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Ray Kinney & Corsair at our home base, Lancaster, TX.
Ray joined the Naval Air Reserve in 1959 and trained as an
aviation electrician. He served on active duty throughout the early 1960s
on Grumman S2-F Tracker antisubmarine aircraft [below], aboard the Essex-Class carrier
USS Kearsarge CVS-33.
Joining the CAF in 1989, Ray is now a Life Member of the
organization. He is Flying Sponsor on the CAF's P-40 Warhawk
Ray Kinney displaying the Corsair at the annual CAF AIRSHO™ in September 2007.
Ray has served on the CAF's General Staff at HQ in Midland, TX., is a former Chief of Staff and former CAF representative as a committee member to the National Formation and Safety Team (FAST).
He is actively involved with the CAF's American Airpower Heritage Foundation, and several CAF committees.
He is endorsed to participate in the U.S. Navy Legacy Flight, flying the FG-1D Corsair
in formation with modern day U.S. Navy fighters such as the FA-18 Hornet.
Training of crews for these special flights is conducted at either
NAS Oceana, VA., or NAS Lemoore, CA.
Ray and wife Bonnie reside in Dallas, TX.
Ray Kinney forming up on the camera ship in the Corsair, for a series of photos by renowned aviation photographer Bill Crump
Left: Ray's T-6G N9871C wearing eye-catching silver paint scheme with 'candy cane' tail.
Right: Grumman S2-F, of VS-21 Squadron near NAS North Island, San Diego, CA.
Ray also flys the CAF's Curtiss P-40N Warhawk. Built in 1942, Bu # 42-105867, it was delivered to the Royal Canadian Air Force. The CAF purchased the P-40N in May 1965 from
Michael J. Dillon of Mesa, AZ. It wears the combat colors/markings of Squadron Leader David Lee 'Tex' Hill, AVG 2nd Squadron Panda Bears. The combat record of 18 kills is seen beneath the
windscreen. The Panda Bear emblem, seen just rearward of the cockpit.
©Copyright. Photo: Ray Kinney
©Copyright. Photo: Scott Fischer
©Copyright. Photo: Bill Crump
©Copyright. Photo: Brian Johnstone
©Copyright. Photo: U.S. Navy Archives
©Copyright. Photo: Commemorative Air Force