Gary Velasco

GARY VELASCO was an artist, author, and aviation historian who devoted more than 27 years to painting vintage aircraft nose art on flying and static aircraft. He is the author of Fighting Colors: The Creation of Military Aircraft Nose Art.

Velasco founded Velasco Enterprises Fighting Colors Collection in 1995, relocating it to Virginia in 2002. He was commissioned to paint nose art on major warbird restoration projects, including the B-17 Memphis Belle, the B-24A Diamond Lil, and the New England Air Museum’s B-29 Jack’s Hack.

When not writing, Velasco worked as a guitarist before turning to aviation art, and in his later years transitioned to working as an air-art historian following a diagnosis of ALS. His work preserving nose art traditions underpins Fighting Colors.

Gary Velasco was born and raised in Stamford, Connecticut, and lived in Ruckersville, Virginia. He died on May 21, 2026.

Gary Velasco’s books are published by Turner Publishing.

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