Every few minutes a pilot would crank up a big Merlin and take his prize up for a quick flight around the airport. But those who came to the public day of the Mustang gathering expecting an airshowand there were a few among the throng who wondered when the aerobatics would startwere disappointed. This, instead, was more of a class reunion. Most of the Mustang owners were coming back to Florida as alumni of Lauderback's flight training program. The length and cost of the flight training vary greatly, depending on the student's proficiency.
Training includes ground school and practice in takeoffs, landings, stalls, and spins.
The training is not a Federal Aviation Administration requirement. But according to many pilots at the gathering, if you've just purchased a Mustang and want to buy insurance, your underwriter is likely to suggest a visit to Stallion 51. Coutches learned to handle a Mustang by riding along in the back seat of his father's restored H model from the time he was nine until Dad let him try the controls. He restored and now flies a P-51D with an extended tail, owned by his mother, Frances. You have to have the plan before it happens.