102-year-old WWII pilot trainer treated to honor flight at Mesa airport
Independent Newsmedia, Richard H. Dyer
Pilot Ed Newburg of Grounded No More, veteran Leroy Krauss and others after the flight in the World War II bomber trainer Cessna AT-17 Bobcat.
Independent Newsmedia, Richard H. Dyer
Marine Corps veteran Bruce Brorsen (second from right) was taken on an honor flight in the nonprofit’s Cold War-era Romanian fighter bomber trainer with pilot Anthony Anger (second from left).
Independent Newsmedia, Richard H. Dyer
From left are the Cold War era Romanian fighter bomber trainer and the Cessna AT-17 Bobcat.
Independent Newsmedia, Richard H. Dyer
Prior to the flights, pilot Anthony Anger of Grounded No More speaks about veterans Leroy Krauss (sitting) and Bruce Brorsen.
Independent Newsmedia, Richard H. Dyer
Veteran Leroy Krauss views an AT-6 Texan — the type of aircraft he flew to train pilots during World War II — at the Commemorative Air Force Museum — Airbase Arizona in Mesa.
Independent Newsmedia, Richard H. Dyer
Veteran Leroy Krauss studies a Stearman plane, which he learned to fly in during the 1940s, at the Commemorative Air Force Museum — Airbase Arizona in Mesa.
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Grounded No More Inc.
The Christian-based Queen Creek nonprofit Grounded No More provides free flights to military veterans. Since February 2022, the organization has given a free flight to more than 458 veterans, according to https://groundednomoreveteranflightlift.com/about-us.
Commemorative Air Force Museum — Airbase Arizona
The mission of the organization is education, such that generations of Americans will value and support the contributions of military aviation in assuring our nation’s freedom. The museum, 2017 N. Greenfield Road in Mesa, is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday, according to https://www.azcaf.org.
Falcon Field Airport
Falcon Field opened in September 1941 as a military airport to train British Royal Air Force and U.S. Army Air Corps pilots. It now includes a total of 784 acres between Greenfield, Higley, McDowell and McKellips roads in northeast Mesa. There are more than 800 aircraft based at Falcon Field. This includes fixed-wing single- and multi-engine aircraft, turboprops, jets and helicopters, according to https://www.falconfieldairport.com.
The World War II bomber trainer Cessna AT-17 Bobcat at Falcon Field Airport in Mesa. (Video by Richard H. Dyer)
Video by Richard H. Dyer
A 102-year-old veteran who trained pilots in World War II recently was treated to an honor flight at Falcon Field Airport in Mesa and flew the plane.
He trained pilots in Georgia and was deployed to Luke Field — now known as Luke Air Force Base — just prior to the end of the war.
Leroy Krauss, who served in the U.S. Army Air Corps and now lives in Menifee, California, toured the Commemorative Air Force Museum — Airbase Arizona in Mesa on Saturday, March 1, primarily to view an AT-6 Texan — the type of aircraft he flew to train pilots.
Prior to the flights, Grounded No More volunteers, friends and family of veterans Leroy Krauss and Bruce Brorsen, and others watched as American Legion Riders escorted them in a parade of motorcycles from the parking lot near the airport terminal to the plane staging area. (Video by Richard H. Dyer)
Video by Richard H. Dyer
On Sunday, March 2, he was treated to a flight by the nonprofit Grounded No More with pilot Ed Newburg in his World War II bomber trainer, a Cessna AT-17 Bobcat also known as the “bamboo-bomber.” Newburg said Krauss flew the plane for five to 10 minutes.
At the same time, Marine Corps veteran Bruce Brorsen was taken on an honor flight in the nonprofit’s Cold War-era Romanian fighter bomber trainer with pilot Anthony Anger.
A screenshot of the Cessna AT-17 Bobcat plane’s flight path from the FlightRadar 24 app shows it headed east north of Apache Junction then north to Canyon Lake before turning back to the Superstition Mountains, then west over Apache Junction and around to Falcon Field where it flew overhead and then turned back to eventually land. The app’s flight history shows it was a 26-minute flight.
Grounded No More volunteers, friends and family of veterans Krauss and Brorsen, and others cheered and applauded as the two planes flew overhead.
Krauss is a family member of Richard H. Dyer. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
Meet Richard Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.
Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.
Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.
Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.
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