Race pilots.....?

[De Camara]

Hope the race pilots are doing ok in the wake of Friday's incident.

Sure Steve Sr. Rallied the group and did what we know they do best.

God speed to our heroes of the sport.


Sincerely,

Doc

[doubleup]

Re: Race pilots.....?

Can't imagine what was going through the heads of those guys circling above while they waited to land. Looking down at what had happened had to be such an emotional event for them.

[TWD]

Re: Race pilots.....?

As I remember it:
1994 T-6 Silver race on sunday. I was on the pole. Coming down the chute. Airplane is configured, concentrating very hard on maintaining a good position on Pace and thinking about what I will see when he turns us loose so I can find pylon #1 and lead the formation properly.
“you have a race, you have a race” Throttle to the stop, unload to ½ of a g, pick up #1 and fly a good line. I hear John Luther (6) call “we’ve got two down” Strange call. I sneak a peak over my right shoulder and see Gene and Randy (2+3) in a right echelon (right where I expect them to be). So now I know 2,3 and 6 are with me. Must be Jerry and Ralph (4 +5). Hold your line, fly your plan. “emergency vehicles to the west end … all vehicles are cleared to cross all runways” Somewhere around the home pylon race control calls that the race is cancelled.

I remember wanting to call that WE would depart the course at #2, but the radio freq was very busy. Off at pylon 2, confirm the position of Gene + Randy (2+3) and come back on the power. Someone said to recover onto Runway 14, so now I’m trying to determine if left traffic or right would be better for the formation, one circle to cool down, or … Randy pimps me to make it left base. Ok, that works, now I’m in landing mode.
Somewhere in here Pace requests us to check in. We go thru the order just like we do on the ground before takeoff. He’s asking where Jerry is. Jerry checks in very scratchy “I’m here, I’m on the ground”. How did he get on the ground so quickly? I’m on final now, a little distracted looking at the dust to the west from where Ralph ended up. Suddenly realize that I’m distracted and get back to business. Confirm gear down, scan the gauges, crap, oil temp is on the peg. Open the cooler doors, it comes right off the peg. Thinking the engine should be okay.
It was at this point that I keyed the mic “everybody fly your airplanes.”
Land long, roll to the end. Taxi in past Jerry’s chewed up airplane. Wondering what kind of a ride he was just on.

So to answer the question, I didn’t have much time to go over what happened. Someone was missing. Trucks rolling to the west end. Dust cloud out to the West. Not much time to put it all together but boy as soon as I had a second to take a breath (gear down on final) I had to work hard to stay focused.
Mind you I am NOT a Steely Eyed Former Military Fighter Pilot (SEFMFP). Civilian pilot all the way. What I had going for me was that my father is a SEFMFP (and T-6 racer). We had spent many, many hours “hangar flying” about the races and the race course.
We had talked about the race in Cape May where 5 of the 8 airplanes crashed. Dad was always adamant that in a “race is cancelled situation,” you never pull the power back on the course. Leave it up so the guy behind you can’t hit you.

Back at home a few days later, I was being interviewed by the local paper. The reporter asked me if I felt bad about a fellow pilot dying in my race. I told him I did not. Ralph understood the risks and was happy to be out on the race course. No tragedy there. But the question got me to thinking so I asked my dad (SEFMFP) about it. He’d seen a few squadron mates killed in Vietnam. “Should I be feeling bad?” His reply was “not if you can help it.”

So, Jimmy Leeward died in an air race crash … No tragedy for him. Sad for his family and friends of course, but he was a big boy. He understood the risks. Spectators … obviously that is a very different situation. That wound is way too fresh for me to talk about here tonight.

I will sign off by saying that there is a 3 time Reno champion T-6 that is brim full of avgas sitting in the family hangar. My boys and I will burn some of that fuel in the morning.
TJ

[De Camara]

Re: Race pilots.....?

Amen TJ




Doc

[Fence Sence]

Re: Race pilots.....?

Well said TJ. Thank you.

[RCoulter]

Re: Race pilots.....?

Great post TJ. I also have to commend Steve Hinton in keeping everybody calm and taking charge of the situation with the rest of the racers as they were trying to figure out if they could or should use 26 for landing. Also getting everyone checked in and making sure everyone got down safely. Great job by the pilots also keeping their heads during a very chaotic situation, I doubt it was easy keeping everyone in site while landing.

[acehome]

Re: Race pilots.....?

Is there a recording of the radio comunications for the unlimiteds during this event? I believe it would be very educational to hear.

[sandramore]

Re: Race pilots.....?

Thanks, TJ. And yes, well done Steve. A great job by everyone managing to get down safely in all the chaos.

[madman]

Re: Race pilots.....?

Thanks so much TJ.

--md

[rmudbugs]

Re: Race pilots.....?

Thanks TJ, I wish that story was shared under diferent circomstances. I know it is way to early but in time I would like to hear from the other race pilots.

[karensullivan]

Re: Race pilots.....?

TJ,

My father was fatally injured in 1989 and to this day I fully believe that he wouldn't want anyone to feel sorry for him. My father was an intelligent man and fully understood the risks he took - like all pilots who race there I'm sure. He loved the sport and he was able to live his dream, not many people in this world get to say they are that lucky in life. I hope that I'm as lucky to spend my last moments doing what I love the most!

I offer my sincere condolences to the families of all who lost their loved ones during this tragic accident.

Godspeed....

Karen

[Ken Dwelle]

Re: Race pilots.....?

It's been a weird weekend trying to get my mind around what happened Friday. I've had a bad feeling for about a month about what was going down this year, just couldn't put my arms around it. I was headed up on Saturday morning with my Son, proper, for the first time since 2008 but I just couldn't get the feeling of dread out of my brain. I just didn't want to be there. I went up Wed for a couple of hours with Dad and everyone was great it just felt fine. I have always felt that the big "event" would involve two airplanes getting together around 8 and washing through the pits. I never dreamed that one would hit the main crowd area from behind.. I'm really glad I wasn't there. I've seen way too many ugly endings on that airfield.

This morning, Sunday, I went to the hangar, as I do every Sunday, to work on the (SFFKACM) "Sea Fury Formerly Known As Critical Mass". I was intent on having the Stromberg PR58U carburetor installed on the engine before lunchtime when I heard a persistent lop, lop, lop out in front. I walked out and it was Tony Wright in the Dehaviland Chipmunk pointing to his empty back seat. I motioned to him something to the effect that our Sea Fury wasn't going to build itself and he taxii'd on. About a half hour later Heard the roar of a 1340 and saw Tinkertoy flash by on climb out. All's right with the world. Twenty minutes later, I was on the cell phone with Dave Cornell discussing the intricacies of the 3350 spinner discharge valve when Tommy cleared the runway in Tinkertoy with one of his boys in his back seat. He tossed me a wave as he cruised by and I flipped him the bird. It continues...As it should be. I really can't explain why we do this except to say that I love it so. Makes no sense.. SEFMFP

[TWD]

Re: Race pilots.....?

Thanks for sharing Karen.

TJ

[De Camara]

Re: Race pilots.....?

It's been a weird weekend trying to get my mind around what happened Friday. I've had a bad feeling for about a month about what was going down this year, just couldn't put my arms around it. I was headed up on Saturday morning with my Son, proper, for the first time since 2008 but I just couldn't get the feeling of dread out of my brain. I just didn't want to be there. I went up Wed for a couple of hours with Dad and everyone was great it just felt fine. I have always felt that the big "event" would involve two airplanes getting together around 8 and washing through the pits. I never dreamed that one would hit the main crowd area from behind.. I'm really glad I wasn't there. I've seen way too many ugly endings on that airfield.

This morning, Sunday, I went to the hangar, as I do every Sunday, to work on the (SFFKACM) "Sea Fury Formerly Known As Critical Mass". I was intent on having the Stromberg PR58U carburetor installed on the engine before lunchtime when I heard a persistent lop, lop, lop out in front. I walked out and it was Tony Wright in the Dehaviland Chipmunk pointing to his empty back seat. I motioned to him something to the effect that our Sea Fury wasn't going to build itself and he taxii'd on. About a half hour later Heard the roar of a 1340 and saw Tinkertoy flash by on climb out. All's right with the world. Twenty minutes later, I was on the cell phone with Dave Cornell discussing the intricacies of the 3350 spinner discharge valve when Tommy cleared the runway in Tinkertoy with one of his boys in his back seat. He tossed me a wave as he cruised by and I flipped him the bird. It continues...As it should be. I really can't explain why we do this except to say that I love it so. Makes no sense.. SEFMFP

Passions run in the blood/genes.

I have always told tales of blood analysis (my very own), would only prove tall tales of P-51's and Ramirez guitars within......probably with a laminar shape included......


Some things are just beyond any "human" language.



Doc

[sandramore]

Re: Race pilots.....?

Passions run in the blood/genes.

I have always told tales of blood analysis (my very own), would only prove tall tales of P-51's and Ramirez guitars within......

Some things are just beyond any "human" language.

Doc

Doc, red blood cells shaped like old warbirds?