Happy Pilot After P-40 Demonstration

            This is Thom Richard in his Curtiss P-40 Warhawk "American Dream."

Richard was born in Sweden. At the age of 7 an article about historic fighter aircraft racing at Reno, Nevada, inspired Richard to want to fly historic fighters. When he was 16 he obtained a glider pilot’s license. A year later he immigrated to the United States to pursue his passion for aviation. Since then he has built an aviation business, purchased and flown historic aircraft, won aircraft races, performed aerobatic demonstrations, instructed others how to fly historic aircraft, and learned to skydive.

After flying a P-40 Warhawk for a museum and performing aerobatic demonstrations in the P-40 at airshows, Richard decided he’d like to own a P-40 trainer model (with a second seat) so he could share his love of the P-40 with others. Airworthy P-40 trainers are rare, but in 2018 Richard found one to purchase. He named the aircraft “American Dream.” Its paint scheme honors the famous Flying Tigers, which flew P-40s in World War II opposing the Japanese invasion of China.

This particular P-40 was built in 1942 and was flown by the U.S. Army Air Forces in New Guinea during World War II. In 1943 a bullet from a Japanese fighter disabled the P-40’s engine during an aerial battle, and the P-40’s pilot was able to safely land the plane on its belly in the wilderness. The damaged plane was recovered in the 1990s and taken to Australia for restoration. The aircraft flew again in 2008, and Richard purchased it in 2018.

Seen at the 2024 Thunder Over Michigan airshow. #ThunderOverMI

Taken in: United States / Michigan / Van Buren Township / Denton (show map)

Taken on: July 20, 2024

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Sets appears in: • 2024 Thunder Over Michigan Airshow • Michigan Flight Museum/Yankee Air Museum more » • Michigan • Aviation & Space • World War II • Curtiss P-40 • Events « less

Groups appears in: • Air Shows • WW II more » • Airplanes and Airports • Aircraft: Registrations • WWII Fighters 1935-1945 • The Aviation Museum • 'Thunder Over Michigan' (Airshows in Michigan) • Airshows of the World • Willow Run Airport (KYIP) • Yankee Air Museum • "A" is for Aviation • Nikon if it flies I shoot. « less

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