GUTHRIE, OKLAHOMA USA — When the A-26 Invader light bomber now sitting in a hangar at a Guthrie airport finally takes to the sky it won’t exactly be a miracle, but it will be a testament to the value of people working together for a common goal.
The vintage aircraft has become a magnet of talent and time. The restoration group, made up of about 48 members, has logged 28,500 hours working on the plane that was essentially rebuilt from scratch.
The group has spent nearly $500,000. Some of the money comes from contributions and grants. But the labor is all theirs. And there is still a lot of work to be done. The group hopes to have the plane flying within 18 months to two years.
So what keeps them coming back every Saturday?
“We ask ourselves that a lot,” retired Air Force Col. Rick Hudlow said. “It’s a museum piece on its own. It has a history. This airplane in particular has an interesting story. We looked at it as a heckuva challenge, and we wanted to fly it.”
Hudlow, 87, flew during World War II, Korea and Vietnam. At one point he flew with actor Jimmy Stewart during Stewart’s time as a reservist after World War II.
“Having him on base was a lot of fun, particularly on Friday afternoon at happy hour,” Hudlow said. “He knew every dirty RAF and Air Force song ever written, and he would play the piano with two fingers and sing.”
Tom Parsons, 70, spent his career at Tinker Air Force Base as a structural repair mechanic before retiring last year. Most Saturdays he’s at the hangar in Guthrie by 7:30 a.m. Like the rest of the group, he’ll work for 12 hours, breaking only for lunch and the occasional story.