HAYDEN - As the old warplane flew near his Hayden home, Dan Heberling heard the powerful roar of its radial engine.

Then he spotted the F4U Corsair, propeller twirling, blue and white against the summer sky. It was not an everyday sight.

"So we jumped in the car and came over," he said.

Heberling and his roommate, Ev Beaumont, arrived at the Coeur d'Alene Airport/Pappy Boyington Field. They found the handsome aircraft and moved in for a closer look.

"Oh, it's fantastic," Heberling said. "I'd like to see a different one everyday."

Welcomed by the Marine Corps League Pappy Boyington Detachment, the Corsair sailed over North Idaho on Saturday afternoon, buzzing down from Kalispell, Mont., in about 30 minutes.

Pilot Steve Bakke flew the 61-year-old ship over the mountainous terrain. Ret. 1st Sgt. Bruce Severson, wearing his Marine dress uniform, rode in the cockpit's back seat.

"A lot of people describe it as sensory overload," Bakke said. "I always try to take a moment and remind myself I'm flying a Corsair. You're probably the only guy flying a Corsair at that moment, in the world."

He passed low over the airport, touched down and parked on the southern end of the field. Of all the airplanes he has piloted, the F4U is his favorite bird.

"It flies beautifully," he said.

About 200 spectators stopped by the airport on Saturday. They circled the Corsair, snapping pictures, and asked Bakke a few questions about the legendary airplane.

Built in 1950 by the Vought aircraft company, the warbird may have seen action in the Korean War. A big Pratt and Whitney engine, cranking out 2,000 hp, drives the four-bladed propeller. The "gull" wings curve upward to form a graceful silhouette.

Her top speed is around 400 mph, though Bakke never pushes her that hard.

Corsairs first entered service in 1942, in the midst of the Second World War. They were flown by U.S. Marine Corps and Navy pilots, primarily in the Pacific Theater.

Col. Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, the Coeur d'Alene native and commander of the famed "Black Sheep" squadron (VMF-214), flew the F4U into battle. Well-armed, fast and durable, the Corsairs held their own against the formidable Zero and other Japanese fighters.

To help commemorate the 100th anniversary of Marine Corps Aviation - and to celebrate Pappy Boyington, who received the Medal of Honor for his daring exploits - the Marine Corps League organized the Corsair's visit.

"Here in our little small town, I think it's pretty special," said league spokesman Kevin Gonzalez.

But the F4U wasn't the only warbird on display: A Stearman biplane and a yellow T-6 Texan also visited the airfield.

In combination, the three planes represented a World War II pilot's training process, Gonzalez explained - first the Stearman, then the more advanced T-6, and finally - if the trainee showed promise and didn't wash out - the powerful Corsair, his combat aircraft.

Frank Hale of Kalispell flew the T-6, while Larry Tobin of Spokane brought in the Stearman.

"Historically, it was nice for people to see the progression of World War II aircraft," Gonzalez said.