Description
“Freighter Pilot”
by Antonis Karidis
Depicts the RC-130A ‘Hercules’ aircraft as it appeared while in service with the 127th Tactical Fighter Wing, Michigan Air National Guard in the early 1980s. The chief pilot was Lt Col Lou Nigro who served more than half a century at Selfridge Air National Guard Base,. Nigro was a Michigan Air National Guard pilot who spent his retirement years helping to transform the Selfridge Military Air Museum into a “must-see” attraction for aviation lovers and patriotic Americans.
Nigro spent 35 years as a member of the Air Force and Michigan Air National Guard, starting in the enlisted ranks before earning a commission and serving as a pilot in both the C-26 Metroliner and C-130 Hercules. Along the way, he held various staff officer positions while serving in the Air National Guard at Selfridge. After his retirement from the Michigan Air Guard, Lou took over as executive director of the Selfridge Military Air Museum in 2000 and led that organization to new heights of acclaim, making it a world class attraction.
Lou took perverse pride in referring to himself as a ‘Freighter Pilot’ for his flying of the C-130s assigned to the Air Guard at Selfridge. It is to his memory that this print is dedicated.
Proceeds from the sale of prints help us in our restoration efforts.
The Selfridge Military Air Museum is working on a major fund-raising campaign for some long-needed infrastructure improvements, the most important a ‘new home’ for the FG-1D Corsair that is currently undergoing extensive restoration and our beloved T-6 ‘Texan’, which we’d like to get out of our Michigan weather.
The Corsair is currently being restored by our restoration team. Please help, if you can!
