10 years later, How's everyone doing?

[planecrazy2]

Re: 10 years later, How's everyone doing?

Ufff. I sent my 16yo daughter to attend the races with my parents that year. Dad was pylon judge so my kids are a super anomaly as Gen Z air race fans. I had been in 2010 and snapped an awesome pic of the Ghost sitting in Jimmy?s pit. I loved scoopless Mustangs and the shot became my screensaver on my desktop pc for most of the year leading up to the races.
When I received the phone call from my daughter, I will never be able to forget the shock and fear in her voice as she explained what she witnessed from her seat near section 3.
Man I was crushed by the thought of losing another pilot and exotic race plane in the most tragic way horribly crashing into innocent spectators. I thought I was done with air racing and air racing itself was probably done and over as well. Just like Beguine?s crashing in Cleveland ended the run of races there. It?s been really hard for me to have experienced the crashes and loss of life we have seen at the NCAR over the years. Losing Jimmy and the Ghost felt like the last nail in air racings coffin for me. I am still interested in air racing but the interest is tempered by a cruel reality that racing has proved fatal to way too many good people. 18 pilots, one performer and 11 spectators may they all rest in peace.

[Danimal]

Re: 10 years later, How's everyone doing?

Good thread and good question. I have been watching this for a few days and gathering my thoughts to post.

I have had a box seat right in front of the announcers for 30 plus years and have seen what I thought was everything, until that day. When I saw Jimmy pitch up, I thought ok, he's good and getting altitude to pull off. Thats when things started going south. The turn behind the grandstands was out of the norm. The turn back to the grandstands was really out of the norm. The nose pitching down was hell.

As an engineer and pilot, I was doing the trajectory/math in my head and came up with a real quick calculation that Jimmy was gong into the stands right behind me. Then a slight pitch up and another quick calculation told me that I'm done with my time on earth. Funny how things go through your head so quick sometimes. I'm looking to my left and right and see no way out. All this time, I see Jimmy's beautiful chrome spinner getting closer and closer and I remember how loud it was getting and still accelerating. Still thinking SWEET JESUS Jimmy, WTF are you doing?

My next thought was well, I got the grass cut before I left home so my bride wont need to fool with that for a few days. I paid the bills before I came to Reno so that box is checked off.

I could almost reach out and touch the spinner, and then I was on my stomach outside of the box right in front of Danny in the announcers booth.

I still remember a sense of calm and felt a hand on my shoulder and heard a voice. "Don't worry, I've got this "

Skipping the details and fast forward to home. I live a couple of miles from a small airport in central Georgia that operates a sky diving operation. A few days after I came home, I was sitting on my deck and heard the King Air go into BETA after dropping the jumpers out and I froze up. The sound was the same. My bride saw me and just held my hand. She knew what was going on. Anyway, made it back to Reno the next year and the first unlimited race made me a bit skiddish to say the least. Watching the survivors gather every year in the spot for a get together and pictures, laughing and crying gets to me. In a good way.

That day changed my life forever and I think about it everyday. I'm not half the man I used to be. Thank GOD.

Stay safe and see you next week.

Danimal

[cheapskater]

Re: 10 years later, How's everyone doing?

Still to this day how can anyone explain how a mustang loaded with fuel and adi and everything else was able to fly straight into the tarmac without a fiery explosion. Tragic day but it could have been much much worse in so many ways. No explosion, not into the stands. Divine intervention?

[Air Boss]

Re: 10 years later, How's everyone doing?

Still to this day how can anyone explain how a mustang loaded with fuel and adi and everything else was able to fly straight into the tarmac without a fiery explosion. Tragic day but it could have been much much worse in so many ways. No explosion, not into the stands. Divine intervention?

Certainly was a lot of speculation about that. Some feel the sheer impact and resultant rapid expanse of the air immediately surrounding the scene extinguished any spark that could have ignited the fuel. Others say the amont of dust and pulzerized concrete acted as a supressant against the fuel vapors. Perhaps all those things...

And your divine intervention. I wouldn't discount that for a second...

[flyingjibus]

Re: 10 years later, How's everyone doing?

I was in the pits talking to Jimmy directly before that race. I was a GG superfan from back in the Spectre days. Its hard to admit, but I do agree that Leeward has some direct responsibility for what happened. it took me a long time to not just say "Thats racing"


I was covered in a fluid. it was petrochemicals, tarmac dust and vaporized people from the look/feel and smell of it. The impact was incredible. It seemed to suck all of the sound out of the world and into it. Which is pretty incredible considering the sound the engine was making. That is one part I will never forget. A race prepped merlin at full throttle pointed straight down makes an INCREDIBLE sound. If I had to guess, based on what I experienced I would say the initial impact force smothered any chance of a fire. Which is a pretty big blessing. Fire would have made that so much worse.

As soon as he pitched up I knew exactly what had happened. I watched Hannah/Voodoo do the exact same thing from the exact same spot years prior and immediately knew that something bad was about to happen. I think I muttered "Oh no" and then went into slo-mo fight or flight. I was surrounded by my friends and family who are all experienced with this stuff and we all tensed up. There seemed to be a few moments where he was pointed right at section three. I remember thinking I should maybe crouch down into the grandstands but quickly decided that would be pointless. Right about that moment the aircraft did its final roll and pitch up and I remember thinking to myself "That's not going to hit us. Good. Its going to hit them though" BOOM!

People were instantly crying, instantly puking, instantly running to the scene. ugh.

of that 18/1/11 count I have witnessed something like 10/1/11. All hard. All devastating. but all wrapped up in that nice package of "They know the risks, so do we" that makes watching your childhood hero's deaths palatable.

I used to have CRAZY airplane race crash dreams in the buildup to september like clockwork. After that day I have never had another one. I went back after 2011. When you have been going for 35 years you dont not go back, but I am not going this year. Didnt go last year either. not for anything to do with what happened that day, but the reasons I feel myself identifying when I say I am not going are a direct result of the aftermath of that day.

While I think we all thought the races were done done after that and pleasantly surprised that they were not, I think we all know its never been the same.

Thank you all for replying. This **** isnt easy to talk about it as people have said, but I promise talking about it makes it easier, if you are still struggling, talking about it is the first step to feeling better. Just start doing it. Do it here if you have to. We were there. We saw. We are also ****ed up.

<3

[airtj]

Re: 10 years later, How's everyone doing?

Still to this day how can anyone explain how a mustang loaded with fuel and adi and everything else was able to fly straight into the tarmac without a fiery explosion. Tragic day but it could have been much much worse in so many ways. No explosion, not into the stands. Divine intervention?

They had foam inside the fuel tanks, some of this came into our box after the accident. It also had a boil off system which I think helped keep the fire away.

[Leo]

Re: 10 years later, How's everyone doing?

My group was down the ramp near the handicap "seating". We saw it was going to miss us fairly quickly and were just in shock it was happening when a prop blade clanged down the ramp not 3' from us. That brought it close. The sound to me was like a big bag of glass and metal being dropped, except for the time slowdown that seemed to let me hear every cylinder fire. Once dust started settling and they called for medical volunteers and all others to leave, we did. So quickly that we were passing the equipment coming in as we entered the freeway.
I have not had any lasting effects from it, though a relive now and then in a dream will wake me up. I am the only one of my group to go back since and was there in 2012 and every year since.
The way I look at it, a fraction of a second sooner and it would have gone into the pits. A fraction later and into the heritage. Both would have been disastrous with lots of fire and death. Any change in angle and it would be in the stands, again much more damage. It went almost to the perfect spot. Another 30' and we would not have any victims except Mr. Leeward.
It gave me a little of a fatalistic viewpoint, realizing that sometimes there just is nothing you can do but ride along. I have felt that way in situations that were, well, close, since. It changed me but in a calming way I guess.

[Desertdawg]

Re: 10 years later, How's everyone doing?

October 1, 2011 I went to Moana Lane Nursery and purchased a Little Leaf Linden tree in memory of the people we lost.

Ten years later the tree has flourished. During air race week when you stand next to it and air racers fiy overhead, theres a strong sense of "Lets keep the show going in their memory".

[Chessman]

Re: 10 years later, How's everyone doing?

Like so many of the other posters, I was in the front row box seats that day. Our box had to be close to Danimal's, as what he described what we saw exactly. If the engine hadn't started running again and caused the plane to pitch up and turn slightly it would have hit us. The folks in our box are mostly a bunch of aerospace engineers. Before we left the event we had a pretty good handle on what happened. We've all been on accident investigations, and we just went to work doing what we do as a coping mechanism. There were three who were in our box that day who have never come back. The rest of us used the 2012 races as a healing event. I can close my eyes and hear the sounds and see the sight again like it was yesterday, but the only PTSD I can say I have from the event is a nervous feeling as they come around turn 7. I'm sorry for the death and pain suffered by so many from that event, but I'm also very proud of the folks that came back. Watching the crowd render aid to the injured, and the general way everyone behaved after the crash was nothing less than inspirational. I'm proud to have you air race fans as my friends. I'll see you again every year there are races.

[Danimal]

Re: 10 years later, How's everyone doing?

Chessman. Well said sir....... Stop by C-96 if you get a chance. Safe travels.
Danimal

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: 10 years later, How's everyone doing?

Because I was located out at outer Pylon 4 when it happened, we did not even know what or who had gone in, there is a knoll between the pylon and the field, if I remember correctly, you can see the tower and tops of the tallest grandstands, but not the runway. We just knew someone had died.

I finally was able to pull up the board via my phone and someone had posted what had happened...

It is all sort of unreal to me.. I know it happened, I saw the airplane go in right up to before impact.. it's hard to explain.

I was also lucky to be spared viewing the aftermath. I was tending to a victim of shock in the press area, someone who shares the box with Danimal, Dave Mueller, he was really shook!

They came in and asked for first aid trained volunteers.. I am and I almost left Dave but thought better of it. Dave Leininger, very well qualified did go.. they all returned a few minutes later.. after being taken to the scene, in full view, they were turned away as not needed.. A very shocked Dave said "be glad you did not go" as he walked in the door..

I only allowed myself a short view of the plate installed over the site the next year and that's it..

My sense of loss is great! Jimmy Leeward was a early very enthusiastic supporter of this site's mission. He opened many doors for me. He was always a very gracious host and treated me and my family members who met him very well. I know there are mixed feelings about his actions.. I'd rather not get into my feelings on the NTSB investigation..

I think I've probably told this story before here, only now it's much later and my feelings today are... the races are not and will never be for me what they once were... there is a distinct hole in my heart from that day only I still have the damn hard to shake feeling that it's some kind of bad dream.. I am so lucky I was where I was!