HERE THEY COME!
LOOK TO THE SKY!!
A favorite salute for all of us when they fly over!!

The T-6 Flyover is Saturday. 
(Rain date is Sunday)
Approximately 11:00am

How exciting to see all of the street rods and customs at the Minnesota Street Rod Association’s Back to the 50’s Weekend. Then add a little entertainment from Chuck Datko and his crew flying their T-6 Thunder planes making several passes over the fairgrounds Saturday morning around 11:00am. During the time of the fly over, James Bohn will be singing the National Anthem at Wings’ trailer. So remember, listen for the roar of the engines, the look to the sky for the T-6 Thunder planes on Saturday!

Chuck Datko, MSRA 22417, was a Spartan car club member and then joined the Torquers in ‘64 when they were down on the island. He knew all the old guys, like Jerry Johnson, Ron White, and Billy Bissonett.

T-6 Thunder North American Flight Team formed 15 years ago and they are coming again to our Back to the 50’s. The first year the group did a flyover at Back to the 50’s, it was purely by chance. They were on our way back from an air show and his brother, Frank, MSRA L11145 suggested they fly over Back to the 50’s. Then they met Terry Stade and the “rest is history.”

The aircraft are all North American AT6s used during WWII for training and in the Korean War. They were called “forward air controllers.” They would fly low and slow and mark targets. Then jets came in and did the bombing.

The group does an annual flyover for the Northern Knights who have a memorial service. As a matter of fact, they are mostly involved in vets funerals and memorials. Probably one half of their events are funerals. They’ve also entertained for the Minnesota Twins, the Vikings and Gophers, Concordia College and the Minneapolis Torchlight parade.