Freedom Flyers are over the top

In addition to the Freedom Flyers' activities with youth they have a goal this year of giving 100 WWII veterans a ride in their pristine P-51 Mustang, "Pecos Bill."

This P-51 never saw combat since it was built near the end of the war. Some great photos of it are on the Freedom Flyers Facebook page. The photo at left is Pecos Bill on the apron at the Kate Craddock field in Burnet.

 

Cowden shared a little known fact that the P-51 was borne out of an order, originally for a P-40, from the British Air Force. The first version was under-powered to the Brits' mind so it was then fitted with the famous Merlin engine from Rolls-Royce and the rest was history.

 

Cowden has an animated way of telling stories! In this photo he is telling about a 91 year old WWII vet flying the P-51 during one of the many rides that Freedom Flyers has given to some of the Greatest Generation. 

 

Another activity the Flyers have is to give medical assistance transportation such as getting cancer patients from far West Texas towns to MD Anderson in Houston. They have given many of those rides -- free of cost -- to cancer patients.