The Horsemen Aerobatic Team is the world's only P-51 Mustang aerobatic team, composed of three warbird pilots who have a passion for showcasing the P-51 Mustang. The mission of The Horsemen is to, "bring greater interest to the world of historic aviation and to remind future generations of how these powerful machines helped the Allies change the outcome of World War II."
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Similar to other professional flying groups, The Horsemen's schedule runs each year from mid March until early November utilizing both military and civilian airfields. They participate in events within the US as well as in Canada, Europe and England; usually participating in ten shows per season.
Since their formation in 1994, The Horsemen have utilized the same insignia of the Grim Reaper on a horse bearing a shield with an emblem of the P51 on the front of it. The imagery is meant to represent Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, though Ed Shipley is quoted as saying that the name was inspired from a Metallica song.
The Horsemen fly their formation aerobatic routine in three original P-51 Mustangs which previously served in WWII. These authentic Mustangs are owned by two of the Horsemen pilots. Nearly 15,000 Mustangs were built in WWII at a cost of $50,000 each. Today, approximately 150 Mustangs remain flying at an average cost of around $2,000,000
Jim Beasley serves as the Horsemen Flight Lead. In addition to the Mustang, he flies the T-6 Texan and Spitfire XVIII. Jim is also a civilian pilot for the USAF Heritage Flight program.
Dan Friedkin also flies the T-6 Texan, Spitfire, Wildcat and various helicopters. The USAF recently selected Dan as a Heritage Flight civilian pilot.
Ed Shipley is the founder of the group and is a long-time air show performer with more than 18 years of experience flying the T-6 Texan, P-51 Mustang, the F8F Bearcat and the F-86 Sabre. He was also one of the civilian founders of the USAF Heritage program and serves on the International Council of Air Shows’ Board of Directors.
The Horsemen usually start their training routine in January at a private training airport in Texas and continue up until the date of their first show in March with intermittent training flights during the course of the season. Throughout the season, the pilots tour the country doing press for upcoming events and filming for an upcoming television series. Much of their footage can be found on ASB.tv
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