Not to be outdone by barnstormer John Mohr, Warren Pietsch of Pietsch Aircraft Restoration & Repair has donated an orientation flight in his 1931 Waco to the Prairie Warrior Association Auction.
The orientation flight in the Waco also will be made during the weekend of Northern Neighbors Day open house at Minot Air Force Base, which both Mohr and Pietsch are performing in on July 18.
Last week Mohr, of Mohr Barnstorming in Vadnais Heights, Minn., donated an orientation flight in his 1943 Stearman PT-17 to the auction, which is raising money for Northern Neighbors Day and other events and activities at Minot AFB.
The auction, sponsored by the Minot Area Chamber of Commerce, will be Saturday in the Holiday Inn-Riverside in Minot, beginning with the preview of items at 5:30 p.m. and the auction at 6:30 p.m.
Learning that Mohr had donated an orientation flight to the auction, Pietsch decided to have a little friendly competition between them while also helping the auction and the base. The men have known each other for a long time.
Mohr's orientation flight in his Stearman is billed as "Chance of a Lifetime," while Pietsch's orientation flight in the Waco is billed as "Better Than a Chance of a Lifetime." Incidentally, the Waco was restored by Pietsch Aircraft Restoration & Repair.
Pietsch said the orientation flight in the Waco is "straight from the barnstorming era of the 1930s." Like the flight Mohr is donating, Pietsch's flight also will originate and land at the Minot International Airport.
Pat Travnicek, deputy director of Northern Neighbors Day, will make the arrangements with the winning auction bidders for the flights.