About the artist:

Ted Wilbur is a naval aviator, combat artist, editor, and writer with more than thirty years of experience. His paintings hang in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., and are a part of the U.S. Navy's permanent collection of art. Many of his works are also owned by private collectors. Designated a Naval Aviator in 1950, Captain Ted Wilbur experienced his first flying assignments in night fighter and attack squadrons. He served in VX-3 (Special Weapons) and in VS-26, and was a plank owner in VRC-40, the first designated COD squadron. He was officer in charge of fight support missions in the Mercury project. Additionally, his broad experience in carrier operations includes a total of more than six hundred landings aboard thirty-six aircraft carriers, and more than 5,000 hours in both single- and multi-engine aircraft. Wilbur had additional assignments as a Navy Combat artist covering Projects Vanguard and Polaris, the manned space program, and nuclear submarines. His paintings and articles have appeared in both military and civilian magazines--Naval Institute, Proceedings, Time, True Magazine, and Saturday Review. In 1967, Wilbur arrived in Washington, D.C., as the editor of Naval Aviation News. During construction of the National Air and Space Museum, he served as the Navy’s project officer for the museum’s Sea-Air Hall. Wilbur retired from the Navy in 1981 as head of Naval Aviation News and the Naval Aviation Periodicals and History office. He returned to the magazine’s pages in 1994 as the illustrator for its safety sage, Grampaw Pettibone, inheriting the character from creator Robert Osborn. Wilbur’s paintings have been exhibited internationally as well as at the National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola. Wilbur’s military honors include the Navy Occupation Medal (Europe), National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Navy Commendation Medal and the Legion of Merit.