SPECIAL USA PROMOTION PILOT BRIEFING Make It Your Deal. 803.726.8884 * info@stemme.com www.stemme.com Sandbar Mitchell rises from the dust IF PATRICK MIHALEK'S DREAM comes true, in 10 years and $1 million from now a North American B-25J bomber will fly and reside as the star of his Warbirds of Glory Museum in Brighton, Michigan. The aircraft has made it from a sandbar in Alaska's Tanana (TAN uh naw) River-where it was looted and salvaged down to its wing box- to a private hangar in Michigan (the search is on for a public home for the museum). That's how it became dubbed the Sandbar Mitchell and you can visit it, but only by appointment. Just that small piece of history has inspired several Michigan youth to adopt the airplane as their pet volunteer project. Perhaps some will continue in aviation. The aircraft is to be restored with parts begged, borrowed, and salvaged from other B-25 aircraft. Mihalek, in his early 30s, will use his airframe and powerplant mechanic skills to return the aircraft to the sky and plans on getting a pilot certificate so he can fly it. He has the experience needed for the project, including an aviation degree from Western Michigan University's College of Aviation. He owns the Legend Of Aces Aviation restoration company in Brighton and has a healthy backlog of warbird restoration work. -AKM WEB www.sandbarmitchell.org 40 | AOPA PILOT April 2015http://www.stemme.com http://www.stemme.com http://www.sandia.aero http://www.sandbarmitchell.org http://www.sandia.aero