Crew

Robert Goodwyn - Chief Pilot

Inarguably our most experienced pilot, Bob brings to the table tens of thousands of flight experience garnered through both flying with the airlines as well as conducting flight instruction. He has flown everything from the Cessna 172 to the Airbus A320.

Keith Zimbauer - Restorer

A quintessential “wrencher” Keith joined the restoration efforts from the very start, and has proved invaluable in everything from getting the aircraft back on its wheels so it could be relocated back to its hangar to the mounting of the engine and everything in between.

Edgar Xiong - Pilot

Our youngest pilot is a bit of a case study in one of the many goals of Valiant Effort. It was at the age of 18 when he first took a ride in the back of our BT-13, an experience that led him to eventually obtaining his own pilot’s license. Since then, Edgar has garnered hundreds of flight hours, mostly in tail wheel aircraft, and even flies competitive aerobatics. To say he’s looking forward to flying Annie is an understatement.

Martin Michaud - Our Patrion Saint

None of us would be here without Martin. A lifelong warbird enthusiast that has spent time in such legendary birds as the B-17, it was his passionate spirit and generosity that led us all down the path that ended at discovering his BT-13!

Greg Ely - Chief Restorer

With over thirty years of hands on experience in fixing and maintaining warbirds manufactured in WW2 all the way to aircraft similar to those that flew in Desert Storm, Greg heads up the restoration effort of Annie. With such mechanic experience. Fun fact - This is actually his second time bringing 41-21218 back to the skies, the last being back in 2014. Greg also has served as flight engineer in the Consolidated PBY Flying Boat.

Alexis Esguerra - Pilot

Annie helped Alex realize a life long goal of becoming a warbird pilot back in 2015, and ever since then, he has made it a personal mission to share the history of the plane and the era of aviation that it represents. Like most of her pilots, he enjoys flying the BT-13 to air shows and fly-ins, including one that took Annie to Texas. 

Tia Esguerra - WASP Reenactor

Chances are that if you see our BT-13 fly into an event, Tia will be in the back seat. Ever since learning the history of the Women Airforce Service Pilots, Tia has been one of their staunchest supporters, enthusiastically spreading the word of their accolades to the attending crowds at the venues that Annie flocks to. She’s hard to miss - just look for the gal in slightly oversized WW2 flight gear (a staple of WASP service life)!

Taurus Fey - Pilot

One can argue that Taurus is Annie’s greatest fan; it was he that led the charge to save the aircraft from being written off after the 2018 incident, as well as being a major force behind its restoration. A highly proficient warbird pilot, he also an FAA-certified A&P mechanic, skills that serve the organization very well.

Charles Bellinie - Restorer

If there was ever a person that could be said is “crucial” to the resurrection of Annie, Charlie is the guy! A mechanical engineer by trade, his knack of being able to iron out the electrical kinks in our aircraft has been invaluable!.