I was at the airport today dropping off a friend. A P-51-D mustang roared down the runway, aluminum mirror polished and sporting the red tail of the Tallahassee airmen. The sunlight off his fuselage sent me scrambling for my Raybans. There was a collective sigh of wonder ( green jealousy) from everyone within hearing distance. sigh

When Uncle Sugar sent me on an all expense paid trip to the wilds of Panama long long ago, the P-51 and some F-86's were the "Air Force" of most of the Central and South American countries. Got to see 'em buzzing around almost every day for 18 months. They were the only things missed when I came home...I still miss 'em.<br><br>Last year I visited the March ANG (former AFB) base museum in CA, where they have one of the few (if not the only???) still flying P-38's left in the world. And it too is polished aluminum...didn't get to see it fly tho, sniff sniff...

Just went through Reilly's warbird musuem over in Kissimee FL, near disney. If you are ever in the area be sure to stop by. The shop has planes polished and ready to go, too scattered all over the shop. The tour takes you thought the shop so you can see the work in progress. I don't remember if he had one or two P-38's in pieces in the shop, a pair of B-17's, a Corsair, and more. That shop does not have any P-51's, but at the same airport there is a P-51 trainer, dual controls, and for $2400 and change you can go up for an hour. <br><br>Here is the web site for the warbird musuem, http://www.warbirdmuseum.com/

On the Discovery Wings channel they said that in 1945, after WW2 had ended, the Dutch government (I think) bought several P-51 Mustangs from the USA for $3,000 USD each! Even in 1945 dollars that seems like quite a deal. Where's a time machine when you really need one . . . <br>