Recent news
New Photos Added
We have added new photos of the first flights for the restored Nieuport-28 and our FG-1D Corsair. Thank you to the amazing photographers, Scott Slocum and Leonardo Correa Luna Photography.
Mark Kohlhorst and Wyatt Owen Joins Our Team
Welcome to Mark and Wyatt - our newest aircraft technicians. Mark fell in love with aviation when his uncle took him on his first flight at the age of 12. As a high school student Wyatt worked at the foundation as an intern for two summers, hoping to find that aviation was his passion. See our Staff page for their full bios.
We Did It!
Warbird Heritage Foundation’s Corsair (BuNo 92050) is airworthy again and has taken to the skies. After an extensive and enduring eight year restoration, Mike Schiffer conducted the first post restoration flight on March 9th, 2021. A special thank you to Sam, Shawn & Charlie at Tab-Air for their dedication. We would also like to acknowledge AirPower Unlimited, Anderson Airmotive, Avionics Place, Ezell Aviation, Max Aero, Tromblay Tool and Chris at ToolWorks.
Most of all, Thank You to all who have served and continue to serve our country. This is a tribute you.
Aircraft will be available for air shows, viewing and pictures at WarbirdHeritageFoundation.org.
Redesigned Website
The Warbird Heritage Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of our newly redesigned website. Featuring a brand new look, with a simple way to discover information on our aircraft and photos. We hope you’ll find it easier to navigate and find what you’re looking for quickly and efficiently. Be sure to sign & view entries in our guestbook, sign up for our newsletter to keep up with the latest WHF news, and like us on Facebook.
We hope you like the changes! If you have any questions or feedback, please let us know by e-mailing us.
Steve Dietz joins our team
Welcome Steve - our newest aircraft technician. Born into an aviation family, Steve has been involved with airplanes his whole life. See Staff page for full bio.
DO YOU LOVE WARBIRDS? 1/31/18
If so, the Warbird Heritage Foundation is looking for you! We are in need of an experienced aircraft maintenance technician to inspect, repair, restore, and maintain our fleet of warbirds. Warbird experience desired. IA preferred, A&P required. Email Us your resume.
Sean Roarty leaves WHF
Sean Roarty left the WHF in late January to pursue other interests. We wish Sean the best in all of his future endeavors.
WHF Operational Status Update
Effective immediately, the Warbird Heritage Foundation is resuming a limited Airshow schedule. After conducting an internal safety audit, we are confident that the practices and procedures that we have in place will ensure a safe remainder of the 2017 airshow schedule.
In Loving Memory of Vlado Lenoch
All of us at the Warbird Heritage Foundation are deeply saddened at the death of our close friend and superb fellow pilot, Vlado Lenoch. Vlado and a passenger passed away this morning while flying in our P-51 Mustang, "Baby Duck".
The Warbird Heritage Foundation will make no further comment regarding this tragic event until after the FAA, NTSB, and other relevant parties have completed their respective investigations.
Effective immediately, all WHF flight operations will be temorarily suspended until further notice. Also, the Warbird Heritage Foundation is cancelling the airshow appearances of all of our aircraft for the remainder of the 2017 airshow season.
Our heartfelt condolences go out to Vlado's family and friends and to the family and friends of the passenger aboard "Baby Duck".
WHF announces a new aircraft construction project - A Nieuport 28!
In order to expand our aircraft collection to cover the World War I era, the Warbird Heritage Foundation is building a full size reproduction of a Nieuport 28 Fighter Aircraft!! The construction is already well underway! You can follow along with the progress of the construction and read additional information.
L-3B Grasshopper aircraft donated to the Warbird Heritage Foundation!
Jeffery J. Hill, Sr. of Woodstock, IL, has donated his Aeronca L-3B Grasshopper aircraft, Serial No. 42-36317, to the Warbird Heritage Foundation! Read more information on this aircraft.
EAA publishes an article covering the WHF Corsair Restoration Project!
An article covering the WHF Corsair restoration project has been published on the EAA Historical and Inspirational website! The article, written by Megan Esau, and dated March 16, 2017, discusses how the Corsair was modified as a Reno air racer in the 1970's, and the complexity and amount of effort required to restore the aircraft back to it's original condition. View Article.
WHF Airshow Schedule for 2017 Now Available!
View the WHF 2017 airshow schedule. There will be updates throughout the airshow season, so remember to check back periodically for the latest information.
Patrick Lutker is now an IA!
WHF Aircraft Technician Patrick Lutker, already an experienced Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) Mechanic, has earned his IA Certification. Congratulations Patrick, from all of us at WHF!
P-51 Mustang CockpitCam Videos featuring the WHF P-51D Baby Duck!
AirshowStuff.com has created two great CockpitCam videos of the Warbird Heritage Foundation P-51D Mustang "Baby Duck"! The videos are from Vlado Lenoch's solo performance and USAF Heritage Flight at the 2016 Cleveland National Airshow. Watch videos.
F-16 Aerobatic Video includes Foundation P-51 Baby Duck!
AirshowStuff.com has created an exceptional video of the United States Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon demonstration team, known as "Viper East", performing at AirVenture Oshkosh 2016. Pilot Craig "Rocket" Baker performs a full aerobatic demonstration of the F-16 before joining in formation with a P-51 Mustang for the USAF Heritage Flight.The P-51D Mustang is the Warbird Heritage Foundation "Baby Duck", flown by Vlado Lenoch! Watch Video.
Foundation Congratulates new Skyraider Pilots!
Director of Operations Herwig Schmidts and Fred Bower received their Skyraider type ratings today. Congratulations from all of us here at the Foundation!
Foundation T-2 Buckeye flies again!
The Foundation T-2 Buckeye returned to our hangar on January 27th, after an extended maintenance outage going back to last June.
Foundation P-51 featured in ICAS video "Come Alive"
The Foundation P-51D Baby Duck is featured near the beginning of an excellent Intenational Council of Airshows video "Come Alive" that was posted to Facebook in December of 2015. Watch Video.
Foundation welcomes new Aircraft Technician: Patrick Lutker
The Warbird Heritage Foundation is pleased to announce the addition of Patrick Lutker to our staff as an Aircraft Technician. Patrick comes to us from the corporate aviation community and is a certified Airframe & Powerplant mechanic. We would like to welcome Patrick to the Foundation and look forward to working with him in the future.
Volunteers provide a/c maintenance assistance
The Warbird Heritage Foundation would like to acknowledge Paul Batzel, John Engel, and Pat Marsh for their recent and ongoing volunteer work, providing some valuable assistance with our warbird maintenance backlog. Paul, John, and Pat have been putting their 20+ years of airline maintenance experience to good use, working on our warbirds. We thank you for your efforts.
Mike Fair to leave WHF
Our Aircraft Technician Mike Fair has notified us that he will be leaving the Foundation in August. Please join us in saying Thank You and wishing Mike and his family well in their new endeavor. We will miss you Mike.
WHF Hangar Newsletter V7 N1 - Now Available
Find out the latest WHF news and future plans. View newsletter archive.
WHF announces a new aircraft acquisition! A T-33A Shooting Star!!
Here at the WHF we are starting the New Year off with a BANG by adding yet another jet aircraft to our collection! We are very pleased to announce that Vlado Lenoch has graciously chosen to donate his Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star to the Warbird Heritage Foundation! Read more information on the aircraft.