The Commemorative Air Force flew her for a few years, and then ran into a combination of mechanical and funding issues that kept the plane grounded for several years. With just about 1,500 flight hours at the time of purchase, this warbird was still considered young in age even after 27 years. The Spanish Air Force operated the plane until it was surplused in 1976 and bought by the Confederate Air Force, now known as the Commemorative Air Force. This example of “Iron Annie” is a CASA 352L built in Getafe, Spain by Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA in 1949. While it is estimated that 4,845 JU-52s were built, only five are currently certified to fly. As the only flyable JU-52 operating in North America, this is a very rare bird to be seen on the air show circuit.
Having never seen a JU-52 in flight, it was great to see this example preforming for the crowd at the show, May 17-19, 2019. Luftwaffe reenactor poses with the ME-109. This may offend aviation purists, but the reality of operating warbirds from the side who lost the war requires some flexibility. These planes were either built in Spain and modified or were recently constructed. For myself, it was a special thrill to see a JU-52/3M, FW-190 A-8, and Daimler-Benz powered ME-190 G-4. The museum has an impressive number of operational German aircraft and mockups.