Last year, seasoned military pilot and FlyPast correspondent Luke Bimm had the opportunity to fly in the Military Aviation Museum’s immaculate de Havilland Mosquito. It proved an experience almost worth selling his soul for…
In 2022 I was lucky enough to be invited by Keegan Chetwynd, director of the Military Aviation Museum (MAM) in Virginia, USA, to fly in de Havilland Mosquito FB.26 KA114 for FlyPast. The ‘Mossie’ has been at the top of my bucket list since childhood – it might not have the same perceived glamour as the Mustang, Spitfire or Bf 109, but in my opinion its astonishing legacy supersedes them all.
The Virginia Beach attraction is an historic aircraft aficionado’s heaven. It was founded by successful businessman Gerald ‘Jerry’ Yagen after his wife Elaine persuaded him to open his growing private warbird collection to the public. Starting by restoring a derelict P-40 Kittyhawk recovered from the tundra in the Russian Murmansk region, Jerry’s once-private collection has grown into a museum with approximately 70 aircraft on site. It includes immaculate airworthy examples of machines from both world wars.
Canadian-born Keegan explained that the Mosquito is considered to be a “high-water mark in the restoration effort…
