5 DOCTORS OF INTEREST
The
BIPLANE
BUILDER
BY GREG GARDNER
128
r. Luis Villar spends most of his waking hours
rejuvenating antique airplanes -- and people.
The board-certified plastic surgeon from Stuart is six
months away from finally rebuilding his World War II-era
Stearman biplane. The plane was heavily damaged when a
tornado from Hurricane Wilma destroyed his hangar at
Witham Field in Stuart. Before that Hurricane Jeanne
destroyed his office and before that, Hurricane Frances
destroyed his Sewall’s Point home.
“Everything is a challenge. Life is just one problem and
challenge after another. I find fun in everything I do. There’s
very few things I find as work.” On a recent steamy Saturday
afternoon, he was covered in sweat at his old hangar, trying
to repair a hoist that had stopped working.
Villar’s new hangar is crammed full of heavy machinery
used for manufacturing aircraft parts and hundreds of model
airplanes that will end up in his aviation museum. His
newest project is building a tornado-proof hangar that will
house both his refurbished Stearman and the Villar-Lopez
Museum, which will open next year for visitation by clubs
and schoolchildren.
Over the years, Villar has provided dozens of airplane
flights for charity auctions. “Hopefully, one of the kids I give
rides to will take over the airplane and keep Stearmans
flying for future generations,” he said. Using
blueprints obtained from the Smithsonian
Institution, Villar is also producing a documentary
video on the reconstruction of his Stearman for future
enthusiasts.
“Maintaining these aircraft is a lost art. We are documenting
the old style. You have woodwork, welding and clothwork.
Now, human hands don’t even touch the parts. It’s all
robotics,” Villar said as he maneuvered through the maze in
his hangar looking for a specific part.
His love for old airplanes began about 15 years ago at the
Stuart Air Show when he wandered up to three P-51
Mustangs. He began collecting aviation memorabilia and
after a few hours flying the P-51, Villar settled into the cockpit
of a Stearman.
“Clyde Dawson taught me how to fly the Stearman, but I
wanted the same training as the World War II pilots and I
received that from Wild Bill Voorhees. The most exciting part
of this is the people you meet.”
The same skilled hands that recondition antique airplane
parts on the weekend often respond to a much higher calling
during the week. “I take care of women who have been
butchered by incompetent doctors. After I was featured on
True Hollywood Stories, my work became nationally recognized
and it changed my life.”
Villar has a Web site devoted to helping people thoroughly
explore their options before receiving elective plastic surgery.
“Instead of self-promotion, it is dedicated to protecting
D