American Beauty/Fred Cabanas

[MikeS]

I had the opportunity to sit down with Fred Cabanas while at Reno this year. For those interested, I wrote about the visit here

The team donated all there prize money and merchandise profits to the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation this year. Good folks!

[Coyote Chris]

Re: American Beauty/Fred Cabanas

Thank you for the great story! Every time I get down about all the bad people in this world, it helps to read about the good ones.....hope they return to Reno.....

[Frank C.]

Re: American Beauty/Fred Cabanas

Kudos to Freddy and his team! Freddy is a great guy and a good stick! They are giving to a great cause.

Frank C.

[Jason S.]

Re: American Beauty/Fred Cabanas

The owner flew into Ione on Tuesday to drop off the mustang for some TLC. Mike Brown let him park her in his little hanger along with all his other toys
The owners a nice guy and that is one beautiful machine.

[BJH]

Re: American Beauty/Fred Cabanas

That is a real cool shot of Mike's toybox Jason.

[Dave65882]

Re: American Beauty/Fred Cabanas

No kidding, wish my garage looked like that.

On a more serious note, I got to talk to Fred for a few one day when i was leaving and all I can say is he is a cool guy with a great cause. Keep up the good work and see you next year!!

[Jason S.]

Re: American Beauty/Fred Cabanas

That is a real cool shot of Mike's toybox Jason.

That whole airport has cool stuff, with all the neat stuff the Sanders has, plus Rene Quintal’s-Power Pac hanger/paint place at the end of the runway, and I haven’t even been to Hovey’s place and I hear he’s got a few Merlin parts floating around. I’m definitely like a kid in a candy store when out there.
It was funny to hear the owner of the Mustang saying he thought his hanger was big until he saw Mike’s.
One of the reasons he brought it into Ione was because their still chasing the gear problem and he said he flew for about 25 miles with the gear down due to a gear indication warning. He was also talking about how close they were to loosing her to fire when the line broke under the cowl. He said there was the initial explosion which blew the oil door open and when they looked inside there was a big fire going on. It was quickly snuffed out with only minor burns to some wires and lines…….. lucky.

[Hawker Driver]

Re: American Beauty/Fred Cabanas

That is a real cool shot of Mike's toybox Jason.

You won't believe the area not to mention Mike's hangar. It is a sight to see. Its in the shape of Nevada..

Lynn

[Randy Haskin]

Re: American Beauty/Fred Cabanas

I had the opportunity to sit down with Fred Cabanas while at Reno this year. For those interested, I wrote about the visit here

The team donated all there prize money and merchandise profits to the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation this year. Good folks!

Great article about a really neat guy (I met Cabanas for the first time in the pits this year) and a very classy organization racing for a great cause.

Sorry, but I have to pick a nit about your history of the airplane:

American Beauty was manufactured in 1944 and served 8 years in Texas as a guard plane until it was decommissioned. In the early 1960's it was sent to Miami where the Cavalier Corporation configured the plane as a D model. It was then sent to Bolivia.

Cavalier built the airplane (in Sarasota, Florida) out of parts in Feb 1968. It was built up as a "Cavalier F-51D". Although the airplane is painted with a 1944 serial number on it, it's registered serial is 67-22581. Because the airplane was built out of parts, it's impossible to know what the airplane's pre-1968 history really is.

[MikeS]

Re: American Beauty/Fred Cabanas

Just sharing what John O'Conner told me. I didn't do any research on the plane prior to the interview and I appreciate the feedback.

[Hawker Driver]

Re: American Beauty/Fred Cabanas

Didn't it used to be What's Up Doc that Ross Grady flew for many year??

Lynn

[Wilnit]

Re: American Beauty/Fred Cabanas

What's the square footage on the toybox, 70,000...

[MikeS]

Re: American Beauty/Fred Cabanas

Lynn,
Yes - John (the owner) shared in the interview that the plane was "What's up Doc?" prior to his ownership. It's in the article.

[Leo]

Re: American Beauty/Fred Cabanas

We ran into Fred Cabanas on the night of the fire at Scolari's. He told us all about it while we waited in line together (we were there to buy tickets, if you haven't bought there, you get a great price and discount by being a shopper club member). He was buying every barbequed chicken in the stor efor his crew! Said it was going to be a long night.
Nice guy!

[Hawker Driver]

Re: American Beauty/Fred Cabanas

Lynn,
Yes - John (the owner) shared in the interview that the plane was "What's up Doc?" prior to his ownership. It's in the article.

Thanks and sorry I didn't read the article, my bad. I rode with Ross in Harlingen many moons ago as we chased Gen. Reg all over south Texas....

Lynn