Picture of the Day: Nov. 19, 2025

It takes hands-on courage, careful troubleshooting and a deep love for preserving warbird history to keep 'Annie' in the air.

Editorial Staff

Wednesday, November 19, 2025 at 05:13 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Matt Ryan

Crew Chief Greg Ely checks the charging system on “Annie,” the Valiant Effort Foundation’s Vultee BT-13 at LVK, standing by the exhaust at 1,400 RPM—just another day at the office keeping old warbirds flying. [Photo by: Tia Esguerra; Submitted by: Greg Ely]

Key Takeaways:

The Valiant Effort Foundation's Vultee BT-13 warbird, Annie, recently returned to flight after a seven-year restoration but is now experiencing charging system issues.
Crew Chief Greg Ely and his team are actively troubleshooting the charging system, a process that involves dangerous work near the running engine and exhaust.
This hands-on and challenging maintenance is a crucial part of keeping vintage warbirds operational.

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“I’m the Crew Chief of the Valiant Effort Foundation Vultee BT-13 located at LVK in California. After a 7 year restoration after a runway incursion, we returned our plane, known as Annie, to flight just this last August. After a few months flying, we had some issues with the charging system, so just a week or so ago, we took off some panels and started troubleshooting the problem. That means checking the charging system while the engine is running…..not for the weak of heart, but just part of the job in keeping old warbirds flying.

Here’s a photo taken by Tia Esguerra of me testing the system while her husband, Alex, runs up the engine. Just as a side note, to check the system at the battery (you can see it just forward of the firewall) you have to stand next to the exhaust while the engine is running at a slow 1400 RPM….just another day at the office!”

– Greg Ely

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