Three Naples veterans take flight in restored World War II-era biplane
MARCO ISLAND, Fla. – Three U.S Veterans, two of whom served during and after World War II, and another in The Gulf War, received a dream chance to soar through the skies once again with a flight in a restored WWII-era bi-plane on Marco Island Wednesday.
The three military heroes taking flight were Rudolph “Rudy” Billing, 97; Paul McCarragher, 96; and Aarmand Gaudiosi, 87. Louis “Lou” Ouillette, 86, also was present but did not fly.
Billings served as a Navy Seaman 1st class during WWII while McCarragher served just after the war as an Equipment Calibration Specialist in the Army during European reconstruction in Germany and Italy. Gaudiosi was an Air Force, Air Force Reserve, Army, and National Guard Sgt. 1st Class during Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the Gulf War while Ouillette served four years in the Navy.
Organized by Dream Flights, the trio took flight on Wednesday in a Boeing Stearman PT-17 open-cockpit biplane from Marco Island Executive Airport in Naples. The Boeing Stearman biplane(s) are the same aircraft used to train many military aviators in the late 1930’s and 1940’s.
From 1936-1944, Boeing Stearman built over 8,500 of the aircraft, plus an additional 2,000 planes in spare parts.
Established in 2011 by Darryl and Carol Fisher, Dream Flights is a non-profit organization established and dedicated to honoring seniors and military veterans. Darryl Fisher also is listed as one of the pilots for the organization.
Flying upwards of 1000 feet in the air, the planes were piloted by Molly Littlefield.
One of the planes previously used, the Red Stearman, was built in 1944. The plane was manufactured for the Army by the Boeing Company in Wichita, KA for approximately $9,000. The plane was previously stationed at Sequoia Field, California; Tulare, California; Lancaster, California; Bakersfield, California; Sacramento, California; and Ogden, Utah.
After being restored, the Red Stearman made the Foundation’s first Dream Flight on March 29, 2011 in Oxford, Mississippi. Other planes used by Dream Flights include the Blue Stearman, built in 1940, the White Sterman, built in 1942, and The Spirit of Wisconsin, built in 1943.
Specifically, the Blue Stearman was used by the Army and stationed in Sikeston, Missouri; Hemet, California; Oxnard, California; Glendale, Arizona; and Ontario, California. The White Stearman was loaned to the Navy and sent to Naval Air Stations in New Orleans, Louisiana; Lambert Field (St. Louis), Missouri; Dallas, Texas; and Clinton, Oklahoma.
Moreover, The Spirit of Wisconsin was used to train train military aviators during World War II at Minneapolis Saint Paul Joint Air Reserve Station before moving to the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, Texas.
“The magic of a Dream Flight is an exhilarating experience, one that stays with them until their last days,” Dream Flights founder Darryl Fisher said in a press release. “They take off in the Stearman at 95 or 100 years old and they land feeling 25-30 years younger.”
Since its founding, Dream Flights has honored nearly 6,000 veterans and seniors with free flights. The activity is made possible through donations from corporate sponsors, including SportClips, American Airlines, National Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living, Argentum, Discovery Senior Living, and Veterans United Home Loans.
According to their website, Dream Flights has made 6,477 flights to date. In July 2023, Dream Flights made their 6,000th flight by honoring World War II veteran airman Don Muncy of Springfield, Ohio.
In a related video, 99-year old WWII veteran Waldon McClane can be seen smiling with his thumbs up asking “Let’s do it again” following a flight.
“As we make these heroes wishes come true, our Dream Flights inspire them to share their stories. We collect, preserve and share those stories of how they survived through times of great strife to remind us of our shared humanity, our connection to each other and the value of listening,” Dream Flights said. “Our Dream Flights close the generation gap and open us up to a clearer understanding of ourselves and our world.”
Dream Flights pilots fly primarily for major airlines and are active duty or retired military veterans. Volunteering their time, the veterans operate the country’s largest fleet of restored or fully operational Stearman bi-planes.
Following the flight, the Dream Flyers received a signed Dream Flights baseball hat. They also will get a customized certificate with a photo sitting in the plane’s cockpit in the mail.
