A-7 - Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing Plane
N 29° 01.349 W 082° 09.306
17R E 387513 N 3211026
Located just off I75 on the Museum Grounds.
Waymark Code: WM1H1D
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 05/08/2007
Views: 148
In 1971, just before christmas, President Nixon asked me to go to Vietnam, to cheer up the troops, these were the young people who were not going to make it home for the holidays. After i returned to the United States, I contacted Tom Hall of US Navy recruiting to see if I could help inspire young people to join the Navy, for if you had to go to Vietnam, the Nav was the way to go! During the spring of 1972, Tom arrainged for me shoot a navy recruiting poster aboard the USS Lexington during a training mission in the Gulf of Mexico. I have worked with Tom Hall and the US Navy ever since. Two more posters have been made, one aboard the USS Ranger and one aboard the USS John F. Kennedy, i also raced an F-16 at Lakehurst where the Navy has a land based steam catapult. This was exciting! I have always wanted an A-& Aircraft for display, because that was the "bird" I raced on the Uss Lexington, so when Cecil Field was shut down in 1999 the A-7 on the monument out front was to be scrapped! The Naval Air Museum in Pensacola, Florida informed me I could have this wonderful Naval Aircraft, if I would move it from Cecil Field to Ocala. I contracted Worldwide Aircraft to do the job and it is now on permanant display here for my fans to enjoy and learn about my Navy involvement.
Type of Aircraft: (make/model): A-7
Tail Number: (S/N): VA-105
Construction:: original aircraft
Location (park, airport, museum, etc.): museum
inside / outside: outside
Other Information:: Not listed
Access restrictions: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Photo of aircraft (required - will be interesting to see if the aircraft is ever repainted or progress if being restored)
Photo of serial number (required unless there is not one or it is a replica)
Photo(s) of any artwork on the aircraft (optional but interesting)
Tell why you are visiting this waymark along with any other interesting facts or personal experiences about the aircraft not already mentioned.