Warbird Adventures, Inc. Exciting from the Ground Up!
(Cover Photo by Michael Jorgensen. Provided by Warbird Adventures, Inc)The idea behind Warbird Adventures, Inc. came to shape on a cocktail napkin back in 1997. Founders Graham Meise and Thom Richard decided to max out all their credit cards and buy a T-6.
By Jan. 7, 1998 the company had been formed and the first aircraft purchased in California. It took six days to bring it home to Zephyrhills, Florida after which extensive modification had to be done. Four months later, the proud owners sat on the ramp with a shiny T-6 waiting for people to come by.
The original plan was to barnstorm around the country, but they ended up in Kissimmee by accident and set up shop out of the Flying Tigers Warbird Restoration Museum instead. The rest is history.
The operation now has its own hangar and even its own museum. Flying Tigers shut down in 2004 after Hurricane Charley so the new Kissimmee Air Museum was formed in its place. Flights are offered on a daily basis in their three SNJs and the exhibit is open to the public six or seven days per week (depending on season). More than 30,000 satisfied customers have flown with Warbird Adventures. Perhaps you’ll be the next lucky person to experience the flight of a lifetime!
Flights
Come fly like the aces of yester-year in the premier fighter-trainer of WWII, the North American T-6 Texan! Also known as the SNJ or Harvard, more than 70 percent of the Allied pilots received their fighter training in these aircraft. Whether you want a thrilling aerobatic adventure or a smooth straight and level flight, the experience is completely tailored to you. Take the controls in the front seat and Warbird Adventure’s experienced instructors will teach you everything about flying this piece of history. Don’t miss this opportunity to fly the legendary “Pilot-Maker.” All flights are time spent in the air, so expect to be in the airplane for another 10 minutes listening to the awesome sound of the Pratt Whitney engine!
For detailed information about Warbird Adventure’s flights visit their website at www.warbirdadventures.com or telephone 407/870-7366. Reservations for flights are not required but highly recommended.
The Kissimmee Air Museum features the following aircraft: North American P-51 XR Mustang, North American SNJ-6 “Texan,” Boeing N2S-5 “Stearman,” Boeing PT-17 “Kaydet” Project, Cassutt III, Cessna L-19 “Bird Dog,” Fouga “Magister” CM.170, Grumman S2-F “Tracker,” Hiller OH-23 “Raven,” MiG-17 F, Molt Taylor “Aerocar,” Pitts S-1, PZL TS-11 “Iskra,” and Van’s RV-6 A. Also on display are several powerplants.
The museum is open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located at the Kissimmee Gateway Airport, 233 N. Hoagland Blvd., Kissimmee, FL 34741. Visit www.warbirdadventures.com or telephone 407/870-7366 for more information.
