Every Memorial Day weekend, the USS Midway Museum hosts “Meet the Aviators” day. This event, where former naval aviators squeeze into their timeworn flight suits and chat with guests by their old planes on the flight deck, has been a favorite with museum visitors for more than a decade.
In 2025, two ex-F/A-18 Hornet pilots who actually flew from Midway decades prior, joined the Meet the Aviators celebration, happily regaling museum guests with tales of their past adventures on the high seas.
Dave “Shooter” Vanderschoot and Chris “The Beav” Mather had flown with the Golden Dragons of Fighter Attack Squadron 192 (VFA-192) on Midway back in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They noticed the bureau number of Midway’s Hornet looked very familiar.
“Beav said to me, ‘did you know that bureau number 162901 used to be Golden Dragon 313,’” said Dave. “I had no idea, but I did know that, for some reason, of the 12 F-18’s assigned to VFA-192 on Midway, we had an inordinate amount of great photos of aircraft 313.”
Of greater impact to Dave was remembering that several of the best photos of Golden Dragon 313 had Lt. Kent “Keeper” Kiepe painted on the right side of the plane beneath the cockpit.
“Kent was probably the best friend I’ve ever had,” said Dave. “He was good in every way and loved by all.”
Kent had flown with VFA-192 on Midway for three years from 1987 to 1990 and had been one of the carrier’s best pilots. Sadly, he lost his life two years later in a plane crash in the central California mountains while assigned as a Navy test pilot with Test and Evaluation Squadron 4 (VX-4).
Reflecting of their fond memories of Kent, who was admired by everyone in the squadron, Dave and Chris hatched an idea.
“Beav and I decided to approach Midway’s president and CEO, Terry Kraft, with the idea of restoring aircraft 162901 to its historically accurate VFA-192 paint scheme and configuration, and to memorialize Kent with his name once again stenciled on the right side of the fuselage,” said Dave. “We met Terry and his aircraft restoration team and they all loved the idea.”
With funding soon in place, Midway’s wizards of airplane renovation got to work restoring the museum’s Hornet to the squadron’ paint pattern from 1992. Normally, a restoration effort of this magnitude would have been done at Midway’s rework hangar at Naval Air Station North Island, but in this instance, the team decided to do the work on the ship.
“It was actually a little easier than we thought to repaint the aircraft on the ship,” said Steve Smith, Midway airwing director, who oversees all aircraft restoration for the museum. “We had to get used to working on and below the scaffolding we had erected around the airframe. The airwing was honored to repaint the Hornet as it was when it served on the Midway with VFA-192 and also dedicate the airframe to an awesome individual.”
As the restoration worked progressed, an important historical footnote was discovered. Hornet 313 was actually the lead aircraft on the first strike of Operation Desert Storm on Jan. 17, 1991. The aircraft flew many combat missions during the war to liberate Kuwait.
“This was one of many coincidences we discovered throughout this project,” said Dave. “The loadout for that first mission of the Gulf War became the desired loadout look for 313 in its completed state on the flight deck of Midway.”
After three months of intense work, the aircraft was ready. Kent’s family, including his dad and four sisters traveled to Midway from Missouri for the unveiling ceremony. The ceremony was also attended by several of Kent’s former squadron mates, including the two commanding officers he served with.
“Getting this plane dedicated to Keeper was something we had to do,” said retired Navy Rear Adm. James “Gib” Godwin, who commanded VFA-192 from 1990 to 1991. “It is really important to us. He was such a great guy. People will see this plane forever.”
After more than 35 years, Kent’s name was again on the plane he had once flown while stationed on Midway.
“The greatest honor is to be honored by your squadron mates and that’s what we have here on Midway,” said Terry Kraft, Midway’s president and CEO. “More than 1 million guests will walk by this aircraft every year.”
“To know that more than a million people each year will stand before the jet that bears my brother’s name is overwhelming,” said Kari Kopp, Kent’s younger sister. “His service, his sacrifice and his spirit are forever part of history. Our family is so honored and Kent would be so humbled. How awesome that his memory will live on for future generations.”
Golden Dragon 313, as with all of the other aircraft Midway has on display, serves as reminders to the museum’s guests of the selfless contributions made by pilots, naval flight officers and aircrew over the more than 115 years of naval aviation. Kent, like those who flew before and after him, brought an unparalleled passion and dedication to flying for the Navy.
“I know Kent made a difference and this unveiling ceremony was such a special moment and quite an honor for our family,” said Glenn Kiepe, Kent’s father. “It is something I will never, ever forget and I consider it one of the highlights of my life. Kent’s mom would have been so proud, and I know she and Kent were there with us that day. Their presence was felt.”
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