OWLS HEAD — Pilot Charles Lynch of White Plains, NY, joked about being the pilot of his WWII plane. “When we arrive at an airshow and that lower door opens, the kids jump out, the dogs jump out, my wife jumps out, and all of a sudden you realize that that’s just a guy driving his family around,” he said during an interview ahead of the Wings and Wheels Spectacular at the Owls Head Transportation Museum August 6 and 7.

In fact, it was at his wife Elizabeth’s insistence that the family own a craft with historical significance, but also one that could accommodate a growing family of five. This one, a 1945 TBM-3 Grumman Avenger is similar to what Former President George H. W. Bush flew during his time in the Pacific.

Lynch refers to the plane as his family’s trekster. Olivia, 16, Michael, 12, and Mary Grace, 10, weren’t at this weekend’s event, yet regularly take part in other air shows, helping to crew the plane, providing information to air show guests, and helping with cleaning the craft.

The Avenger, according to Lynch, is a ‘fire-breathing beast’ burning about 192 gallons of fuel an hour at takeoff power. Despite the loudness at takeoff, Lynch described the rest of the flight as fairly quiet and smooth. The downstairs, as the family calls it, is well ventilated, and allows access to the gun turret where Michael likes to sit.

For Lynch, flying one of the largest aircraft to fly off carriers once used through the heat of battle and gunfire is an honor and a joy.

“I fly down the Hudson River all the time, right past the Intrepid at 800 feet. And even from 800 feet, that aircraft carrier is so small. I’m just so amazed at the men who fought in this airplane, came back after four-, five-, six hours of combat and were able to land on these little carriers.”

This plane in particular was built in 1945. It provided training in San Diego for an operation training unit before being readied for war by a crew in Alameda. But then the war ended.

From there, the plane went on to serve with a few state-side military units and then found a commercial usage as a bug sprayer and fire bomber in Canada.

And now it’s back in the hands of a family devoted to preserving history. “Just being able to maintain the history and share what this means to our country in what was a very dark hour. Almost 10,000 of these aircraft were built...Without these Avengers, war would have gone on for several more years,” Lynch said.

Reach Sarah Thompson at news@penbaypilot.com.