Patrick J Mihalek

Patrick Mihalek  grew up in Brighton, Michigan on Hyne Airport (45G) and has been involved in aviation since the age of 7 years old. He quickly became friends with the local pilots, riding his bike down to the airport everyday after school to try to learn as much information as he could from them.  He soon joined up with the Aviation Explorers post 555 out of Howell, MI were he spent most of his time visiting museums and working with the Yankee Air force and their B-17G Flying Fortress. He became familiar with the EAA (Experiential Aircraft Association) and joined at the age of thirteen.  He quickly became a Young Eagle and worked as many EAA events as he could while attending  school.  From the age of 13-18 he attended four summers of EAA Air Academy: Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, and First Flight. Through that experience he gained a lot of knowledge and made good friends with the Poberezny family (founders of the EAA)  and  air show performers such as Patty Wagstaff. Patrick attended Western Michigan University's College of Aviation and graduated in April 2007 with a Bachelors degree in Aviation Maintenance Technology along with a certificate in Computer Added Design. He then attended and graduated the highly ranked Federal Exams Aviation Ground School with his Airframe and Powerplant certificates. He founded Legend Of Aces Aviation, a company dedicated to the restoration and services of Vintage, Classic, Experimental, and World War II Aircraft.  It has been his goal to help educate the younger generation about the history of these aircraft and keep dreams alive. As a mechanic Patrick specializes in Vintage Aircraft/Airframes, Fabric/Tube, Sheet metal, Composites, Engines including  Continental and  Lycoming. His work Experience includes  maintenance on general aviation aircraft, Restoration and maintenance of many types of vintage aircraft including, Aeronca 7AC Champ, P-51D Mustang, Ryan PT-22, North American BT-9, Fairchild PT-19. His special work experience includes assembling and manufacturing of sheet metal parts.

Michael Bellenir

Michael Bellenir is from Southfield, MI and started flying at the age of 10.  He worked several jobs as a kid to help pay for flight lessons and took his first aerobatic lesson at the age of 15.  He soloed an airplane on his sixteenth birthday, and got his private pilot certificate on his seventeenth.  When he was 18, he obtained a commercial pilot certificate and became an FAA certified flight instructor.  After graduating high school, Mike enrolled in Western Michigan University's aviation maintenance degree program and earned his A&P mechanic certificate while working as a flight instructor for the university, including serving a year as a check airman.  During his senior year at WMU, Mike was offered the position of Crew Chief for Mike Mancuso and MM Airshows. A life long love of aviation and interest in airplanes has led him to nearly 4,000 flight hours in approximately 40 different types of aircraft including the Extra 300, PT-17 Stearman, AT-6 Texan, Great Lakes Biplane, Travel Air Biplane, Beech C-45/B-18, T-28 Trojan, J-3,L-2, & numerous experimental aircraft. As a mechanic Mike specializes in Aerobatic Aircraft/Airframes, Advanced Composites, Engines including the Pratt & Whitney and Lycoming Radial engines, Lycoming AEIO-540, & numerous high performance engines, and also Aerobatic Systems. His work Experience includes Crew Chief of Mike Mancuso Airshows, responsible for all maintenance on the Extra 300 Air Show demonstration aircraft, Restoration and maintenance of a Beech 18 aircraft and Travel Air Biplane. His special work experience includes the Extra 300, CAP 580, DR 109, Long EZ, Veri EZ, COZY, Velocity.

Andrew Keenan

Andrew Keenan was born and raised in Northern Ireland before World War Two.  He got his first airplane ride from the Miles Aircraft company test pilot, at that moment he knew he wanted to be involved in aviation. As a young teen Andrew got a job working for the Short Brothers building Short Stirling bombers as a sheet metal and riveter specialist at the beginning of World War Two.  As the war progressed he joined the Royal Engineers, where he learned to fly in German gliders.  At the end of the war Andrew moved to Canada where he got his privet pilots licence while building his first airplane, a Société Avions Jodel. Later in 1975 Andrew moved to California where he became friends with Percival Spencer, designer of the Republic RC-3 Seabee. Andrew hand built the third Spencer Air Car in the world, that was known as "The best looking air car ever built". After his time in California he moved to Maine where he bought a Lancer 360 project but sold it to start work on the MJ-100 Spitfire. While building the Spitfire, Andrew became good friends with Marcel Jurca and helped Jurca with the designing of his aircraft.  As a mechanic with over 55 years experience, Andrew specializes in wood working, sheet metal, riveting, 4130 chrome moly, composites, control rigging, aircraft electrical, aircraft hydraulics, aircraft design and the Allison 1710 and Rolls-Royce Griffon engines. His special work experience includes building of the Marcel Jurca full-scale replica Warbirds (Spitfire, ME-109, FW-190, P-40 Warhawk) , Spencer Air Car, Société Avions Jodel, Gate Guardian aircraft, Lancer 360, Allison 1710, and Rolls-Royce Griffon engines.