Air & Space Smithsonian – September 2019

businessinsmokegeneratorsusedinairshows.

It wasMay4,1990,a Friday.

ThefollowingMonday,Sanders’widow,Ruth,

helda meetingwithhertwogrownsons,Dennis

andBrian.Suddendeathisn’tuncommoninthe

warbirdandairshowcommunities,wherehighly

stressedairplanesandlow-levelflyingarethe

norm,soallthreeofthemunderstoodtherisks.

“Wecansellwhatwehaveorwecancontinue,”

Ruthsaid.“Butthisis yourlife.SoI willdowhat-

everyouwanttodo.”

“Dowemakemoney?”Dennisasked.

“Wedomakemoney,”saidRuth,whokeptthe

booksandranthebusiness.

“Okay,well,I knowtheairplanestuff.Brian

doesallthesmokegeneratorstuff.Thenwe’re

goingtogo.”

“Okay,let’sgo.”

“Thatmeetingstartedoutatabout6:50inthe

morning,”Dennisrecalls,“andby7 o’clock,the

guyswereshowingupforwork,andwewent

towork.ThefuneralwasWednesday.Wetook

Wednesdayoff,andweworkedThursday,Friday,

andSaturday.”

Nearlythreedecadeslater,theSandersfamily

isbusierthanever.DespiteFrank’sdeathand

Brian’srecentretirement,theclanis universally

regardedasthefirstfamilyofairracingandstill

theworldexpertsintherestorationandoperation

ofSeaFurys.Sanders-ownedSeaFurysaccounted

Fordecades,

SeaFurysowned

bytheSanders

family—(frontto

back)Dreadnought,

Argonaut,and

924 —havebeen

strongcompetitors

atReno’sNational

ChampionshipAir

Races.

DYNASTY

THE ONE-TIME

FASTEST PISTON-

POWERED FIGHTER

IS THE CENTER OF A

FAMILY TRADITION.

■ BY PRESTON LERNER

September 2019 AIR&SPACE 25

© 2012 ROBERT SEALE