Meet the Museum
Walt Bowe
Co-Founder – Pilot – Builder – Mechanic
Growing up around a hot bed of fellow enthusiasts consisting of close friends and family, Walt Bowe was inspired by vintage aviation at an early age. He soloed a Cessna 140 at 16 years of age and has never looked back. Away from aviation, Walt became a successful businessman, which afforded him and his wife Carlene the opportunity to be able to acquire and share their passion with people and fellow enthusiasts from all over the world.
After acquiring the Ala Doble Flying Ranch in 2018, it became Walt and Carlene’s mission and passion to create the Ala Doble Flying Collection while not only acquiring a comprehensive vintage aircraft collection of the uber rare, but to share the history of these machines and maintain them in flyable condition so many more can enjoy seeing them fly for years to come.
Read more about Walt Bowe in the articles below:
‘Vintage Valedictorian’
Carlene Mendieta
Co-founder – Pilot – Adventurer
Collection co-founder, Carlene Mendieta spent her early years wandering to the remote flying ranches of Nevada just to watch airplanes fly. It wasn’t until her college days when she happened to have a college roommate with a father that flew airplanes. Eventually, Carlene would hitch a ride back and forth to school from home with them, which is where she got hooked. Like many vintage airplane enthusiasts, she eventually soloed in a J-3 Cub which she eventually bought and still owns to the date. She became so enthralled with historic early aircraft that she decided to successfully recreate Amelia Earhart’s transcontinental journey in an Avro Avian that now resides in the collection.
Away from aviation, Carlene became successful in business in her own right, starting her own periodontist practice, affording her and her husband Walt opportunities to be able to acquire and share their passion with people and fellow enthusiasts from all over the world.
After acquiring the Ala Doble Flying Ranch in 2018, it became Carlene and Walt’s mission to not only acquire a comprehensive vintage aircraft collection of the uber rare, but to share the history of these machines and maintain them in flyable condition so many more can enjoy seeing them fly for years to come.
Read more about Carlene Mendieta’s transcontinental recreation of Amelia Earhart’s journey in the collection’s 1927 Avro Avian here:
‘Kindred Spirit Recreates Earhart Round-Trip’
Bernie Vasquez
Lead Mechanic & Aircraft Operator
Bernie Vasquez, unlike many, didn’t come from an aviation background or family. He got the old airplane bug at an early age on his own, growing up riding his bike past Nut Tree Airport in Vacaville, CA, every day. Starting at the young age of 11, Bernie met and was mentored by the right people throughout the years who gave him opportunities that he would capatilize on, eventually becoming one of the most sought-after Warbird pilots and mechanics in the world.
Now residing on the Ala Doble Ranch property with his wife Abby and son Donovan, Bernie is the collection’s renaissance man with his abilities to fly and maintain most every aircraft that resides or visits at the airport.
Full bio on Bernie from Vintage Aviation News