KARL GASHLER

Karl Gashler's aviation career began in the very aircraft he now helps restore. After graduating from the United States Air Force Academy, he earned his wings in the T-37 and T-38 at Reese AFB in Lubbock, Texas--making his connection to this restoration effort both professional and personal. He went on to serve 21 years as an F-16 fighter pilot, flying every variant of the Viper and logging hundreds of combat hours flying the Wild Weasel SEAD mission. Karl is a decorated competitor, having won multiple air-to-air and air-to-ground competitions worldwide, and also served as a U.S. diplomatic attaché in Beijing and Hong Kong, where he speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese.

 

With more than 20,000 flight hours across 50 aircraft types, Karl is an accomplished aerobatic airshow performer and flight instructor. He keeps current in his 1945 North American T-6 Texan and flies the TBM Avenger with the Commemorative Air Force. He builds experimental aircraft in his personal shop and volunteers with aviation organizations across the country. Returning to the cockpit of the T-37 as its demonstration pilot is, for Karl, a full-circle moment: a fitting tribute to the aircraft that launched his career.