I hate reading the news

[sandramore]

They might have their reasons, but I hate that the airshows are essentially kicking the races under a bus.

Compliments of the Las Vegas Review Journal:
Aviation Nation encounters smooth skies on first day
"It looks like the Reno air races won't go on again." Ugh.

[sandramore]

Re: I hate reading the news

And then....

One More Mission: 1965 Huey UH-1D drafted into service at Reno

How can you read this and not smile?

[Victor Archer]

Re: I hate reading the news

They might have their reasons, but I hate that the airshows are essentially kicking the races under a bus.

Compliments of the Las Vegas Review Journal:
Aviation Nation encounters smooth skies on first day
"It looks like the Reno air races won't go on again." Ugh.

And the Thunderbirds have an interesting safety record...

Thunderbird Safety: The team has suffered two fatal crashes during air shows.

The first was the death of Major Joe Howard flying Thunderbird 3 on June 4, 1972 at Dulles Airport. His Phantom (F-4E) experienced a structural failure of the horizontal stabilizer. Maj Howard ejected as the aircraft fell back to earth from about 1,500 feet tail first and descended under a good canopy, but was too close to the explosion fireball and did not survive.
The second death occurred May 9, 1981 at Hill AFB, Utah, when Captain David "Nick" Hauck flying Thunderbird 6 crashed while attempting to execute a slow speed maneuver.

Other fatalities:

December 11, 1954: Capt George Kevil was killed at Luke in an F-84G.
September 26, 1957: 1st Lt Bob Rutte was killed at Nellis.
October 9, 1958: 19 men aboard the Thunderbirds' support C-123 were killed in a crash when the transport struck a flock of geese.
March 12, 1959: Capt C.D. Salmon was killed at Nellis.
July 27, 1960: Capt J.R. Crane, advance pilot was killed during a solo flight at Nellis.
April 6, 1961: Maj Robert S. Fitzgerald, commander/leader of the team, and Capt. George Nial, advance pilot were killed during training at Nellis.
May 9, 1964: Capt Eugene J. Devlin was killed when his F-105 broke apart as it pitched up for landing from a three-plane formation pass over Hamilton Air Force Base, California.
October 12, 1966: Maj Frank Liethen and Capt. Robert Morgan were killed in a collision of two F-100s at Indian Springs Nevada
January 9, 1969: Capt Jack Thurman was killed at Nellis.
December 21, 1972: Capt Jerry Bolt and TSgt Charles Lynn were killed during a flight test at Nellis.
July 25, 1977: Capt Charlie Carter, Thunderbird pilot was fatally injured at Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming.
May 9, 1981: Capt Nick Hauck was killed in the crash of his No. 6 T-38 during a low approach at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.
September 8, 1981: Lt Col David L. Smith, commander of the Thunderbirds, was killed when his aircraft ingested seagulls and stalled while leaving Cleveland, Ohio. Smith crashed into Lake Erie after his ejection seat malfunctioned and did not deploy his parachute. His crew chief successfully ejected from the back seat.
January 18, 1982: The "Diamond Crash", the worst training crash in Thunderbird history, occurred when Maj Norman L. Lowry, Capt Willie Mays, Capt Joseph N. Peterson, and Capt Mark Melancon were killed while practicing a line abreast loop during training at Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field in T-38s.

That's over 40 pilots and crew...

[ArmyMP]

Re: I hate reading the news

Thanks Victor for the reality check. Unfortunately, most people wouldn't take the time to think of those things.

The article IS one to get the blood pressure up. The reporters smell the stench of simpletons and pounce at the first chance to get the "dramatic quote". The talk of a "box" in the sky that everyone has to fly in is really a farse. Don't the Blues and Birds have solo folks that fly from BEHIND the crowd? Don't they have formations that are flying TOWARDs crowds and then split up as they get towards the crowd?

I think it is great when they do it. But the same people that are scared of seeing planes fly towards each other go WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW when the plane fly low over their heads and laugh when the solo guys scare them with burners lit when they sneak up from behind. Simply amazing.

At least the folks got to see a showcase in American Air Power.

Just my 2 cents.....

[Race5]

Re: I hate reading the news

At the NHRA event in Pomona yesterday a funny car was being pushed off the track after stopping in the shutdown area. It somehow re-fired and took off across the return road staging area, went through the fence and crashed through a sportsman class racer's trailer. The driver had the fuel cut off shut and was on the brakes as hard as possible and couldn't stop it. Luckily no one was hurt but that could have easily killed anyone standing in its path. Did that get any mention in the news? Nope....

[spacegrrrl]

Re: I hate reading the news

At the NHRA event in Pomona yesterday a funny car was being pushed off the track after stopping in the shutdown area. It somehow re-fired and took off across the return road staging area, went through the fence and crashed through a sportsman class racer's trailer. The driver had the fuel cut off shut and was on the brakes as hard as possible and couldn't stop it. Luckily no one was hurt but that could have easily killed anyone standing in its path. Did that get any mention in the news? Nope....

That was a strange incident. Not sure why she wouldn't have just pushed in the clutch. Everyone seems to forget about that option. Funnycars have a clutch and transmision, she could have put in the clutch and then the brake would have easily stopped the vehicle.

Spacegrrrl

[Race5]

Re: I hate reading the news

That was a strange incident. Not sure why she wouldn't have just pushed in the clutch. Everyone seems to forget about that option. Funnycars have a clutch and transmision, she could have put in the clutch and then the brake would have easily stopped the vehicle.

Spacegrrrl

The clutch in those cars can't be pushed in after the launch. They can push it in to back up after the burnout, but then they set the "clutch cannon" as it's called and release the clutch pedal while holding the car with the hand brake while staged. At the point it becomes a centrifugal clutch with the lockup ramp controlled by a pneumatic system. It has to be mechanically reset from within the clutch bell after each pass. My guess is it had a fuel leak in the shutoff valve system.

[Coyote Chris]

Re: I hate reading the news

What a hideous article....and who can forget when Capt. Chris Striklen punched out of his F-16 while doing a T-Bird show at Mountain Home right after visiting the air races a few years back....show center....
I also hate the word "Stunt". Aerobatic manuvers, yes, stunts, no....
So what does this guy want cars to do? Just take away Nascar and have the Saab driving team? More people die at air shows around the world than die at Reno......heck, bathtubs are more dangerous than Reno...

[sandramore]

Re: I hate reading the news

Need to get your blood pumping? Check out this website:

http://www.aviationlawmonitor.com/ar...eral-aviation/

[Coyote Chris]

Re: I hate reading the news

Those ambulance chasers better hope people like me arent on the jury.
An air race aint no cross walk....there is no presumption of a safe viewing area...there is only a presumption of danger.....Patty is right.
Look at the google earth view of the "safe viewing area" vs the square miles of desert.
I do see one thing comming when air racing returns. To camp out at Oshkosh, for instance, you have to sign a contract that you will not sue the EAA even if they are negligent.

Bill Shakespeare was right..."The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers". - (Act IV, Scene II King Henry VI).

[Tigercat24]

Re: I hate reading the news

Need to get your blood pumping? Check out this website:

http://www.aviationlawmonitor.com/ar...eral-aviation/

There is a reason that this website is essentially trashing all air race related things...it is published by the same butt-wipe who has been an ambulance chaser from the beginning: attorney Danko.