A WWII Memory Comes Alive Article and Photos by John J. Ringquist
About a dozen volunteers at the Wings of the North (WOTN) based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota have been working on a special project restoring a BT15 World War II trainer. The aircraft was originally built by Vultee Aircraft, Downey, California and then received by the USAAF (United States Army Air Force) on March 29, 1943 for the Army Air Forces, Flying Training Command, Gunter, Alabama. I wanted to know more about how this came about and spent some time interviewing Greg Kaminski, President of WOTN, while taking a break during one of their every-Saturday-work sessions. Here is what I learned. Several years ago, leadership at WOTN wanted a project and began to seek out an aircraft they could restore in its entirety. At first they considered a Stearman, but decided it would be a daunting task due to its wood and fabric construction. Also, the group did not believe they had sufficient skills for such a restoration. The BT 15 became the project because it was initially offered to them the right price. They now currently own the aircraft. While talking with Greg, I found out that his uncle was assigned to Gunter Field but left two weeks before the arrival of BT15 serial number 42-41689, in March 1942. After training at Gunter, Greg’s uncle became a B-17 pilot, was shot down and killed. Greg’s father was a B-17 waist gunner. Greg said his father’s influence helped Greg become interested in aviation.
Initially all of the parts of the BT15 were housed at Valley Rich, a company with an available maintenance bay located in Chaska, Minnesota. But it was recently moved to WOTN’s new hanger in Eden Prairie. They have all of the parts including an extra wing and tail section. Volunteers have obtained a copy of all of the Microfilm aircraft maintenance and construction records from the Smithsonian Museum and currently need a microfilm reader. Wings of the North was established as a non-profit educational organization dedicated to preserving and presenting aviation history. WOTN volunteers present AIREXPO every summer at the Flying Cloud Airport in Eden Prairie. Included in this article are photos taken during the WOTN volunteer holiday party in January 2013. They placed lights around and on the BT 15 for a festive atmosphere in their newly acquired hanger.