Page 59 - The Hunt - Summer 2023

Jeff Gibbs flew in from Arkansas with “Magic by Moonlight.” “It’s a 1943 Twin Beechcraft 18,”
he said. “Like many planes built during the war, it was assembled by women in an Arkansas factory.”
pointing to a rare craft colored an army
drab with yellow wing fronts. “This is a Japanese A6M Zero, made during the war
by Mitsubishi, the same people who make the cars today. This one was fished out of the Pacific and back-engineered. They were very light, great for maneuvering—like a kite with an engine. But once they were hit, they were very easy to bring down.”
The A6M Zero was central to a battle in the South Pacific late in World War II, when Allied forces shot down many of the craft being flown by young, inexperienced pilots. “It was called the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot,” he related.
As the afternoon progressed, dozens of people—mainly families—milled about among the planes. Some of the adults had their own flying experiences to relate to owners and pilots.
As evening came, the parade of vintage aircraft prepared to go aloft for aerial stunts and mock dog fights. For a short time that evening, they ruled the skies as the top guns of Toughkenamon.
For updates on this year’s air show, visit newgardenflying field.com.
Stuart Kingston JEWELERS
Presenting The Rokeby Diamond
3704 Kennett Pike, Suite 450 Greenville, DE 19807 www.skjewelers.com 302.652.7978
GIA Certified 10.05 E VVS2 Emerald Cut Diamond Ring
Stuart
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