About us

Warbird Adventures, Inc.

The idea behind the company came to shape on a cocktail napkin back in 1997. Founders Graham Meise and Thom Richard decided to max out all their credit cards and buy a T-6. By January 7th, 1998 the company had been formed and the first aircraft purchased in California. It took 6 days to bring it home to Zephyrhills, Florida after which extensive modification had to be done. Four months later, they sat on the ramp with a shiny T-6 waiting for people to come by. The original plan was to barn-storm around the country, but they ended up in Kissimmee by accident and set up shop out of the Flying Tigers Warbird Restoration Museum instead. The rest is history. The operation now has its own hangar and even its own Museum. Flying Tigers shut down in 2004 after Hurricane Charley so the new Kissimmee Air Museum was formed in its place. Flights are offered on a daily basis in their three SNJs and the exhibit is open to the public 6 or 7 days/week (depending on season). Over 30,000 satisfied customers have flown with Warbird Adventures. Perhaps you'll be the next lucky person to experience the flight of a lifetime...

Please scroll down and meet the staff of Warbird Adventures and the Kissimmee Air Museum.

Front office & Gift shop

Sue Duvernois - Office manager

On the front line… Sue is our office and gift shop manager. She is also in charge of flight operations, scheduling, dvd productions, shipping, communications, and museum admissions. If you call us here you will most likely be speaking to Sue, so be nice to her since she has a lot to do during the work day. If you have any questions about flights, what to wear, when to be here, how to get here and so on, she will be happy to assist you.

Sue was recruited to work for Warbird Adventures after many years of serving tasty beverages to the boys at the local pub; after work of course. Managing a bar for all those years has certainly helped in being able to deal with prima donna pilots and their tall tales of how awesome they are. In her spare time (which is very spare indeed) she loves to be in the kitchen creating fabulous food, on the ocean sailing, or traveling to far off places.

Line Pilots

Neal Sands

Bio Coming Soon!

Buck Wilson

Bio Coming Soon!

Jim Harley

Jim Harley is a fighter pilot wannabee "stuck" flying bombers. Wishing to aspire to the level of his mentor, Mustang pilot Chuck Gardner, Jim brings 7 years of bomber flying experience to Warbird Adventures. Inspired by warbird airshows at a young age, Jim grew up dreaming of flying WWII airplanes and learning the history of this great era. During 2002 a chance opportunity to fly with the Collings Foundation lead to a seven year love affair with the B-17, the B-24 and the B-25. Eventually earning type ratings in all three of these great bombers, Jim has broadened his horizons by becoming an instructor pilot in the T-6/SNJ with the hopes of someday getting to fly WWII fighters. Jim is an Ohio native transplanted, like many others, to the great state of Florida. He's flown over 65 different types of aircraft and will be glad to tell you that he doesn't care what he is flying, as long as he gets to fly.

Sean Sweeney

Learning to fly hang gliders at the age of twelve with his father, Sean has always had his “head in the clouds”. Amassing over 10,000 hours in the last 32 years in more than 140 makes and models of aircraft, all he ever wanted to be was a pilot. From hang gliders he went on to design, build and manufacture ultralights with his father. They flew them all over the country demonstrating them at various air shows. He then started flying gliders, soloing at 14, and then getting his private glider license at 16 (before he got his drivers license!). After graduating high school he went to earn his airframe and powerplant license so he could work on the airplanes he was flying. This led him to work at United Airlines as a mechanic in San Francisco until deciding that he really did need to be in the air. He went to Alaska to fly where he instructed new pilots in the finer art of bush flying for MarkAir, then moving back to the “lower 48” to work as a commuter captain, again working as a check pilot and instructor. He worked his way up until becoming a captain, and Chief pilot for a Boeing 727 operator in Orlando. With the airline life, and schedules, taking him away from his family far more than he liked he made another change in his career and came to work for Warbird Adventures working as both a mechanic and pilot. He flies in addition to the 1945 SNJ-6 Texans, the 1956 Taylor Aerocar, the 1941 Ryan PT-22 Recruit, the 1978 Hummingbird, and the Glasair 1TD.

Graham Meise

One of the founders of Warbird Adventures. Originally from South Africa but permanently moved to the US in 1986. Veteran Skydiver, Aircraft mechanic, Electrical engineer and Instructor in both fixed wing and helicopter. Over 7000 hours of flight experience of which 2000 is in Warbirds and 1000 in helicopters.

Maintenance

Brenden Burns - Mechanic

A Florida native, Brenden has dreamed of a career in aviation ever since he could remember. Some brief detours in life, such as scuba diving, and drag racing only delayed the inevitable. Brenden went to college and graduated with a degree in automotive sciences. He then got his A.S.E automotive master technician’s license and began to work in various shops. He enjoyed his work at first, but found himself taking cars for test drives by the local airports too often. He realized his one true passion in life, and after a short time, began volunteering at his local airport. Right away, he was put to work on various aircraft under the watchful eye of several aircraft mechanics. He has now worked on many different makes and models of fixed wing and rotorcraft aircraft, including: B-25 Mitchell’s, P-51D mustang,SNJ-6’s,TS-11 Iskra’s,Pt-17 Stearman,Cessna L-19,Cassut 3m,Robinson 44, and various Piper, and Cessna products. He has been to Reno, Nevada three times at the National Championship air races, as a crewman for Formula One, Jet, and Unlimited class race teams. He has also gained his private pilot’s certificate, and plans on adding more ratings and endorsements to his logbook in the near future. He feels his automotive background has help accelerate his learning and skill in aviation. He can be found in the hanger answering questions incorrectly while turning a wrench, or trying to make others laugh at his buffoonery and adding to his collection of red and green balloons.

Management

Thom Richard - President & Chief Pilot

Thom claims his first word in the crib was 'Spitfire'... After which he started flying Gliders at the age of 16 in his native country Sweden. Upon arriving in the US in 1989 at 17, he pursued powered flight and learned to fly in various tail-draggers in California. Always wanting to turn upside down as much as possible, he learned aerobatics well before he even had a license. After earning all his ratings, including a mechanics license and inspectors authorization he barnstormed around the US, flew fire watch and skydivers. He even used to skydive, but he's much better now... before he co-founded Warbird Adventures. With over 9,000 hours in everything from gliders to twin turbines, Jets and helicopters, the T-6 is his most current office at 4000 hours dual given. Whenever he's not teaching in warbirds or helicopters, he can usually be found working on one of his Jet or Unlimited Reno Air Racers in the museum hangar.