Beguiling Beguine

Air Classics, Jun 2002 by Meixner, Bill

Ken stated, "The flight characteristics of Beguine were pretty much the same as any other P-51 except for aileron control. There was no discernible difference in aileron control pressure required. However, Beguine required more aileron travel (i.e. stick movement) that had to be executed earlier through all maneuvers at any speed."

Several weeks before the race, Walter Beech contacted I.D. to tell him Bill Odom wanted to fly the racer, but J.D. refused. Later, he again contacted J.D. - to say Odom wanted to buy the racer with financial backing from Jackie Cochran and Floyd Odlum, her husband. This time Walter exerted great pressure on J.D. - enough to cause J.D. to agree to sell Beguine without telling his crew the details. Odlum and Jackie came down to look at the racer and promptly wrote a check for about $100,000. It was now very close to race date and the first deadline for entry had passed, so a penalty had to be paid by Jackie. Beguine was reentered with race No. 13, Jackie's Bendix number. Supposedly, Bill Odum talked her out of destroying the paint job by changing the number.

Beguine was flown to Cleveland by Odom and placed in the Harrington hangar - under armed guard! When J.D. Reed and Walter Beech arrived in Cleveland they talked to Odom about the fact there was so little room in Beguine's cockpit for a person of Bill's height. The pair offered to let him fly Jay Dee, a D-model with a bubble canopy, which would supply the room he needed. Reed said Ken Cooley could fly Beguine and give Bill any prize money won. Bill's reported reply was, "No one is going to fly that airplane but me!"

THE PILOT

William P. Odom was one of those people who, early on, knew exactly what they wanted with life. As a young lad, Bill was impressed with Wiley Post's flight around the world and his adult life would revolve around world flight.

It has been said by a close friend and associate, that Bill was: 1) a meteorologist; 2) a navigator; and 3) a pilot. In 1938, Bill went to work for TWA as a radio operator and was sent to Amarillo, Texas. While stationed in Texas, he took flying lessons and received his private pilot's license. In 1939, he was transferred to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he enrolled in a meteorology school and graduated first in his class. After that, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force to gain more knowledge of meteorology which was his favorite subject. Being one of the first Americans to join the RCAF, he was enrolled in the flight training program and received his wings. Even though he was a pilot, he chose to go into navigation and did not do much piloting - opting to gain navigation experience, with the round the world flight in mind.

Early in 1942, he joined American Overseas Export Airlines which ferried aircraft overseas. He started as a navigator but switched over as a pilot flying Liberators, Bostons and Hudsons, gaining a lot of flying time. Later in 1942, Bill joined the Air Transport Command and was attached to the 10th Air Force where he would gain much more valuable experience. He started in China and flew the Hump 102 times. He kept on changing theaters of operation flying the Orient, South America, Africa, India, London-Cairo and finally Japan when the war ended.