By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeff Rendall and Matthew Rendall
CHINO, CA — This may very well date me, but one of my favorite shows in my elementary school years was “Baa Baa Black Sheep”, starring Robert Conrad. The show was retitled, “Black Sheep Squadron” at the start 
of its second season, so you may remember the program by a different title.
For those who do recall the very 1970’s TV show, it was about the true-to-life story of Medal of Honor winner Gregory “Pappy” Boyington, a fast talking, ends-oriented Marine fighter pilot that drank heavily, brawled with rivals, dated nurses and led his bunch of flying misfits (the name of the pilot movie, by the way) into battle near Guadalcanal around the start of the American Pacific war effort after Pearl Harbor. While the 214 Squadron was active in the Pacific Theater in World War II, they were responsible for more air combat victories than any other unit at that time.
At least according to the producers. It was a very pro-American program. I loved it.
The plot depicted Boyington as a habitual rulebook breaker who set up his own version of the Marine Corps wherever he went. The episodes and pilot were based on real people, though I’m told the facts were stretched a bit to make the plot more palatable to an entertainment-seeking television audience three decades after the war ended.
I didn’t care that the history was altered. I loved it. Black Sheep Squadron had real American heroes doing their duty, making friends along the way and etching their names into the books the way it should be. The show ended roughly fifty years ago, but I distinctly remember how it helped Americans feel pride in their fighting men and women.
The flying/dogfight/bombing scenes were spectacular for the times. The squadron’s F4U corsairs were brilliant Navy Blue and fast, though not as maneuverable as the smaller and lighter Japanese Zero fighters they went up against. The F4U planes weren’t invincible, but they clearly got the best of the enemy.
With these fond memories in mind, I noticed there was an Air Museum in Southern California that contained a healthy sampling of vintage aircraft dating from the very beginnings of flight up to the most recent jet-powered fliers. Helicopters and cars, too.
The Yanks Air Museum in Chino was too enticing to miss. It offered an F4U Corsair as well, though the vintage plane was in the process 
of being reconditioned. All (or most) of the planes on display at Yanks are still air-worthy, and they’re taken out from time to time when requested.
The Yanks website described what you’ll find there: “Yanks Air Museum hosts one of the world’s largest aircraft collections, many of them airworthy. Painstakingly rebuilding these titans of American aviation history is hard work, with mechanics and craftsmen working by hand (sometimes for decades) to return craft to their original state.
“Visitors are encouraged to view the aircraft and learn about their history, their stories, and their journey from graveyard to restoration.
“We house legends like the P-40 Warhawk, the F-86 Sabre, F-16B Fighting Falcon, F-15A Eagle and many more! Our experienced Flight Team also takes the aircraft on the runway for regular testing and scheduled flights. We also have a fun ‘planes’ ride for the kids!”
The museum is divided into easy to navigate sections. The opening sequence included the Early Birds Era (1903-1918), Golden Era (1919-1938) and World War II Era (1939-1945). Each plane has a sign with facts and explanations. Aviation buffs will be more than satisfied. As suggested above, I particularly enjoyed the World War II section which had a healthy representation of period aircraft to examine, including a Curtiss P-40E-1 Warhawk, Douglas SBD-4 Dauntless, and, the “star” of the show, a Lockheed Aircraft F-5G-6-LO Lightning (P-38L). The latter plane was the type that shot down Japanese Admiral Yamamoto in World War II. The enemy couldn’t match its speed.
I loved seeing the North American P-51A-10-NA Mustang up close as well. An astonishing machine, just as shown in “Saving Private Ryan”.
You can’t help but feel pride when taking in the American aircraft designers’ work. These were the machines that helped win the war, and to see the cramped conditions those men had to work in… it made it very real.
The museum offered a couple docents on the day we visited who introduced themselves and offered to answer any questions we might have. Both were incredibly knowledgeable, and one of them, Tom, gave me a personal tour of the 
“Bone Yard” of donated planes that are awaiting their turn for reconditioning work.
The younger members of our party enjoyed the section with newer jet engine models and the actual movie mock-up of cockpits from the Top Gun classic. You can see the seat where the close-up scenes were shot with Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) at the controls!
Yanks Air Museum is one of those places that can be toured relatively swiftly for a quick sample of what’s there, or you can spend days reading each and every sign to grasp the amazing flying machines that have been donated to the facility.
It’s a great way to spend a fun – and informative – couple hours. And you won’t need to be lucky to see a real live F4U Corsair, just like the ones used in the Black Sheep Squadron series a half century ago. It’s all there, right in front of your eyes!
Yanks Air Museum
15121 Stearman Drive
Chino, CA 91710
Phone: (909) 597-1735
Website: https://yanksair.org/
Admission is $20 per adult; discounts for veterans, seniors and children (5-11)
Active duty veterans are free.
Open Tuesday thru Saturday
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Closed Sunday and Monday
Closed Major Holidays
