Riding High in 'Six-Shooter'

Today I flew in a P-51 Mustang!! It was a great ride.


I took the new 'Six Shooter' prints with me on the plane, in a crate stored in the port wing machine gun bay. So, now the prints have flown in the aircraft they depict (see post for 'Six-Shooter').


Some of the photos of the ride are seen in this slide show. A 90 year old WASP was on the flight before me and the prints were in the plane for that flight. In fact, the crates went on both rides, so they did a total of 8 barrel rolls!


As you will see in the pictures, we flew on the deck very fast, just like he did at the Reno air races. Amazing stuff.

- John Doughty, Jr.

Major Ted Skowronek

Major Ted Skowronek arrived in England as a freshly trained pilot, and on July 4, 1944, he was flown across the English Channel to the portable airfield designated as A2 near St. Lo, France, to begin his career as a new fighter pilot in the 354th Fighter Group. On the day he arrived, the 354th Fighter Group had been selected to fly General Dwight Eisenhower on a secret mission over enemy territory, and Ted Skowronek stood only 10 feet away from the General, an impressive way to start his tour with the 354th Fighter Group. Ted was assigned to the 355th Fighter Squadron, know as the “Pugnacious Pups”, and their mission was to support the advancement of Patton’s 3rd Army by following the ground troops as the battlefront advance, or to provide fighter escort for the Allied bombers.



On August 25, 1944, Ted was flying his 22nd mission, which was a massive fighter sweep, when he downed a Luftwaffe FW 190. After he shot down the FW190 and pulled out of the dive close to the ground, there was a loud explosion, which opened a large hole in the left wing of his P-51B Mustang, GQ-Q (42-106445). Either the shrapnel of the exploding FW 190 hitting the ground below him or enemy anti-aircraft fire cause the damage to his plane. With his Mustang badly damaged and his engine overheating, Ted spotted an opening among the forest and belly-landed his Mustang into a plowed field. After setting on fire and destroying the damaged Mustang so that the Luftwaffe could not use it, he quickly headed for the woods, and was eventually found by the French Underground. He hid in the home of Francois Dumarquez, who had two daughters, Jacquelyn, age 20, and Jeannette, age 18. Their home was located near Fere Faiallel, France, about 90 km northeast of Paris. While Ted hid in the second story of their home, two German solders were billeted on the first floor, never knowing an Allied Fighter pilot was hiding above them. Two weeks later, he was liberated by Patton’s 3rd Army.



Ted returned to the 354th Fighter Group and flew the P-47 Thunderbolt and P-51D Mustang, which he named “Diana-Mite” after his little sister. He flew 121 combat missions and 219.35 combat hours with the 355th Fighter Squadron, and had 3.5 confirmed air-to-air victories, two Bf 109s and 1.5 FW 190s. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with 13 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Purple Heart, and 7 other service ribbons.

The 354th Fighter Group was officially credited with 637 air-o-air victories, with 234 aircraft destroyed on the ground, and produced 44 aces. The 353rd Fighter Squadron was the top scoring fighter squadron with more aerial victories than any other Army Air Force fighter squadron in any theatre during the war. It also had the only fighter pilot to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in Northern Europe, that being James Howard. The 354th also destroyed thousands of locomotives, trains, tanks, and armoured vehicles.



After World War II, he was assigned to the new Test Pilot School at Wright Field, Ohio and flew 23 different aircraft, including the P-51 Mustang, the P-47 Thunderbolt, B-29 Superfortress, F-82 Twin Mustang, P-38 Lightning, P-61 Black Widow, and the P-80 Shooting Star. He flew with many other test pilots, including Don Gentile, Bob Hoover, Chuck Yeager, and Steve Pisanos. His pilot skills were used to develop Low Visibility Onboard Aircraft Approach equipment, Ejection Seat development for jet aircraft, Bomb Delivery systems, Propeller development, Landing Gear development, and Air Density Altitude Envelopment development.

A special “thank you” to Major Ted Skowronek, Paul Cornell, and Chuck Lawsen for their assistance on this project.

Chief Warrant Officer - Mr. Chuck Hall

In 1950, Chuck Hall graduated from the College of Aeronautics at the University of Southern California’s Santa Maria Campus, with a commercial, instrument, and multi-engine rating at the young age of 19. A short time later, he took a job with Wien Airlines in Alaska. After working for Wien Airlines a few months, he took a new job with Alaska Airlines as a 19-year-old co-pilot, transporting Korean bound troops for the US military in C-54 aircraft. After the Korean War was over, Chuck Hall was drafted into the Army and flew different helicopters for four years.

He returned to Alaska Airlines after he left the Army, and worked for the airline for a total of 16 years, and rose to Vice President, Operations and Chief Pilot.

He helped form a partnership that purchased Standard Airways in Seattle, and after that proved to be unsuccessful, he went to work for Lockheed Aircraft Company as a production test pilot for the L-1011 TriStar, and as chief pilot for flight crew training for four years. After he left Lockheed, he flew the Japan Airlines Boeing B-747 for 17 years, mainly on the Los Angeles to Rio de Janeiro route. He retired from JAL on September 27, 1990 at the age of 60.



Along with his commercial aviation career, Mr. Hall has also distinguished himself by flying warbirds at air-races and at air shows. In 1964, he purchased a P-51 Mustang, which he called “Miss R.J.” for $9,000, and began racing the Mustang in 1966. He flew “Miss R.J.” and another famous P-51 Mustang, “Miss America”, at the Reno Air Races, winning many event races. He sold his P-51 Mustang “Miss R.J.”, which was later modified and became known as “The Red Baron”, and purchased a Vought F-4U-4 Corsair. After selling the F-4U Corsair, he purchased the P-51D Mustang “Six- Shooter”, which he still owns today.



“Six-Shooter” was rebuilt after World War II by the US military and was sent to the Bolivian Air Force as a counterinsurgency aircraft. The aircraft was returned to the United States, and Chuck Hall purchased the P-51 in 1995. For 10 years, Chuck Hall has flown his P-51 Mustang “Six-Shooter” as part of the United States Air Force Heritage Flight Demonstration Team, averaging 18 air shows per season. As part of the team, he has flown in formation with the P-40 Warhawk, A-1 Skyraider, F-86 Super Sabre, A-10 Warthog, F-4 Phantom, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Falcon, and the F-22 Raptor.



He is one of only a few civilian pilots in the United States of America qualified to fly propeller driven fighters in formation with USAF jet fighters. He has flown in formation with other famous pilots such as C.E. “Bud” Anderson and Chuck Yeager. He retired from the USAF Heritage Flight Program in 2008.

Chuck Hall is a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, with over 30,000 flight hours in commercial and military aircraft, and 2,000 hours in warbirds. He has flown the Douglas DC-4, DC-6, DC-8, DC-9, Lockheed L-1011, C-130, Constellation, F-104, Boeing B-707, B-720, B-727, B-747, Convair 880, Curtiss C-46. While he was in the US Army, he flew the Bell H-13, and the Sikorsky H-19 and H-34 helicopters. He has also flown the following warbirds: the Grumman F4F Wildcat, F6F Hellcat, F8F Bearcat, Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, Vought F-4U Corsair, Douglas A-1 Skyraider, and the P-51 Mustang. He has flown in the USAF F-4 Phantom, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Falcon, and the US Navy F-18 Hornet at Top Gun.



He owns and operates Chuck Hall Aviation with his wife, Evelyn, based at the Ramona, California airport, and continues to fly his P-51D Mustang “Six-Shooter” at air shows around the western United States.

Colonel Joseph A. Peterburs

Joe Peterburs enlisted in the US Army Air Corps on 30 November 1942 and was called to active duty as an Aviation Cadet on 26 January 1943. After basic training, college training and aircrew testing and classification he was selected for single engine pilot training. On 15 April 1944, after a rigorous flying training program, he received his pilots wings and commission as a 2nd Lieutenant. After graduation he flew the P-40N and A-24 during combat replacement training at Page Field, Ft. Meyers, Fl. On 6 November 1944 Lt. Peterburs arrived in England and was assigned to the 55th Squadron of the 20th Fighter Group flying out of Kings Cliff RAF station. Lt. Peterburs was 19 years old. The unit was equipped with the P-51 and he quickly checked out in a P-51B and accumulated about 20 hours in the B, C and D models before he started flying combat. He flew many memorable missions the 49th and last of which was the most exciting.


On 10 April 1945 the Group was escorting 450+ b-17s to targets in Oranienburg an area near Berlin. Just as the bombers were unloading, a swarm of Me 262 turbojets hit the formation. Lt. Peterburs was flying high cover and saw a 262 slicing through the B-17s. Before he could latch on to the 262 he had blown 4 B-17s out of the sky, 2 of which Peterburs saw him destroy. Peterburs had considerable altitude advantage and pulled into the 262s 6 0’clock with his six .50 calibers blazing. Peterburs saw hits and smoke on the 262s left wing and engine but broke off the chase when the 262 entered a cloud bank. 60 years later Peterburs found out that the damage he inflicted on the Me 262 resulted in the engine disintegrating and the pilot bailing out. The pilot of the Me 262 was Oberleunant Walter Schuck, a top German Ace with 206 confirmed air victories. Shortly after breaking off the 262 Peterburs started strafing an airfield and after a couple too many passes his aircraft was severely damaged by ground fire and he headed for friendly territory. Before pulling off from his attack on the airfield he damaged several hangers and destroyed 5 enemy aircraft on the ground. Unfortunately he was unable to make it back to friendly lines and had to bail out over Burg, Germany, immediately captured and became a POW. He escaped joined the Russians and fought with them to the battle of Wittenberg on the Elbe.


From 1945 until 1950 he held command and administrative non-flying jobs. However, he continued to fly B-25s and C-47s to maintain proficiency. In June 1947 at 22 years old he was promoted to Captain. In late 1947 he resigned his commission to accept the permanent rating of Master Sergeant. He served as Chief of the Military Pay Division of the Finance Office at Sheppard AFB, Texas until November 1950 when he was recalled to commissioned status. He was appointed Director of the Commercial Accounts Division at the Accounting and Disbursing Office, Chanute AFB, Illinois. In December 1951 he was assigned to the 12th Squadron of the 18th Fighter Bomber Group flying F-51Ds out of its forward operating base at Hoengsong (K-46), Korea. Captain Peterburs had not flown a P-51 since the day he was shot down over Germany. After about 5 hours of re-familiarization he was flying combat. He flew 76 close air support and interdiction missions over North Korea sustaining battle damage on several including a .50 caliber through the prop and small arms fire in the cockpit and face. While assigned to the 18th he was Squadron flight leader, Assistant Group operations officer and Group training officer.

After his tour in Korea he was assigned to Tyndal AFB, Fl. where he was Operations Officer for a flying support unit flying F-51Hs and later F-80 A & Bs and the T-33. In 1954 he participated in an Atomic bomb test at Camp Desert Rock, Nevada where he sat in a trench under a 20 kiloton bomb blast. In January 1955 he ejected from a T-33 with a fire in the plenum chamber. In the 1950s Major Peterburs served a tour in Newfoundland, in the early 1960s a tour at NORAD Headquarters and from 1965 to 1967 a tour with RAF Fighter Command Headquarters at Bushy Heath, England.


In the fall of 1967 Lt. Colonel Peterburs was assigned to 7th Air Force Headquarters, Viet Nam as staff operations officer for command and control in the war zone. During Tet the Viet Cong were able to lob a 122 mm rocket into his barracks; blowing up his room while he slept. From 1968 until 1972 he was director of the 31st NORAD Region Combat Operations Center; promoted to Colonel in 1969 he assumed the position of Director of Operations for the 507th Tactical Air Control Group.


From 1972 to 1978 he was assigned to Germany and held positions as the Air Liaison Officer to the US Army’s 7th Corps Commander, simultaneous Commander of the 600th and 601st Tactical Air Control Groups and then Deputy Commander for Tactical Control of the 601st Tactical Control Wing.

In 1979 Colonel Peterburs retired after over 36 years and 5 months of active military service. He is a Command Pilot with over 2000 hours conventional and 2000 hours jet time, 125 Combat Missions, 407 Combat Hours; a Master Air Weapons Controller and an inductee into the USAF Air Weapons Controller Hall of Fame. His military decorations include: The Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross w/1olc, Bronze Star w/1olc, Purple Heart w/1olc, Air Medal w/7olc, POW Medal and 32 other medals and decorations.

John Robert Doughty, Jr.

John R. Doughty, Jr. was born in Aurora, Colorado, in 1959, and as the son of an Air Force officer, he traveled extensively during the period his father was in the service. While stationed at Edwards Air Force Base in the early 1960s, he was exposed to the world of military aviation, ranging from the YF-12A to the B-58 Hustler.

He saw the X-15 fly low over his home on base as it returned to land on the dry lakebed, and witnessed the tragic crash of the XB-70 while playing on the kindergarten playground. John received his first art award for a drawing he did in kindergarten of the Edwards Air Force Base fire station.

His father took John and his brother to the Tehachapi Mountains, northwest of Edwards AFB, to watch Santa Fe and Southern Pacific Railroad trains travel around the famous Tehachapi Loop. With advice from his father, after graduating from high school, John attended Golden West College in Huntington Beach, California, where he received an AA degree in Visual Communications, with an emphasis in Technical Illustrations. In 1982, he received a BA degree in Biblical Studies from Southern California College (now Vanguard University).


In 1983, John married his wife Brenda, and they moved to the San Diego area in 1987, where John began working for Hamilton Sundstrand Aerospace Company as a Technical Illustrator-artist. John is the proud father of two daughters, Kristen and Melissa, and his son, Andrew. Unfortunately, his youngest daughter Melissa passed away at the age of two, after a ten-month-long battle with cancer. John’s artwork for Carley’s Magical Gardens, surrounding the Hematology / Oncology Center at San Diego’s Children’s Hospital, has been the most meaningful in his career.

In the early years of John’s art career, his focus was solely on railroad art and building High Iron Illustrations. After attending the 1986 International Railway Art Exhibition in Boston, Massachusetts, he decided to diversify, with the primary focus on aviation-related subjects. He became an Artist Member in the prestigious American Society of Aviation Artists in 1991. In 1994, he was given a VIP flight aboard a VF-11 Red Ripper F-14D Super Tomcat, one of many highlights in his aviation art career. John has also expanded his horizon to cover various art themes such as wildlife, automotive, and ocean scenes. His specialty is currently centered on his aviation art, with trademark fine-detail.

Several corporations and military units have commissioned John for his artwork, and his original paintings are prominently displayed in main lobbies, corporate boardrooms, and squadron headquarters throughout the country.

Join John in some of his adventures while researching subjects for his art.