Dennis Sanders
EAA Warbirds of America Hall of Fame 2019
In the warbird community, when you say the name Sanders, most people think of the Hawker Sea Fury. The Sanders family has spent decades restoring and maintaining these rare airplanes. Dennis Sanders has spent his entire life as an EAA and Warbirds of America member. In 1978, at the age of 19, he flew a Hawker Sea Fury T-20 from his home base in California to EAA Oshkosh and back. In 1970, Dennis, who was just 12 years old at the time, started working for the family business, Sanders Aircraft, alongside his father, 2002 Warbirds of America Hall of Fame inductee Frank Sanders. After his father died, Dennis kept the business growing alongside his brother, Brian, and mother, Ruth, eventually moving the company to Ione, California, in 1996. Since then, the next generation of Sanders family has joined the team. As an air racer, Dennis has participated in many Unlimited Gold National Championship races, holding several speed records along the way in his highly modified Sea Fury TMK-20 named Dreadnought. In 2019, he flew his Sea Fury to victory the Unlimited Gold Race at The National Championship Air Races in Reno, NV.
He is a check airman at Reno and shares his wealth of experience and safety insights with other racers. He has been an air show performer since 1988 and is believed to be the highest time Sea Fury pilot in the world. As a mentor, he has guided many volunteers in their quest to learn more about these amazing aircraft. Dennis helped found America’s Living History Museum in Ione, California, where he shares the aircraft and history with the public.