Submitted Photo The P-51C Mustang Thunderbird, center, and the P-51C Mustang Lope’s Hope 3rd, right of Thunderbird, are planes that make their home at the Dakota Territory Air Museum in Minot. They are shown at the recent Innovations in Flight fly-in at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in the Washington, D.C., area.

Three planes that make their home at the Dakota Territory Air Museum in Minot recently took part in three special events in Pennsylvania and the Washington, D.C., area.

The P-51C Mustang Thunderbird, flown by Warren Pietsch, accompanied by Jolene Pietsch, and the Harvard Mk.IV, flown by Logan Pietsch, attended The Jimmy Stewart Museum’s 30th anniversary weekend in Indiana, Pennsylvania, May 15-20. Stewart’s birthday on May 20, also was observed as part of the event.

Thunderbird, owned by Warren Pietsch, one of the founders and board member of the Minot air museum, has set aviation records and still holds five speed records. The late actor and World War II bomber pilot Stewart was among owners of the plane, according to a story in the Sept. 6, 2024, edition of The Minot Daily News.

The Harvard Mk.IV, also owned by Warren Pietsch, is an advanced trainer and the British Commonwealth Air Force’s version of the North American Aviation T-6 Texan.

They also attended the World War II weekend held on June 6, D-Day, at Mid Atlantic Air Museum in Reading, Pennsylvania.

On June 14, Flag Day, they took part in the annual Innovations in Flight fly-in at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. This year’s Innovations in Flight commemorated the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

Another P-51C Mustang Lope’s Hope 3rd, flown by Bernie Vasquez of Esparto, California, also attended the Innovations in Flight event.

Lope’s Hope 3rd, owned by Bruce Eames of Houston, Texas, honors the late Donald Lopez Sr. Lopez was a World War II ace pilot who flew 101 combat missions and later was deputy director of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, according to the Sept. 13, 2020, edition of The Minot Daily News.

The planes can be seen at the Dakota Territory Air Museum.