Northrop P-61 Black Widow
Kris and Dave Pollick
to view meeting: https://youtu.be/WZQfSK966iE
At a recent meeting of the York East Rotary Club, members were treated to a captivating presentation by attorney and aviation enthusiast Dave Pollick, Esq., titled “Saving the Last Widow.” Blending history, mystery, and personal passion, Pollick shared the remarkable true story of a rare World War II aircraft and the determined effort to bring it back to life. The centerpiece of Pollick’s talk was the Northrop P-61 Black Widow, an advanced and unconventional aircraft developed during World War II. Known as America’s first operational night fighter, the Black Widow was equipped with cutting-edge radar technology that allowed it to locate and engage enemy aircraft in total darkness. Despite its innovation and success, only a handful of these planes survived the war, and today, just a few remain in existence—none currently airworthy. Pollick recounted the story of a father-and-son team whose shared passion for aviation history led them on a global quest to locate one of the last remaining Black Widows believed to be lost in a remote region. Their goal: not only to recover the aircraft, but ultimately to restore it to flying condition—an ambitious and technically daunting undertaking.
Equally compelling was the human story behind the recovery effort. The father-son duo, driven by both a deep respect for history and a shared dream, invested years researching crash sites, navigating bureaucratic hurdles, and coordinating with international teams. Their journey has been filled with challenges—ranging from difficult terrain and logistics to the complexities of restoring a decades-old warbird—but also moments of discovery and triumph.
Pollick explained that restoring such a rare aircraft is about more than mechanical work; it is about preserving history and honoring the legacy of those who flew and maintained these machines during wartime. Bringing the “Last Widow” back to life would serve as a living tribute to the innovation and sacrifice of the Greatest Generation. In closing, Pollick emphasized the importance of storytelling in keeping history alive. Through presentations like his, and through the dedication of aviation preservationists, the legacy of aircraft like the Black Widow—and the people connected to them—can continue to inspire future generations.
