Jimmy Buffett’s passing on September 1, 2023 was a shock to music fans across the world. The “Margaritaville” singer’s death was attributed to an aggressive form of skin cancer known as Merkel-cell carcinoma, with him having entered hospice care one month prior.
Along with music, Buffett was a life-long aviation enthusiast, having obtained his private and commercial pilot’s licenses. He was the proud owner of several historic aircraft, the most famous being the restored Grumman HU-16 Albatross Hemisphere Dancer. Heavily featured in his memoir, A Pirate Looks at Fifty, and a former US Navy search and rescue platform, the aircraft has since been put on display at the Margaritaville resort in Orlando, Florida.
Just over a year before his death, Buffett donated two of his prized aircraft to the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile, Alabama. What’s more, he did it anonymously, without wanting the public to know of his generosity.
Jimmy Buffett’s anonymous donation
Two days after his passing, the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park revealed Jimmy Buffett had donated two World War II-era military aircraft to the museum in 2022: a Grumman Goose Mk. II and a Boeing-Stearman Model 75. He’d wished to remain anonymous until the time was right, and the team in Mobile felt his death was the ideal moment to reveal his generosity.
“As the world mourns his passing, we are pleased to finally be able to share his generous contributions to the park,” the museum wrote on Facebook, adding that both aircraft are currently on display in the Medal of Honor Aircraft Pavilion.
Speaking with the media, those in charge of the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park explained that Buffett’s team had contacted organizers to arrange the donation. Once approved, the pair were disassembled, shipped to Mobile in pieces and reassembled for all to view.
Boeing-Stearman Model 75
The Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile has revealed that the late Jimmy Buffett donated two of the planes on display in the Medal of Honor Aircraft Pavilion. Buffett, an avid aviator and owner of several planes, anonymously donated a Grumman Goose and Boeing Stearman in 2022. pic.twitter.com/Rau5UbYpsb
— U.S. Naval Institute (@NavalInstitute) September 3, 2023
Serving as a trainer for the US Army Air Forces (USAAF), Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force (CAAF) during World War II, the Boeing-Stearman Model 75 was so highly produced that many were sold off for civilian use following the conflict. The most common post-war role for the aircraft was as a crop duster, but it was also flown in aerobatic shows and as a sports plane.
Jimmy Buffett’s Model 75, number N43320, was registered with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2002, and it’s most famous for making a cameo in the music video for his song, “Trip Around the Sun.”
Grumman Goose Mk. II
The Grumman G-21 Goose served in a variety of roles during World War II: search and rescue, reconnaissance, and transport. While initially built to transport the wealthy, it transitioned into a role with the US military upon the United States joining the conflict.
Several services flew the Goose, including the US Army Air Forces, the Royal Canadian Air Force, the US Coast Guard, the British Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm (FAA) and the Royal Australian Air Force (albeit just a single unit). Once the Second World War came to an end, the aircraft returned to civilian service.
Jimmy Buffett’s Goose, number N48550, was donated to the Royal Canadian Air Force in November 1940. Serving out of Patricia Bay, British Columbia, the aircraft largely performed anti-submarine patrols with the No. 122 Squadron.
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Following the conflict, this particular Goose was retired and turned into an airliner. After several decades, it fell into Buffett’s hands, where it remained until it was donated to the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park.