Retired Astronaut Flies DAV Flight Team B-25 Before Airshow

TITUSVILLE, Fla. - March 12, 2015 - PRLog -- Retired Shuttle Astronaut and former Naval Aviator headed out to the TICO Warbird Airshow grounds on Thursday-March 12 and had a rare opportunity to fly in the DAV (Disabled American Veterans) B-25 Mitchell Bomber. The B-25, “Panchito” will be on display and performing in the show March 13-15 along side the DAV Flight Team.  Representatives from the DAV will be on hand in to reach out to veterans and their families sharing their message of service and volunteerism in support of our nation’s combat-wounded men and women.

Jon McBride began his naval service in 1965 with flight training at Pensacola, Florida.  After receiving his wings he was assigned to Fighter Squadron 101 (VF-101) for training in the F-4 Phantom II aircraft. By August of 1979, McBride joined the elite ranks of the first thirty-five shuttle astronauts where he piloted STS-41G in October of 1984.   Over the years, McBride has logged over 8,800 hours flying time in over 40 different kinds of aircraft, but had never previously flown a B-25.

The B-25, which gained notoriety in the famed Doolittle Raid over Tokyo, Japan 71 years ago, shares a modern-day mission with DAV -- reminding people of the sacrifices veterans make for freedom. As brave men and women return from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan, the DAV’s services and advocacy are as relevant today as at any time in the nation’s history.

Disabled American Veterans, representing more than 1.2 million disabled veterans, is a non-profit organization founded in 1920 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1932. It is dedicated to one, single purpose: Fulfilling our promises to the men and women who served.

For more information about Disabled American Veterans go to www.dav.org or follow the DAV Flight Team at www.facebook.com/davflightteam, @DAVFlightTeam and/or #DAVFlightTeam.

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To learn more about the DAV Flight Team or for downloadable photos of the B-25 Mitchell Bomber, go to www.davflightteam.com (http://www.davflightteam.blogspot.com/p/media-kit.html)