*HATS-OFF TO HOWARD*

[BuckyD]

RACE: Sat. 9/13/08-Reno NCAR-UNL Gold Heat-3A-

Just a humble 'hats-off' memorial photo-salute to the late & great Texas warbird/race pilot~Howard Pardue.

I first saw Howard race at the Whittington's 1979 Miami/Homestead Air Races, flying his FG-1D Corsair, and he went-on to become one of the air racing motorsport's most-prolific participants. Pardue began his Reno NCAR racing tenure way-back in 1982, fielding his Navy-blue Grumman Wildcat that first year & returning in '83, flying his trademark Grumman XF8F-1 Bearcat & adding his big green camo Hawker Sea Fury in '89 to augment to 2-plane entry status. HP logged an incredible 26-year successive-streak racing in the Unlimited Class at Reno (& every year of racing, w/the exception of '02) & a dozen times in Sunday's Gold final. Howard invited his Breckenridge amigo pilot-Nelson Ezell to share SF racing chores off & on starting in '93 & as a regular team pilot fm '03 until his last year at Reno '09 when Howard announced his retirement fm 'The World's-Fastest Motorsport'.

It was always a treat during arrival days at the races, when Howard Pardue & The Breckenridge Bunch (-including pal Stewart Dawson in his beautiful Sea Fury racer #105-Spirit of Texas) made their tight formation low-approach advent at Stead Field & smart peel-offs f/their landings to taxi onto the ramp.

With Reno 2012 fast-approaching, I'm reminded how sorely-missed Howard Pardue will be at the races, now more-than-ever, since he's really gone West for good. Lotsa great memories logged over the course of those many years of flying at airshows & in competition. I recall that Howard was usually the first-man-out onto the racecouse w/his airplanes to lead the start of Unlimited qualifications & practice days & he seemed to take advantage of the periods more-than-most, in order to log as much time as-possible~ flying-low, fast & left, 'cuz he obviously-loved flying so much.

"Blue Skies & Tailwinds Forever"- Howard Pardue!

DBD

[AirDOGGe]

Re: *HATS-OFF TO HOWARD*

To really enjoy the air races at full capacity has always required a 2-Bearcat minimum, especially true nowadays when we're fresh out of Corsairs and Lightnings. There's only one Bear in the woods now (though he's one mean Grizzly I admit).

This is going to take some getting use to...


Blue Skies Mr. Pardue. As Bob Hope said many times, Thanks for the memories... . You will sorely be missed by tens of thousands!

[GRNDP51]

Re: *HATS-OFF TO HOWARD*

To really enjoy the air races at full capacity has always required a 2-Bearcat minimum, especially true nowadays when we're fresh out of Corsairs and Lightnings. There's only one Bear in the woods now (though he's one mean Grizzly I admit).

This is going to take some getting use to...


Blue Skies Mr. Pardue. As Bob Hope said many times, Thanks for the memories... . You will sorely be missed by tens of thousands!

Well we have the Blue Angel Bearcat at least!!! I think you meant to say we need a Howard Pardue out on the course
Blue skies once again Howard.

[John H]

Re: *HATS-OFF TO HOWARD*

It was kind of ironic i though later the premature" gonna miss that old man " thread a year ago. His crash really is still hard to accept , caused me to cry and I don't usually over these .

[SkyvanDelta]

Re: *HATS-OFF TO HOWARD*

What caused his plane to crash? Speculations or facts are fine.

[GRNDP51]

Re: *HATS-OFF TO HOWARD*

Definitely not a fact since it's coming from me but it seems like pilot error... That's very hard to believe but I don't think that mechanical issues played a part in it. Just my ideas.

[AirDOGGe]

Re: *HATS-OFF TO HOWARD*

Details can be found in the original accident topic thread: http://www.aafo.com/hangartalk/showt...ghlight=pardue

[BuckyD]

Re: *HATS-OFF TO HOWARD*

Hey Thanks, Dogge f/putting-up the accident-related discussion link (-for those people interested in that aspect) & keying on my intended thread post focus of paying respect & tribute to Howard Pardue via positive nostalgia (good memories & cool photos), in-appreciation for all he contributed to warbird sport aviation & air racing in particular, that's enriched our experiences so much.

For those of us loved & admired this great aviator, please feel free to share your thoughts & pictures of Howard on this thread to honor Howard & celebrate his awesome flying career. I'm rounding-up a few HP gems to post here fm my own personal photo archives to add, that I hope y'all will enjoy seein' as well.

DBD

[39SF]

Re: *HATS-OFF TO HOWARD*

GRNDP51...you are correct. I once took off in my Pitts, positive that I had checked everything. During my first roll, I was shocked to see my seatbelt sticking straight up on either side of my seat, with my loose fitting backup seatbelt the only thing keeping me from packing myself up into the canopy. If memory serves me, Howard only had one lap belt. I now wish I had told Howard about my close call scare.

[BuckyD]

Re: *HATS-OFF TO HOWARD*

Here's a small ensemble of photos fm the 1979 Miami-Homestead International Air Races in Florida~ an all-Unlimited affair w/a 29-plane field of contestants, that included two FG-1D Corsairs: Howard Pardue flew his Race #67 (NX67HP/Buaer#92095) in competition alongside- Dennis Bradley flying the Canadian Warplane Heritage's FG-1D Corsair-Race #115-'Canadian Corsair' (C-GEWX/Buaer#92436). Qualifying & practice days ran fm Mon. 2/26/79 thru Thur. 3/1/79, w/races scheduled Fri.-Sat & Sun. (3/2-3/4/79) using a 7-mile oval racecourse layout.

Howard was comfortable running at the back of the pack pretty-much, during qualifying & all three of his races in the stocker category, so-as not to push his rare big & beautiful gull-wing bird too much, while at the same time gaining himself some valuable closed-course pylon racing experience (& having alot of fun in the process ).

Photos (L-R):

1. Late afternoon DBD shot of both FG-1D Corsairs parked on the grass, w/Howard Pardue's #67 sandwiched in-between the CWPH's #115, raced by Dennis Bradley, in the foreground & the EAA's B-17 "Aluminum Overcast" staged in back. (Btw~ That's famous aviation author- Martin Caidin's JU-52 "Iron Annie" up in the air executing a flypast w/smoke-on, behind & beyond the parked aircraft.)

2, 3 & 4. A trio of great captures of Howard & his Corsair both on the ground & flying out on the racecourse bending the pylons, well-taken by my old pal & camera mentor- aviation photo guru~ Neal Nurmi / Wingman Photography.

DBD

*Special thanks to The Wingman, for generously-sharing his superb images w/yours-truly over these past 36+years of covering airshow & air racing events. Neal, your work is always the standard of excellence to shoot-for & a great inspiration to all of us. I know for a fact that our late aviator friend- HP, was a genuine fan of your photography, along w/many of his peers, & it is indeed fitting to include them in honoring this great man we are all missing now. It would be really great if you'd kindly-post some additional shots of Howard f/this thread, if possible.

[BuckyD]

Re: *HATS-OFF TO HOWARD*

As-mentioned previously during the commencement of this tribute thread to Howard Pardue~ HP started his long tenure of Reno NCAR Unlimited Class racing competion way back in 1982, flying his Grumman FM-2P Wildcat (N5HP/Buaer# 86777) as Race #5, & only f/that Reno rookie year, before moving-up the speed ladder w/his F8F-1 Bearcat for Reno '83 & afterwards.

Here's a 6-pack mini-gallery photo presentation of Howard & his nimble Wildcat in action, beginning w/a pair of Minter Field Airshow landing shots, to set-up the grouping...

Photos (L-R):

1 & 2. Fri. 4/24/87-Minter Field Airshow/Shafter, CA.~ A pair of on-final landing sequence captures of Howard Pardue's late afternoon arrival w/his Wildcat. (Note- "Kimberly Brooke" painted cowl name in honor of Howard's daughter, -also carried on his F8F Bearcat).

3 & 4. Sun. 9/12/82-Reno NCAR-Arrivals~ Howard taxis-in to Stead Field's ramp w/his Race #5 Wildcat following landing & exits the cockpit while reaching f/his cover ('fatigue cap') to protect his dome fm the harsh rays of Nevada's hot desert sun. HP qualified his baby Grumman fighter @ 325.044-mph f/21st-position in the Unlimited Class.

5. RACE: Sun. 9/19/82-UNL Bronze Final~ A classic-'duel down-on-the-deck' is captured on film, w/Howard Pardue's Wildcat #5 leading Mike Wright's Tired-Iron Racing Team FG-1D Corsair #82-'Wart Hog' in hot-pursuit, while the pair approaches Outer 6 Pylon before making the turn down onto the W. Chute's 'Valley-of-Speed'. Wright Q'd too-slow (304.038-mph) to make the field, but was allowed into competition f/the Bronze, to replace Dan Martin's P-51 #7-RRIII, (that crash-landed at the start of Sat's heat), which made f/a total of 4 Corsairs racing @ Reno '82. Howard did get passed by Wright before the end of the Bronze to finish last.

6. RACE: Fri. 9/17/82-UNL Bronze Heat #1~ Howard Pardue greases-by Outer 6 Pylon w/Wildcat Race #5, in his first Reno NCAR competition heat in 5th-place @ 286.698-av/mph, ahead of Bob Guilford's F4U-7 Corsair #93-'Blue Max' (275.151).

There's certainly no better way to gain your initial racing experience than by having to work your way up through the ranks of your faster competitors from the Tail-end Charlie slot, as Howard learned during his first attempts racing @ Miami & Reno. He knew he had air-racing in his blood & he knew he needed faster machines to get himself near the front of the herd!

DBD

[Big_Jim]

Re: *HATS-OFF TO HOWARD*

There's certainly no better way to gain your initial racing experience than by having to work your way up through the ranks of your faster competitors from the Tail-end Charlie slot, as Howard learned during his first attempts racing @ Miami & Reno. He knew he had air-racing in his blood & he knew he needed faster machines to get himself near the front of the herd!

DBD

Lot of truth to that. IIRC, Howard finished dead-nuts last in all three or four heats he ran at Miami in the FG-1D as well...usually about 20 mph behind the next-to-last-place guy.

I'd say by the time he hit the 30 year mark of his racing career, he had figured it out.

[wingman]

Re: *HATS-OFF TO HOWARD*

I did love that Bearcat...

[MustangFan]

Re: *HATS-OFF TO HOWARD*

[QUOTE=Big_Jim;103753

I'd say by the time he hit the 30 year mark of his racing career, he had figured it out.[/QUOTE]

Remember when the engine coughed in Howard's Sea Fury right after takeoff in the '98 gold final? Pulled the gear and brought it back on the deck just as smooth as you please.

Reno won't be the same without him. Godspeed Howard..

[BuckyD]

Re: *HATS-OFF TO HOWARD*

Yes, indeed, Mark, alot of us do remember witnessing Howard's incredible feat of airmanship & his quick-response to that hairy engine issue right after takeoff. I'll never forget it.

Here's a pic I took of Race #66 right after Howard got his Fury safely back down, w/he & his crew intently inspecting inside the engine compartment.

DBD