Hawkeye, and old WW2 pilot? Anybody here know him? Tampa Bay X41

[Brad W]

A while back in another thread I posted a story about one of my more memorable flights
Here that post is to save the re-typing

well just make sure your instructor doesn't get his boot caught under the right rudder pedal when doing T&G's then..... I nearly hit the runway light heading into the grass on the left side of the runway.
Fortunately, I let off the pressure, and he was as comfortable with that little 140 cessna as a normal person is walking. Recovered out of the grass, back on the runway, and continued like nothing happened. An old WW2 mustang pilot was my understanding, named Hawkeye. I wish I knew his real name. (Flying out of Tampa Bay Exec, X41 back in the mid 1990's if anyone here knows...)

Anyway, I've been thinking about some of the old timers I flew with, and wishing I know more about them.
This Hawkeye is one of a few
Unfortunately I don't have his real name, his signature in my logbook is illegible, and I'm honestly not sure I ever even heard his real name.

 

[Salty]

Can’t help with the question, but thanks for posting it. I had never even heard about x41. There’s no sign now that it ever existed. You can still see where it was, but it’s all gas stations and dentists now….

Turns out Bill Jensen was based out of there. I flew with him at KZPH. Can’t believe nobody has ever mentioned this airport to me before.

 

[Brad W]

I didn't fly out of there a bunch. I lived in the area for a short time and rented a few times. I remember it being a fairly active airport. It had lots of shade hangers as I recall. Not really an airport bum kinda place though...no place really to sit and watch takeoffs and landings. There was a little paved RC runway just East of the field, that had full painted markings. If a pilot wasn't looking carefully I could imagine someone lining up for it by mistake.

There was a guy who had a Cessna 140 and let others rent it just to get training. This Hawkeye was the CFI I flew with. I guess I was stomping pretty hard on his foot....... he yells....ooo...ooo...ooo...I can't get my boot out. I pretty quickly realized the reason wasn't getting full rudder travel so I let off the pressure so he could get it out. I just remember how non-challant he was taking the controls and steering that little plain back onto the runway.... I had my hands full with it, he surely did not!

 

[Brad W]

My mind has been wandering off to the old Cessna taildraggers again, and so naturally I was thinking about this old instructor and wondering....
so just reviving my old thread in hopes someone here may remember him and know a little more about him.