Larry Mathis standing beside an F-14 Tomcat at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum

Titusville, Florida · Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum

Bringing historic aircraft back to life.

Forty-plus years of craftsmanship — from Grumman quality control inspector to museum restoration specialist.

Larry Mathis with his wife Denise at the 2025 Titusville Mayor's Ball

Larry and Denise Mathis at the 2025 Titusville Mayor's Ball.

A Brief Story

From the flight line to the workshop floor.

Larry Mathis is a 77-year-old Vietnam veteran who spent twenty-one years as a quality control inspector at Grumman before retiring to Florida. Retirement, as it turned out, was not the end of the work — only a change of address.

Today he is a restoration specialist at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum in Titusville, where he brings historic military aircraft back to their former glory. The aircraft at the museum aren't replicas. They're the real machines: stripped down, rebuilt by hand, painted in the markings they wore in service.

What follows is a small portfolio of his recent work, alongside a few pieces from a lifetime of building things.

Current Restoration

Grumman OV-1 Mohawk

An armored Army surveillance aircraft from the Vietnam era — the same era Larry served in — now under restoration at the museum's hangar.

One of the OV-1 Mohawk wings being flipped during restoration, suspended by a crane
Mid-flip. The top side is painted; the underside — wheel well and all — is about to come into reach.
Aircraft
Grumman OV-1 Mohawk
Era
Vietnam War, 1959–1996
Role
Restoration specialist
Status
In progress
Markings
U.S. Army
Location
VAC Warbird Museum, Titusville FL

From the workshop · in Larry's words

"This is one of the wings we've taken off the plane. We've painted one side, and now we're flipping it over. This is the top side right now — once it's flipped, we'll have access to the underside, which has the wheel well where the wheels fold up inside. From there I'll be able to paint the bottom. The other side of the wing is going to read U.S. Army."

"It doesn't look like much, but it's a very heavy wing — that's why we have both ends supported by the crane."

December 4, 2025

Mayor's Ball — A Rat Pack Affair

At the 2025 Titusville Mayor's Ball, "Fly Me to the Moon," Larry took the floor to speak about the rocket he restored — auctioned that evening to benefit the museum.

Larry giving the raffle speech for the restored rocket at the gala
The raffle speech, mid-delivery.
Larry and Denise in front of the illuminated USA rocket display
With Denise, in front of the rocket.
Larry with two museum board members
With the museum board.
Larry with the gala sponsors
With the evening's sponsors.
The 2025 Mayor's Ball program — Fly Me to the Moon, A Rat Pack Affair
The evening's program.

Archive · Personal Work

Before warbirds, there was always craft.

Larry has been customizing, painting, and rebuilding things his whole life. A handful of pieces from the personal archive — long before the museum, but cut from the same cloth.

Custom-painted Ford Econoline van with airbrushed mountain mural
Rear view of the same custom van

The Mountain Van

Ford Econoline · Custom airbrush · 1970s

Hand-airbrushed mountain landscape across the side panel, with twin porthole windows and a custom paint scheme. Rolled out of the driveway before most kids on the block had heard the word "custom."

Yellow Ford pickup truck from the 1970s

The Yellow Pickup

Ford pickup · Custom paint · 1970s

One of Larry's earlier paint jobs — a clean yellow finish on a working pickup. A snapshot from the family album, slightly hazed by time.

"More to come."