HERITAGE FLIGHT PILOTS

Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1962, Greg Anders is married with two kids. He lives in Bellingham, Washington and is the Senior Vice President and Executive Director of the Heritage Flight Museum. He is a retired Lieutenant Colonel, having served 23 years in the United States Air Force.

With over 4,500 hours, Greg’s flying background is primarily military. He served 15 years in the USAF on active duty prior to joining the Air National Guard. In the spring of 2003, he was activated for a four-month deployment to Kuwait and Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he flew numerous combat sorties during the build-up and 27 sorties during major combat operations. The highlight of his deployment was being selected as part of a small contingent of forward-deployed pilots flying combat sorties out of Tallil Air Base in Iraq. Like the P-47 “Thunderbolt” forward basings in France during WWII, the A-10 “Thunderbolt II” proved its combat mettle by being the only USAF fighter to stage off of Iraqi soil during the major combat operations of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Greg has also flown combat sorties in the F-15E during Operations Southern and Northern Watch.

In addition to being mission-qualified in the A-10, Greg is mission-qualified and an instructor pilot for both the F-15E (1,000hrs) and the B-52 (2,000hrs). His military flying experience also includes flying the T-37, T-38, AT-38, F-15B and D, F16B and D and F-18. As a civilian, Anders is currently flying the P-51 and most of the other aircraft of the Heritage Flight Museum. He also flies air show formations in his T-6 “Texan” WWII trainer with his father and brother.

Greg is a third-generation military officer and third-generation Academy graduate. His grandfather, Cmdr. Arthur Anders (USNA class of ’27), earned the Navy Cross and Purple Heart while serving in China on the USS Panay when it was bombed by the Japanese. With the Captain disabled, the Executive Officer, (then Lt.) Arthur Anders, took command of the ship and ordered “open fire” on the Japanese—several years before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Greg’s father, Maj. Gen. William Anders (USNA class of ’55), served as an interceptor pilot in the Air Force during the Cold War. He then served in NASA on the crew of Apollo. Greg graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1985.

Jim Beasley, Jr. is a founding member of the Air Force Heritage Flight program, having performed the first dissimilar formation with the West Coast F-15 Eagle demonstration team at Shaw AFB in 1996. Since that time, Jim has flown in hundreds of Heritage Flights across the United States, Canada and the U.K. In 2006, Jim was voted “Civilian Heritage Flight Pilot of the Year” and flies his P-51D Mustang “Bald Eagle” in Heritage Flights in the Northeast section of the United States.

Jim has been flying historic fighter aircraft for over 20 years and has accumulated thousands of hours in aircraft, such as the P-51 Mustang and Supermarine Spitfire, as well as Navy fighters, including the F4U Corsair and Grumman F8F Bearcat. He holds commercial and multi-engine instrument ratings and holds a surface-level aerobatic waiver for solo and formation aerobatics in a multitude of piston-powered fighter aircraft.

Jim is an attorney and trial lawyer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and runs The Beasley Firm, LLC, a complex litigation law firm. He is married with five children.

Dan Friedkin is founder and chairman of the Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation and one of 10 civilian Heritage Flight pilots qualified to fly in formation with U.S. Air Force single‐ship demonstration teams. He participates in air shows throughout North America and Europe, flying right wing for the Horsemen Flight Team, the world’s only P‐51 formation aerobatic team. He also serves as the aerial coordinator for the Air Force Heritage Flight training course and, in 2012, was the recipient of the USAF Civilian Pilot of the Year Award.

Aviation has been a passion of Dan’s since an early age, when he first took to the skies developing his skills on gliders and a variety of tail wheel aircraft and helicopters. Today, Dan has a focus and passion for warbirds and actively flies the T‐6, P‐51 Mustang, F‐86 Sabre, F6F, F8F, F4U‐4, Hawker Hurricane and various models of Spitfire. Dan uses his unparalleled experience and enthusiasm for flight in the film industry; over the past five years he has directed and coordinated more than 1,000 hours of helicopter air‐to‐air, ground‐to‐air and in‐cockpit footage with Spitfires, Mustangs, Sabres, Corsairs, Lightnings, Hellcats and Bearcats.

Most recently Dan acted as an aerial unit coordinator, Spitfire pilot and helicopter camera pilot in Christopher Nolan’s epic IMAX film, “Dunkirk.” His work on “The Horsemen Cometh” was nominated for an Emmy in cinematography, and he has served as director/DP, aerial coordinator and principal pilot for numerous feature films, documentaries and commercial projects.

Dan is chairman and CEO of The Friedkin Group, a privately held and diverse consortium of businesses and investments in the entertainment, automotive, hospitality, golf and adventure industries.

Charles Hainline was born in Medford, Oregon in 1964. He grew up on a small farm and worked his way through college harvesting wheat and grass seed in the Willamette Valley. He saved up and learned to fly when he was 18 — his instructor would land the Aeronca Champ on a farm road near the field Charles was working and give him a lesson at lunchtime.

After graduating from Oregon State University, Charles was accepted to U.S. Air Force Officer Training School and was commissioned a second lieutenant in October 1986. After pilot training, Charles flew the A-10 in Korea and in Louisiana, where they started calling him “Tuna.” He then moved on to the F-117 Stealth Fighter at Tonopah Test Range, Nevada and Holloman AFB, New Mexico. After the F-117 he was accepted as an exchange officer with the Navy, where he flew the F/A-18 Hornet in VFA-106. As a RAG (RTU) instructor, he was carrier qualified with 101 traps. He was then reassigned to the F-117 and saw combat action over Belgrade in the Kosovo conflict. During Operation Allied Force, Charles flew multiple combat missions over Belgrade, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the F-117, Charles flew the F-4F with the German RTU at Holloman AFB, then finished his career flying the QF-4, becoming the first F-4 West Heritage Pilot.

In 2006, Tuna retired as a Lieutenant Colonel and command pilot with over 5,000 total hours in the T-37, T-38, A-10, F-117A, F/A-18A/B/C/D, T-34C, F-4F, and QF-4E/G. His military decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal with one device, Air Force Achievement Medal with three devices, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, Combat Readiness Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Air and Space Campaign Medal and Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon.

After retirement, he was hired by Southwest Airlines and flies the 737. He spends his spare time working on airplanes — he has restored a Stearman, T-6, J-3 Cub, DHC-2 Beaver, Beech 18 and Grumman Albatross. In 2006, Charles was fortunate enough to be invited to fly with the Lone Star Flight Museum, in Galveston, Texas, where he is qualified on the PT-17, T-6, B-17, B-25, P-47, F4U, AD Skyraider and the P-51.

Born in Orange, CA in 1987, Steven Hinton became an accomplished pilot at an early age. He is an eight-time Reno Air Races Unlimited Gold Champion (2009-2014, 2016, 2023) and currently holds the World Speed Record for Piston Powered Aircraft at 531.53 MPH.

Steven is authorized to fly multiple types of aircraft including the P-38, P-40, P-47, P-51, F6F, F7F, F8F, F4U, Me-109, Spitfire, Yak-3, Yak-9, Yak-11, A6M Zero, T-33 and F-86. Hinton also holds his Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) License as well as an Inspection Authorization (IA).

When not flying for the USAF Heritage Flight, Steven operates his business Fighter Rebuilders, based in Chino, CA, serves as a board member and volunteer for the Planes of Fame Air Museum, and flies for the motion picture industry.

Tommy Williams started flying when he was 16 years old in Houston, Texas before attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona. While at Embry-Riddle, he participated in Air Force ROTC and after graduation was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force. While in the Air Force, Tommy flew multiple fighter aircraft, including the F-15C, F-5E, F-4E and F-16 and acquired over 3,800 hours of fighter time.

After serving on active duty he entered the Air Force Reserve. He recently retired as a Major General, serving in support of the USAF Director of Operations at Headquarters Air Force in the Pentagon. In addition to this, he served as a pilot for Delta on the Airbus A-320 based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota for more than 31 years until he recently retired.

When not supporting the Heritage Flight Foundation, Tommy runs his own aviation consulting firm and enjoys flying for fun in a variety of aircraft.

Born in San Antonio, Texas, Bruce “Doc” Winter knew from a very young age that he wanted to become a fighter pilot and serve his country as a member of the U.S. Military. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1988 as an Aviation Officer Candidate and completed flight training in 1992. Flying the F/A – 18A, B, C, D Winter accumulated over 1,300 hours of flight time and 211 carrier-arrested landings at sea, plus 25 OSW combat missions during a WestPac Cruise to the Persian Gulf. Bruce also served as an F/A -18 Hornet Exchange instructor pilot for the Marine Corps in El Toro, CA followed by Miramar, CA.