Ardent Proponents of Aged Components

Western Michigan University, the Kalamazoo public research university established in 1903 for the training of teachers, is scheduled to donate parts from two vintage aircraft to the Hooligans Flight Team, an American flight demonstration outfit founded in the late 1990s by pilots Russ McDonald and John Workman as a tribute to America’s veterans.

The donated parts—formerly components of two T-34 Mentors used by the university for educational purposes—will return to the skies within the unmistakable, bright-yellow aluminum skins of the T-34s flown by the Hooligans in service of the team’s motto: “If it makes them smile, it’s worthwhile.”

Western Michigan University College of Aviation interim dean Dr. Raymond Thompson declared: "We value our veterans—in fact, the College of Aviation has the most veterans of any college—and as an institution of higher education, we value opportunities to educate the public as well. This donation allows us to further that effort while also supporting a great cause. It's a good opportunity to take a piece of history that's been closed off in a hangar and give it the opportunity to come back and let people see it and enjoy it."

Hooligans member and veteran advocate Colonel Frank Walker, USAF Ret., expressed the team’s gratitude, stating: "This is another way of showing the community how Western Michigan University supports our military and our veterans. They were very generous in considering the Hooligans family."

The donation ceremony—which will be attended by representatives of the Hooligans team and Michigan’s Air National Guard, as well as local, state, and federal dignitaries—will be held on the campus of Western Michigan University’s College of Aviation on Friday, 02 December 2022.

FMI: www.hooliganflight.com