force” aircraft! In my opinion, my father could do anything and this just proved that he could.

F-4D Phantom II #550

McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II – SN 66-7550

On April 16, 1972 General Cherry and his Weapons Systems Officer (WSO) Jeff Feinstein were flying this aircraft, F-4D #66-7550, as number three in a flight of four F-4Ds on a combat air patrol mission over North Vietnam. After an intense five minute dogfight, Cherry and Feinstein score their first kill. It was a camouflaged MiG-21 flown by Lieutenant Nguyen Hong My, who survived the crash and the war. Phantom 550 was manufactured in 1967 and completed her
service in 1989 after accumulating over 6,000 flying hours.

The USAF credited F-4 crews with 44 MiG kills over Southeast Asia, more than any other type of aircraft. Phantom II production ended in 1979 after more than 5,000 had been built.

Crew: 2 (pilot and weapons system officer)
Length: 58 feet, 2 inches
Wingspan: 38 feet, 5 inches
Height: 16 feet, 6 inches
Powerplant: 2x General Electric J79 turbojets
Weight: Empty – 30,328 lbs. Loaded – 41,500 lbs. Max take-off weight – 61,795 lbs.
Max Speed: Mach 2.23 at altitude. Cruise Speed: 585 mph.
Range: 1,615 miles with 3 external fuel tanks
Armament: Air-to-Air missles. AIM 7 Sparrow. AIM 9 Sidewinder. Air-to-Ground
Missiles. General Purpose Bombs. Nuclear Weapons

Grumman F9F-5 Panther

Grumman F9F-5 – BuNo 125992
The Panther being flown by LCDR John Magda at the time of his death was an F9F-2, an earlier version of the Panther on display at the park. The Panther on display was accepted by the Navy on April 25, 1952 and has flown a total of 2,343 hours. Active duty stations include North Carolina, Japan and California. It was last assigned to the Naval Reserve at NAS Minneapolis on February 28, 1958.

Crew: 1
Length: 38 feet, 10 inches
Wingspan: 38 feet
Height: 12 feet, 3 inches
Powerplant: 1 Pratt & Whitney J48-P-6A
Weight: Empty – 10,147 lbs. Loaded – 17,766 lbs.
Max Speed: 579 mph, Cruise Speed: 481 mph
Climb rate: 5,900 ft/min
Service Ceiling: 42,800 ft.
Armament: Guns – 4 20mm cannon, Rockets 6×5-inch, Total bomb load 2,000 lbs.

Lockheed T-33A-5 Shooting Star

This aircraft is the trainer version of the F-80, which was the USAF’s first operational jet fighter. Also known as the “T-Bird,” this trainer version was flown regularly by General Russell Dougherty, particularly while serving at the Pentagon. The T-Bird on display came to the USAF in 1953. After serving with a Combat Crew Training Wing at Nellis AFB, NV, it was assigned to the 1st Fighter Wing at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, MI. It was then placed on static display at the Yankee Air Museum in Ypsilanti, MI. In January 2011, 27 years later, it was loaned to Warren County for restoration and placement in Aviation Heritage Park.
Crew: 2
Length: 37 feet, 9 inches
Wingspan: 38 feet, 10.5 inches
Height: 11 feet, 8 inches
Powerplant: 1 Allison J33A35 turbojet
Weight: Empty – 8,300 lbs., Max – 15,100 lbs.
Max Speed: 600 mph, Cruise Speed: 455 mph
Ceiling: 45,000 ft.
Range: 1,275 miles
Armament: none

My Dad was named after “Wilbur Wright”; Wilbur & Orville Wright was accredited with inventing and building the first successful airplane. Maybe if Wilbur G would have
gotten to see Aviation Park before he passed away, it would have started him thinking about his time in the military, and shared more stories with me.

A few things I do know about my Dad’s military time:

• While stationed in Alaska, he and his team had a moose that became their pet for a while.
• He was stationed in England; Mom would go to the pub across the street to get her favorite soft drink, Pepsi. They would have it waiting for her when they saw her cross the street.
• My Dad was cute in uniform.