Posted on 07/17/2006 1:31:52 PM PDT by OldCorps
Despite his love of flying some of the most powerful combat airplanes ever built, his father was a conservative pilot, Guilford said. Guilford, 43, said his dad used to fly his P-51 Mustang at air shows slow enough for the pilots who flew the plane during World War II to admire them but fast enough so it produced its signature sound.
"The Japanese used to call the plane 'whistling death' because the oil coolers on the wings would whistle," Guilford said. "People would come up to me and say, 'Your dad's plane is so cool because it whistles.' "
I thought it was the Corsair that was call whistling death, never heard this about the mustang.
Dang, I was hoping it was Scary Mary.
Wasn't it Piper who was driven out of business (completely) because of bogus lawsuits though? That's just a crime.
What, no conspiracy theories? TWA Flight 800 being one of his cases.
My thoughts are that this is one aviation disaster that he won't be representing in court.
I hope it wasn't the Spitfire.
Lol, maybe his estate could sue him for wreckless negligence....
:^]
Absolutely!
Did he know the Clintons?
Why either one?
"Robert Guilford's Hawker-Siddeley Hunter MK-58, which he had owned since 1995, is a military swept-wing jet fighter built in the 1950s . . ."
Now I am *really* sorry he crashed. Talk about a warbird. When I was a kid I built a model of that plane in Red Arrow acrobatic team colors. (Or should I say "colours"?}
There will be a dozen lawsuits going in every direction over this accident which will go on for many years. I really hate this particular game.
"He had just taken off, was having engine trouble, tried to circle around back to the airport"
I was taught that trying to turn back is mistake one. Engine fails, put her down.
There is a very famous aviation litigator who was involved in many of these types of lawsuits in both general and commercial aviation crashes. About ten years ago, he, too, crashed his personal ex-fighter jet, though he wasn't killed. The irony in light of his occupation was widely discussed, and some people on what at the time was one of the largest online aviation message boards made fun of this attorney.
He sued them, and the message board operators, for slander, defamation, and such. As Dave Barry would say, I am not making this up. The individuals and web site settled in the face of expensive, protracted litigation. I don't know if the terms were made public but some of the individuals were forced to make a public apology and the web forum was neutered and eventually went under (the site still exists but no longer hosts forums).
I'm not going to mention the name of this attorney or the forum involved, or post anything other than the factual history, lest FR be faced with his wrath. But I would hazard a guess that most anyone involved with aviation and the Internet back in the mid-'90's knows exactly who and which web forum I'm talking about.
Portland is pretty dense. The only open terrain was where he was headed. I suppose he could have tried the HWY but it is pretty busy on Sunday afternoons as well. I have to say, he almost made it. 40-50 yards and he would have been clear. But I am no pilot.
I think it shows that God has a sense of humor.
Hope he finds from the final Judge, that justice is something more than a game!!
Sucks to be him.
For triangulation purposes. He asked "where we were on this one". :-)
Judging from the reactions to his death, the FReeper motto is "leap before you look."
Prayers.
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