Rare F-100 Super Sabre Attending AirVenture 2022

Rare F-100 Super Sabre Attending AirVenture 2022

For Dean Cutshall, EAA 229783, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, flying an extremely rare North American F-100 Super Sabre is a true joy. Seeing the reaction of those who flew the type before him, though, means even more.

For several years, he’s flown members of the Super Sabre Society, the veterans who flew the aircraft in active service, including in Vietnam. Dean said the reaction after the flight in the two-seat F-100 is almost uniformly the same.

“After the ride’s done, my crew chief is up there, unstrapping them, putting the pins in and such, and every one of those guys, without fail, always ask, ‘Is it OK if I sit here just a little bit longer?’,” he said. “I tell them they can sit there just as long as they want. … and their eyes are always misty. Some guys actually cry.”

The F-100 will be a big attraction once again when it comes to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2022, as it flies into Wittman Regional Airport and appears as part of the afternoon air show. It becomes a gathering point at Oshkosh for those who flew and maintained it, especially in Vietnam.

 

“I usually bring my crew chief, Paul Swick, and four or five other guys along. And they can’t get away from the airplane,” Dean said of being at Oshkosh. “Guys collect around the airplane and start swapping stories. They’re all of the Vietnam (War) age and they’ve all been at the same places. It’s a wonderful reunion for everyone.”

Dean acquired the airplane more than a quarter-century ago on his third try, even picking up a T-33 (later sold) as a bonus in the deal. After two years, a sizable financial investment, and a great deal of help from former members of the 122nd Fighter Wing of the Indiana Air National Guard who knew the airplane well, he had a prize warbird in the air again.

As the F-100 is a North American Aviation product, Dean’s time flying P-51s, Sabreliners, and the T-6 shortened the learning curve, since many systems are very similar. He’s also gentle with the aircraft, especially below 300 knots.

“You come into the pattern at 250, break on the downwind at 200, and you’re on final at roughly 180. It’s an all-rudder airplane at those speeds,” he said. “You can’t go whippin’ on the ailerons because you’ll flip the airplane. But it’s a lovely airplane to fly at 300 knots and above. Very maneuverable, but it’s a heavy airplane (about 31,000 pounds in flight configuration).”

As with many pilots, the joy of owning such a unique airplane is topped by sharing the joy of flying in it and hearing the stories of those who flew it in military service.

“They’ll tell me, ‘It always brought us home,’” Dean said. “It may be full of holes, but it always brought us back. They loved those Century Series aircraft.”

Oh, and one other thing Dean always hears after his flights with the Super Sabre vets.

“They kind of get this smirk on their faces and say, ‘You know, that seat is still as uncomfortable as hell.’”

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