T-6 Demo
Patrick ‘ManBear’ Williams has been flying the T-6 / SNJ-5C in Hawaii since 2015 for Pearl Harbor Warbirds. He grew up flying bush-planes in Idaho and continued his aviation passion at the Air Force Academy as a sailplane instructor and racer. After graduation, Williams attended U.S. Air Force pilot training and moved on to fly F-15C’s and F-22’s at various bases before joining the Hawaii Air National Guard as an F-22 instructor in 2014; where he continues to serve and fly today. Williams loves to share the experience of seeing the beauty and vast military history of Oahu from a birds eye view in the cockpit of the only classic T-6 / SNJ-5C on the island.
General information:
- Constructed as an AT-6D in 1942 for the U.S Army Air Corps
- Transferred to U.S. Navy in 1959 and changed the designation to SNJ-5C
- The engine is a 600 HP 9-cylinder Pratt & Whitney 1340 Wasp Radial
General characteristics:
- Crew: two (student and instructor)
- Length: 29 ft (8.8 m)
- Wingspan: 42 ft (13 m)
- Maximum speed: 208 mph (335 km/h, 181 kn) at 5000 ft (1,500 m)
- Cruise speed: 145 mph (233 km/h, 126 kn)
New to the team, Ray has truly enjoyed flying the T-6, providing an aerial view of Oahu and, specifically, Ford Island to share what played out on Dec 7th. During his 36 years in the AF, Ray was a Test Pilot, having flown some 83 aircraft ranging from the U-2 and B-2 to a wide range of fighter multiengine aircraft. He served as the Chief Test Pilot on AF-1. Currently, Ray flies with the Civil Air Patrol and enjoys mentoring cadets across the spectrum of aviation.
