Veterans Flight
Pensacola Beach Blue Angels Air Show
Great News!!
Captain Royce Williams to Receive
The Medal of Honor
Earlier this week retired Navy Captain Royce Williams received a call from President Donald Trump. The President informed Captain Williams that he will soon be traveling to Washington, D.C., where he will be presented with the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions on 18 November 1952, when he shot down at least four Russian MiGs that were about to attack the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany that was off the coast of North Korea.
If you're not familiar with this incredible story, the link below will take you to an episode on retired Navy Commander Ward Carroll's YouTube channel in which Ward and Royce describe what happened during what is recognized as the longest dogfight in the history of Naval Aviation and why Royce receiving the Medal of Honor was delayed.
Secrets of a Soviet MiG Killer
Veterans Flight has flown Captain Williams several times and, after Royce celebrated his 100th birthday in April 2025, we recognized him as Lima Bravo #12.
The photo below shows Royce and the other four Lima Bravos who flew in 2025. (BTW - Former Navy aircraft mechanic Margie Stone credits her daily swimming for her being the most mobile of the five).
Phil Webb and Royce Williams taxi for takeoff during Veterans Flight 2025
Royce and Phil Webb after Royce's flight in the City of Foley, Alabama's N3N-3. Foley is Alabama's World War II Heritage City.
Aviation Historian and Artist John Mollison's drawing of the F9F-5 Pather flown by Royce Williams. Below is a link to John's story about Royce.
Actions Speak Louder Than Medals - The Royce Williams Story; OGTA 15 on Vimeo
Merry Christmas
&
Happy New Year!
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As we celebrate Christmas and prepare to welcome the beginning of another new year, Veterans Flight thanks our sponsors, volunteers, pilots and supporters for their generous and continuing support of Veterans Flight. Without the support of Americans who appreciate the sacrifices made by America’s military veterans, Veterans Flight could not be part of the Pensacola Beach Air Show.
We also say a special "THANK YOU" to Bill Hudgens, the owner of Pensacola Aviation Center, and all the great employees at Pensacola Aviation Center. Veterans Flight could not happen without them.
Our flights went smoothly again this year. Although Veterans Flight had smaller windows of opportunity due to the air show TFR being effective an hour earlier than in years past, we still flew more than 35 veterans in the Stearman and Navy N3N biplane primary trainers and SNJ/T-6 advanced trainers in which thousands of Navy and Army pilots trained during World War II.
Eight Stearmans, one Navy N3N-3, three SNJ/T-6’s, and a T-34A flew Friday and Saturday. On Friday we set a Veterans Flight record when we flew the five World War II veterans in the photo above, all of whom are more than 100 years old. There is no way to confirm it, but it is unlikely a flight of five 100+ years old veterans has been done before.
We had hoped this year to fly six veterans who are over 100, but Navy Hellcat pilot Art Leach, who celebrated his 105th birthday in May, was not up to traveling to Pensacola to fly with us again. As a result, Art and Pearl Harbor Survivor Frank Emond, both of whom flew at the age of 104, remain tied as the oldest veterans who have flown with Veterans Flight.
The 17 & 18 July 2026 dates for Veterans Flight as part of the 2026 Pensacola Beach Blue Angels Air sound far in future, but past years have demonstrated time goes by rapidly when many things need to be done. Please put those dates on your calendars and plan to join us as we again honor the veterans whose sacrifices made it possible for us to live in this great country.
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Veterans Flight - 2024
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