IHAS –  INTERNATIONAL HISTORIC AVIATION SEARCH INC.

IHAS traces its history back to 1987 to Walter Kurilchyk and a non-profit incorporation he set up set up as the ‘U.S.A.-U.S.S.R Historic Aviation Search Inc.’ to investigate and hopefully locate US Army Air Force B-25 ‘Mitchell’ bomber, tail number 02242.  This aircraft was the only one of an iconic and heroic flight of 16 to survive Operation Shangri-La, the first American bombing raid on Japan.  Known as Doolittle’s Raiders, they took off from the aircraft carrier Hornet on April 18th 1942, just 5 months after the war with Japan was declared, delivered their largely symbolic bombs, continued on to China and crashed – all but one, tail number 02242, which veered NW and safely landed in the Soviet Union, where it effectively disappeared, shrouded in mystery.  This aircraft if found would be one of America’s most revered symbols.

Kurilchyk aided by Roger Baker, went on this complex search, and were confronted with another mystery that the Russians tied to No. 02242 – the disappearance of DB-A N-209 – Levanevsky’s Last Flight.  That journey is encapsulated in the book, Chasing Ghosts.

In March 1995 Roger Baker amended the Articles of Incorporation, changing the name to International Historic Aviation Search Inc. and the focus shifted to finding N-209.

Throughout this several names come into the foreground – Ron Sheardown, Dr. David Stone, and Dennis Thornton, now IHAS directors and film producer Yuri Salnikov and David McMahan have spent countless hours trying to solve this mystery.  The appointment of Bil Thuma, Maria Baker and Steve Marsh as directors and Dr. Stone as President in 2016 round out this highly skilled, experienced and professional group.

These and others are part of the continuing effort that has involved a CSI-type forensic research effort, boots-on-the-ground searches, and public awareness campaigns to find N-209 and other historic and noteworthy aircraft.

Soon officially we will change the name again to reflect the evolution of the organization and it will become the International Historic Aircraft Search Inc. registered in California and following the IRS rules for a 501(3c) non-profit corporation. And it will open the door to other searches using the skills and expertise now brought together.

For information about other searches, please contact us here.