Posted on 07/28/2007 4:16:57 PM PDT by BRL
http://www.aero-tv.net/index.cfm?videoid=00b0d640-e714-4b79-b17b-6f3b0f149c4d
I have not seen this posted. Two P-51's crashed at oshkosh yesterday. One pilot killed.
Very very sad.
I was in Dayton today and watched one of the finest stunt pilots I’ve ever had the honor to watch perform, die in his Pitts. He put on a great show in the morning, but lost it in the first minute or two of the afternoon show. Either there was a serious mechanical failure, or he simply misjudged the ground coming up on him, I can’t be sure... It was very hard to watch this happen. This has been a very sad day for me. Jim LeRoy was a great pilot, watching this crash right in front of me was horrifying to say the least, and I’m quite shaken up by it. My prayers are with his family, and I hope you will all remember him in your prayers as well.
Prayers to Gerry Beck's family and friends. He was an irreplaceable, driving force in the warbird community.
More info here.
Aviation Ping.
This makes absolutely no sense to have these planes in the same vicinity much less trying to land next to each other. This is just beyond stupid. The p51B Pilot exploded in flames and for what? who the hell is worth impressing to end up like that? His family has to see that?
My word that is just terrible.
You sir IMHO are a bone head
He may not be the only one who thinks what they were doing was not worth the risk, whether you liking hearing this or not.
I don’t think he’s a bonehead.
I have a Commercial certificate with multiengine and instrument ratings and I’m a former Certified Instrument Flight Instructor ans Part 135 pilot and airshow crashes are just awful considering that most people take a marginal, or at least a badly misinformed view of aviation and the feds barely resist temptation to regulate and tax general aviation (non-airline and non-military aviation) out of existence anyway.
One part of me says that the man killed was doing what he loved and was generous to share a beautiful part of history in his P-51. Another part agrees that it is horrifying to take that kind of risk with family and children around.
Oshkosh is the most wonderful experience in the aviation world, in a time where the allure of spaceflight and aviation are largely lost on Americans anymore. I was there last year when there was a taxiway fatality and now a fatality this year. What’s needed are some adjustments so we don’t risk losing this wonderful event and so that aviation maintains the aura of a safety record that is the envyy of the world.
re: post 7
I agree. It sucks that a pilot died and another injured...and two priceless machines destroyed for what?
A photo-op?
I’m confused. Are you advocating banning dangerous spectator sports?
Nope, although I’m not really sure what a “spectator sport” is....my fave sport is motorcycle roadracing.
Sport implies competition.
Are aerobatics considered a competition? Or would a better description be “performance art”? I’m not the one to ask as I’ve only been to a few air shows and do not know how one is “judged” or if one aerobatic performer competes against another for points....etc...
Fly-by’s of old military craft are more “performance art”.
At some point safety should be taken into consideration. Would the photo-op / landing have been any less fantastic to watch if the two vintage planes were 200 feet apart?
It certainly seems a bit too risky to both irreplaceable man and machine if there were no competition taking place.....kinda like taking two multi-million dollar vintage GP bikes out on a parade lap at Daytona and screwing them into the wall at 200 mph. Pointless.
It implies play or recreation.
"At some point safety should be taken into consideration."
There are safety rules governing aeronautics.
"Pointless"
To whom? Famed Alpinist George Mallory was once asked: "Why do you climb this mountain?" His answer has been the climbers' answer ever since: "Because it's there."
The loss of man and machine is tragic, but to ban these machines from flight, to lock them away in museums would be equally tragic, human error compounded.
I am willing to bet that the people who fly and maintain and restore these historical aircraft would not want them locked away. If you've ever heard a Merlin fired up or listened to a big radial taxiing by or heard them both in a formation fly by, then you probably want the next generation to experience that same thing.
....same with a vintage TZ-750 howling around the high banks at Pocono at 185 mph....a mesmerizing cacophony that makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck. No way to describe it to anyone who’s never heard it.
My point is that the officials may want to revisit and make some adjustments to protocol while flying in “non competition” mode. JMO
The woman interviewed nailed it.
I won't ever forget this, as much as I would like to at this point.
Blessings and prayers to the families.
I was impressed with the EAA handled the entire situation.
The integrity of the accident scene was never compromised for the sake of the air show.
Will definitely pray for the repose of the pilot's soul.
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