The Time a WWII Pilot Finally Got To Fly In A Mustang And Couldn’t Contain His Joy

This is what it looks like when you’ve waited your whole life to fly a Mustang.

WWII veteran Jack Hallet flew many amazing planes in the 1940s, including P-40s, P-49s, and P-38s. But never a P-51.

When his unit transitioned out of P-38s, there was a 50/50 chance they were getting either P-47s or P-51s. They didn’t get the Mustang.

Shrugging it off, he said it was probably for the better, thanks to one harrowing incident. He managed to get back to base but he once hit three trees with his P-47. That may not have turned out so well in a P-51.

Still, not getting to fly one had been his one regret.

Now, he has nothing to regret. The Collings Foundation recently asked him to fly in their TF-51D “Toulouse Nuts”  on the journey from Leesburg to New Smyrna Beach. It was an offer he couldn’t refuse.

He couldn’t have been more ecstatic. You’ll see for yourself when you watch the clip below just how contagious his joy is.

The video is way too long to watch all the way through, but if you skip around, you’ll see that he doesn’t stop smiling the whole time. AT ALL. It’s wonderful. He even claps.

Watching him is like watching a kid get exactly what he wanted for Christmas. It will make your day, guaranteed.

The moment at take-off when he says, “I’m ready.” – You just know that he was born for this flight.