\n <\/p>\n
On a cool, gray morning at Durango-La Plata County Airport, a fleck of silver approaches from the north.<\/p>\n
The silvery glint is accompanied by a loud thrum that becomes a gurgled roar as the P-51 Mustang nears. The powerful World War II-era fighter plane makes a low pass slicing along the runway, then pulls up hard and to port, climbing against the mountain backdrop.<\/p>\n
Two young boys whoop in appreciation. A business-jet pilot, trying to appear unimpressed, slides his camera phone back into his pocket.<\/p>\n
Only 123 P-51 Mustangs remain in the United States out of more than 15,000 that were manufactured, according to the Federal Aviation Administration registry. One of them resides at Durango\u2019s airport.<\/p>\n
Because of its iconic role in World War II and eye-pleasing shape, the P-51 Mustang inspires rapturous praise among aviation aficionados.<\/p>\n
John Early, the Durango resident who owns the airplane, compared the Mustang to a Stradivarius violin.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s probably one of the most beautiful things man has created and formed,\u201d Early said.<\/p>\n
Early, CEO and chairman of Saddle Butte Pipeline LLC in Durango, purchased the plane a year ago from an Indiana man named Nathan Davis.<\/p>\n
Early has made some modifications, adding modern avionics and an improved radio communication system.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s kind of blasphemy for the purists,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He was quick to add he views owning the plane as a trust.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s always been a childhood dream to shepherd a Mustang for a few years, at least, and pass it on to someone else,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Early has flown the plane in the mountains north of Durango and around the Moab, Utah, area.<\/p>\n
Early\u2019s father was a pilot who had a World War II training airplane, and a friend owned a P-51. Early\u2019s grandfather flew bombers in the war.<\/p>\n
\u201cI grew up around the hangars,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The P-51 was built beginning in 1940 to fight the Luftwaffe over Europe. As the U.S. entered the war, Mustangs guarded bomber fleets on their way to pound Nazi positions. The P-51 often would fly high above the bombers, waiting to swoop in if they were met by enemy fighter planes.<\/p>\n
Today, the Mustang is mostly a prized possession of museums and wealthy hobbyists. A well-maintained Mustang can cost around $2 million, and actor Tom Cruise reportedly is among the aircraft\u2019s celebrity owners.<\/p>\n
Early\u2019s Mustang, a later P-51D model, was manufactured by North American Aviation in 1944 in Inglewood, Calif. It went to the Canadian Air Force for training, and the aircraft never saw combat.<\/p>\n
Many Mustangs passed into private hands after the war ended, often for a pittance compared to today\u2019s value. Some were bought by inexperienced pilots who crashed the planes.<\/p>\n
Early is learning to fly the Mustang with the help of Mike Schlarb, a longtime local flight instructor.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been a flight instructor for 20 years, but this was kind of a special case,\u201d Schlarb said.<\/p>\n
The Mustang is a challenging airplane to fly, he said. \u201cIt commands a lot of respect. It\u2019s no toy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Early is building up hours in a training aircraft before his insurance company will allow him to fly the Mustang solo.<\/p>\n
The Mustang also requires intensive maintenance, as one might expect of a 70-year-old aircraft. In addition to being Early\u2019s flight instructor, Schlarb keeps his planes running.<\/p>\n
The P-51 is the opposite of stealth. It\u2019s loud and fast, equipped with a powerful V-12 engine. Early has heard some grumbling from adjacent landowners who were annoyed by the Mustang, complaints he\u2019s tried to address.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just nothing but engine,\u201d said Schlarb. \u201cIt\u2019s a screamer. It puts a grin on your face every time you fly it.\u201d<\/p>\n