ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — If you are in or around St. Pete, you might notice a small aircraft with a very unusual paint job — one that has gained a lot of attention on social media and from people around town. 

What You Need To Know

  • The "Mooney Anomaly" is a 1967 Mooney aircraft that owner Liam Hawkins purchased two years ago

  • When Hawkins first bought the plane, he says it didn't look like much, until he teamed up with local artist Matt Kress

  • Hawkins has gained a large following on social media and has been invited to take part in air shows

The plane is called the "Mooney Anomaly," and it's owner, Liam Hawkins, has taken it to Wisconsin for the massive EAA AirVenture show. 

The plane is a 1967 Mooney aircraft that Hawkins purchased more than two years ago. When he got it, he said it didn’t look like much. 

“Just basic, uninspired," he said. "Everything looks the same — white with a stripe. It was a 50-year-old paint job."

He is friends with local artist Matt Kress, who has done a lot of work around the Bay area, including some huge murals. Hawkins asked for something special, and Kress said he was more than happy to take up the challenge, saying he has never worked with a canvas like this before. 

“I am always up for a challenge," Kress said. "I have done some of the tallest murals in Tampa Bay."

He had to learn how to work with aviation paint and then learn how to actually paint an aircraft. Kress said it took him a couple of months, and during that time, Hawkins had no idea what he was doing with the plane or how it would turn out. 

“I wanted total blackout," Hawkins said. "I wanted to be totally surprised."

When it was revealed, Hawkins said he was blown away by the finished paint job, saying there was nothing else like it in the sky. He said it gets attention from other pilots, and even air traffic controllers. 

“Fifty percent of the time, air controllers talk me about the paint," Hawkins said. "One of the air traffic controllers calls it ‘Skittles.'"

Hawkins has gained a large following on social media and has been invited to take part in air shows. Next year, it will be a headliner at the one of the country's largest aviation events, the Sun-n-Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland.