Aero-News Alert: Jimmy Franklin, Bobby Younkin Lost In Moose Jaw MidAir

My prayers are out to Jimmy FRanklin and Bobby Younkin's FRiends and families. A tragic loss of two most talented and colorful aviators.

I have been a Jimmy FRanklin fan since the 1990 NAS Corpus Christi airshow -- he wowed the crowd with his aerobatic and wing walking routines in that huge (for an airshow aerobatic airplane) Waco.

I forget who the wing walker was at that show, but on his closing manuever, an inverted pass over the seawall, the engine quit at about 50' AGL. Jimmy simultaneously began pumping the "wobble" fuel pump and rolled the plane upright, preparing to land it on the seawall. Fortunately, the engine restarted and a much relieved (writer's speculation!) Jimmy and wing-walker departed the pattern!

I have seen Jimmy numerous times since then, including at least 6 of the Masters of Disaster shows. Incredible! Wicked Awesome! Those phrases don'e even begin to capture the beauty and spectacular show they put on.

The aviation world will miss these two very accomplished showmen/aviators very much.

Like a lot of you I got a call in the middle of the night about this. My phone was off -- I was getting my kiester kicked to the tune of six figures in an airport board meeting, and I'm still leery of sitting down -- and the caller (who I think wrote this story) left me a message, sounding shocked. After listening, I was shocked, too.

I've since heard from a number of other people who knew them. I have to say I barely did.

As far as the danger in their act or lack of the same, and whether the community has something to learn from that (well, there's always SOMEthing to learn!) I believe that that is something for the ICAS members to discuss behind closed doors, without the press (even the aviation press. ESPECIALLY the aviation press, who are the only ones who might understand) or the public, so that everyone can speak freely.

One small correction to DD's usual informative post -- the motor in Samson was a modified R-985 (P&W) putting out about 400hp. Samson was built by Steve Wolf, who also built some percentage of Delmar Benjamin's Gee Bee, and the wings for Jim Wright's ill-fated Hughes H-1. Steve is a very nice guy and an incredibly talented builder, and a first-rate acro pilot in his own right.

I think it was Steve building the Samson replica that got Curtis interested in doing the M-14 version, the Pitts model 12. Steve would tell you, or Jim or Kevin Kimball.

I admire Jim Leroy's ... uh, equipment... in saying The Show Must Go On. And I don't mean Bulldog. But his website says he's a reformed Marine, a predictable bunch on the stick-to-it-iveness front.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

My heart still breaks and my phone still rings.

Many of the old timers don't have access to the internet and are just hearing about it. I remember when we lost Sean DeRosier last year at Miramar. I had to break the news to so many - because I didn't want them to hear it on the radio or TV.

Kyle and Jim LeRoy really showed some backbone in this interview. I have known Jim for many years and think he is probably one of the hardest working guys in the business. But, he's human and is still probably reeling from losing two such close friends.

Kyle... what can I say. He watched his father perish. Very few of us will ever have to deal with that experience. He is keeping strong and managing with a maturity beyond his years.

I remember at the races when I saw Tommy Rose go in. I was standing next to his wife/Girlfriend when it happened. It happened so fast that I wasn't sure at first who it was. The race was black flagged and we were busy counting the aircraft in the sky. I realized it was Tommy about 5 seconds before she did. I still get a lump in my throat thinking about that moment.

Thank you for the info on Samson. I was confusing the Model 12/14 with Samson. I have known Steve Wolf for many years also. He has been touched by so much of this. Someone told me a story about a show Steve did where his partner in the act crashed and nearly hit him on the way down. His wife crashed last year in a glider.

This business isn't easy for any of us - fans, pilots, performers, family, friends, et al. We get through it by sticking together and leaning on each other.

The love of flying must be stronger than the fear or the loss for us to continue. I hope that Kyle and Jim and all of us touched by this tragedy have the strength to carry on.

.....

I didn't know about Steve's wife and the glider prang. Please tell me she's OK.

One of the things about this business is, you lose friends. That makes the friendships all the more precious.

Been a rough year, with Rock Iwasaki going in in a practice, (and now the JCAA wants to pull the plug on all civil airshow acts over there -- which was Rock and his guys, and some competition) and now this.

Fortunately, my phone's battery is dead.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

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