Larry
Kelley talks
to Fly Pas tabout his
B-25 Mitchell, and tells
of an exciting hands-on
training programme
for pilots and
enthusiasts alike.
Words by Nigel
PriceA
sleek and gleaming bomber
of World War Two vintage
glides seemingly effortlessly
onto Runway 05 after a spirited
display over Lakeland, Florida, and
taxies towards its parking slot in
the warbird area of the Sun ’n Fun
Fly-in. The two Wright R-2600
engines crackle and pop after being
dialled back to the idle power
setting before falling silent once
again as the crew shut them down.
The hatch in the lower forward
fuselage opens and the two-man
crew emerges, as the crowd gives a
much-deserved round of applause.
The pilot in command for the
display was the aircraft’s ownerfor the last 20 years, Larry Kelley.
Originating from Alabama, he’s
a man with a deep passion for
warbirds, and what they represent- living history and a tribute to
the airmen of yesteryear who have
served their countries.
“I take veterans up in the B-25
sometimes, as I feel we owe them a
debt of gratitude,” said Larry. “In
1943, the chances of an American
airman surviving 25 missions flying
from England into Germany was
less than the odds of him winning a
coin toss. Yet they were lining up to
volunteer to go fight, against those
sort of odds – there’s a lot of us that
owe a lot to these men. That’s why
I do it and many warbird operators
feel the same, I’m sure.”
Larry’s introduction to flying came
at an early age in south Alabama.
His uncle worked for Beechcraft as
its local field representative at the
US Army’s Fort Rucker base in Dale
County and was rebuilding an old
Taylorcraft that had been damaged
in a storm. Larry takes up the
story: “I was just one of those kids
that was fascinated by aeroplanes.
I would stop by my uncle’s place
on the walk home from school
and help him with the restoration.
Looking back now I was probably
more of a hindrance, but I thought
I was helping!A
sleek and gleaming bomber
of World War Two vintage
glides seemingly effortlessly
onto Runway 05 after a spirited
display over Lakeland, Florida, and
taxies towards its parking slot in
the warbird area of the Sun ’n Fun
Fly-in. The two Wright R-2600
engines crackle and pop after being
dialled back to the idle power
setting before falling silent once
again as the crew shut them down.
The hatch in the lower forward
fuselage opens and the two-man
crew emerges, as the crowd gives afor the last 20 years, Larry Kelley.
Originating from Alabama, he’s
a man with a deep passion for
warbirds, and what they represent- living history and a tribute to
the airmen of yesteryear who have
served their countries.
“I take veterans up in the B-25
sometimes, as I feel we owe them a
debt of gratitude,” said Larry. “In
1943, the chances of an American
airman surviving 25 missions flying
from England into Germany was
less than the odds of him winning a
coin toss. Yet they were lining up to
I do it and many warbird operators
feel the same, I’m sure.”
Larry’s introduction to flying came
at an early age in south Alabama.
His uncle worked for Beechcraft as
its local field representative at the
US Army’s Fort Rucker base in Dale
County and was rebuilding an old
Taylorcraft that had been damaged
in a storm. Larry takes up the
story: “I was just one of those kids
that was fascinated by aeroplanes.
I would stop by my uncle’s place
on the walk home from school
and help him with the restoration.March 2018 FLYPAST 43Above
B-25 ‘Panchito’ fl ying in
the US recently.
JIM KOEPNICKFar left
The ‘Panchito’ nose art.
The name is derived from
a character in the 1944
Disney fi lm ‘The Three
Caballeros’Left
Larry Kelley (left) and
Syd Jones in front of B-25
‘Panchito’.