Ryan Laplan, a pilot himself, views the vintage warplanes on display during the French Valley Wings and Wine Air
Show. Shane Gibson photo
Lexington HoweInternA 1961 Piper Comanche with the name ‘Lil Gunfighter sat out for guests to view at the second annual French Valley Wings and Wine Air Show, Saturday, Nov. 9, at the French Valley Airport.The paint, a dark green hue, had a thin red stripe that stretched from the tip of the nose down the side that glistened against the sunny, clear sky. Robert Martinez bought the plane with his partner, and at first they hated the paint scheme until they found out the history behind it.The airplane had originally been flown by a general who had painted it in the same scheme as the P-51 Mustang Gunfighter from World War II, Martinez said.“I’ve been flying for seven years,” Martinez said, now a retired firefighter. “It’s always been a passion of mine to fly, a
