AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2023 - 45

F IRST LOOK /
Pretty in blue
Corsair gets a showstopper paint job
BY CAYLA MCLEOD HUNT
DELTA AIR LINES and PPG Aerospace recently lent a helping hand to
Commemorative Air Force Airbase Georgia to restore its FG-1D Corsair's paint
job to " like-new " condition.
" This past Veterans Day we flew the Corsair to Delta for their big Veterans Day
event, " said Airbase Georgia Maintenance Officer Randy Hawkins. " But while we
were discussing the initial logistics for that, I just happened to ask Mark Norris, the
real ramrod for this project, if Delta would be interested in painting the Corsair. He
went to management and a couple weeks later he told me they were ready to finalize
a date to do it. "
Airbase Georgia Corsair pilot Stan Musick had the pleasure of flying the Corsair
in and out of one of the busiest airports in the world, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta
International Airport, to Delta Air Lines' world headquarters for the fighter's paint
shop appointment.
Christopher Eddy, Justin Lake, Clay Lawless, and
Adam Stoe were part of the Delta Air Lines team who
worked on the repainting of the Corsair.
" While painting commercial aircraft is
our day job and every paint job is important,
the warbirds require a lot of attention to
detail; people will be viewing these aircraft up
close, and it will be flying in front of a lot of
people for years to come, " said lead painter
Clay Lawless.
After over a month in the shop, Musick
was called to fly the aircraft back home to
Airbase Georgia at Atlanta Regional Airport
Falcon Field.
" The airplane looked good, it ran good, it
Commemorative Air Force Airbase Georgia's FG-1D Corsair sports a fresh paint job in its
signature navy blue and checkerboard scheme, thanks to volunteers at Delta Air Lines.
" Flying into Hartsfield is a big deal, " said Musick. " You have to be on your A game;
otherwise they will lose patience with you, but it's not as intimidating as you'd think.
Everyone is always surprised to see the Corsair. Ground control even said, 'that's a
really cool airplane.' "
Delta's employee volunteers stripped some 11 layers of paint off the Corsair, all
the way down to bare metal. The aircraft was repainted with its signature navy blue
and checkerboard scheme, colors that represent VMF-312, a Marine Corps squadron
that operated Corsairs during World War II and Korea, and currently flying
F/A-18 Hornets.
was just magnificent. Delta always does a great
job, " said Musick.
" We are extremely grateful to the
employees and volunteers at Delta Air Lines
for restoring this Corsair to its original
appearance, " said Airbase Leader Joel
Perkins. " This will delight the public and
aviation fans who come to see the Corsair at
airshows, aviation events, and our Warbird
Museum. We plan to showcase our Corsair
at a Corsair Reunion scheduled for the EAA
AirVenture in July, and for the Navy Legacy
Flight Foundation program where it will fly in
close flight maneuvers with today's frontline
fighters. " cayla.hunt@aopa.org
AOPA PILOT / June 2023
45
JOSH FRIZZELL
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2023

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