Channel Islands Air National Guard Family Day
Sunday September 10, 2006

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On Sunday, September 10, the 146th Airlift Wing hosted a Family Day Luau. Family members of the guardsmen were treated to a close-up look at a Lockheed C-130E Hercules and a Lockheed-Martin C-130J Hercules operated by the 146th. Two North American B-25 Mitchells, a Grumman F8F Bearcat, a Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat, a North American T-28B Trojan, and a Beech T-34 Mentor made several passes over the airfield and then parked next to the Hercules for the crowd to examine at close range.

Since 1988, the 146th Airlift Wing has been located at the Channel Islands Air National Guard Station, across the runway from Naval Air Station Pt Mugu. The 146th AW operates Lockheed C-130E and C-130J Hercules. In addition to cargo operations, the wing's C-130s fight wildfires with the Mobile Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS).

Tour NAS Pt. Mugu on Google Earth.

Visitors to the Channel Islands Air National Guard Base are greeted by this North American F-86 Sabre. It is restored as F-86A 49-1046.

Family members of the guardsmen feasted under the white tent as the band played on a nearby platform. A series of volunteers manned the dunking tank in the foreground.

Shortly after noon the flight of warbirds made a series of passes over the airfield, starting with a mass flyover of all six. Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat N7825C, Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat N1078Z Minsi III, and North American T-28B Trojan, N6255 Ginny Sue II continued to make passes over the base as the two North American B-25 Mitchells landed and taxied to the ramp.

North American B-25J Mitchell, N8195H Heavenly Body and B-25J Mitchell, N30801 Executive Sweet taxied to the static display area with flags flying.

Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat N7825C, Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat N1078Z Minsi III, and North American T-28B Trojan, N6255 Ginny Sue II.

North American B-25J Mitchell, N8195H Heavenly Body was manufactured by North American at Kansas City in late 1944 and was accepted by the U.S Army Air Force in February 1945 as B-25J-25-NC, 44-30748. Its North American construction number is 108-34023. Ace Smelting Incorporated of Phoenix, Arizona acquired it as surplus for $1,143 on May 19, 1959. The registration N3447G was reserved for it but not taken up. Alson-Niblock Flying Incorporated of Elkhart, Indiana registered it as N8195H in May 1959 and sold it to Christler and Avery Aviation of Greybull, Wyoming in December 1959. An agricultural hopper and spray bars were installed in it in January 1960. Filmways Incorporated of Hollywood acquired it in 1968 and restored it as Miss Renee for the movie Catch-22. It was painted as M&M Enterprises at the end of the film. Tallmantz Aviation of Orange County, California bought it in August 1971. Milan S. Pupich of Van Nuys, California bought it in March 1972 and restored it to airworthy status in 1974.

B-25J Mitchell, N8195H Heavenly Body

North American B-25J Mitchell, N30801 Executive Sweet has been registered to the American Aeronautical Foundation of Thousand Oaks since July 1985. Its Army Air Force serial number was 44-30801 and its North American construction number is 108-35126. It was converted to the TB-25N configuration before its retirement by the Air Force. It was retired in 1958 and stored at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Fogle Aircraft of Tucson, Arizona registered it as N3699G on September 9, 1959. Christler and Avery Aviation of Greybull, Wyoming bought it in January 1960 and converted it to an aerial sprayer. Filmways Incorporated of Hollywood acquired it in 1968 and restored it as Vestal Virgin for the movie Catch-22. Tallmantz Aviation of Orange County, California bought it in August 1971. Ed Schnepf and Challenge Publications of Van Nuys, California bought it in February 1972 and changed its registration to N30801 in 1978.

Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat, N7825C originally wore Navy BuNo 122674 and it carries that number again today. Its Grumman construction number is D.1227. It was built in 1948. E. Weiner of Los Angeles registered it under its current tail number in 1958. Leo Demeers of Aurora, Oregon bought it in 1963 and sold it to Larry Hamilton and Hamilton Aircraft of Sonoma, California the same year. Richard Tobey of Newport Beach, California in acquired it in 1966 and then sold it to Paul Finefrock of Hobart, Oklahoma in 1969. Gary Levitz of Long Beach, California picked it up later that year. It has belonged to the Confederate Air Force since 1972. It underwent a major rebuild from 1989 to 1991. It made its first flight after the rebuild on December 17, 1991. It is now registered to the American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum and based with the Southern California Wing of the Commemorative Air Force at Camarillo.

Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat, N1078Z Minsi III. Its construction number is A-5634. John Sandberg recovered it from the Fergus Falls Airport in Minnesota in 1962. It was subsequently owned by Lloyd Nolan from 1972 to 1973 and Ed Messick from April 9, 1973 to 1990. The Confederate Air Force acquired it in 1990. It has been registered to the American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum since 1991. It is part of the collection of the Southern California Wing of the Commemorative Air Force and is based at Camarillo.

North American T-28B Trojan, N6255 Ginny Sue II has been registered to Viper Aviation of Simi Valley for three years. It originally flew for the Navy as BuNo 138340 and it still wears that number. Its North American construction number is 200-411. It was registered as N5524L by J. A. Carter of Alameda, California in March 1987. Howard Roberts of Grants Pass oregon acquired it in 1992.

Beech T-34B Mentor, N341MR is restored as U.S. Navy BuNo 140731.

Family members of the guardsmen toured the interior and cockpit of Lockheed C-130E Hercules, 62-1833 of the 146th Airlift Wing. It will be retired from the wing in December.