IT's about F'ing time!

[MIKE NIXON]

Re: IT's about F'ing time!

Steve Hinton and I were having dinner in Seattle last month and the date was the 26th year of the crash. He did a web search and we found this site. Since it has been a few years since this thread was active I think its a good time to add to it.
Denise and Dave: Its good to hear you both are doing well. Remember stopping for 31 flavors after school? who was the big fan of Mint-choc chip?
I met Dave while working on the Lysander project at Volpar. Talk about a life changing event. I was restoring the airframe and Dave was in and out with Roger Davies to check on the progress. My life was changed forever the day he delivered the Mercury engine to Volpar. It was spring of 1974 before lunch because I spent my lunch break walking around the engine admiring the workmanship. My wife Kim says that I came home that night and said that I knew what I was going to do for the rest of mylife! Build engines to that level of quality. By the time the plane flew Dave and I had agreed on my going to work for him after Reno '74. I have some photos of him with the Lysander I will get posted.
Thanks to all the posts here, lots of stories. I have 4 years of them and many more of later years. They include Butch, Randy Scoville, Pete Law, Bruce Boland and on and on. The Red Baron project and Reno with the crew having numbers after their names. Ed had #1 and Dave had #10. The second day Dave had #1 and holes in the shirt where the zero had been.
Reading: Dave was a student and I remember learning that Ricardo and his book were the first book to get and reread. However he didn't like to see us reading in the shop while on the clock. " If I want you to know something, I will tell you."
And my best was shortly after I said that I had failed mind reading in college, I was informed that "he made the jokes around here".
Lots of other stories, this fall will be 40 years since I met Dave.
Denise, if you and Dave want copies of stuff I have let me know here. I have my e-mail blocked as I have a lot going on these days. Our shop is huge, and we have 35 people working on a good day. vintagev12s.com has links to the other shops.
On a sad note, the crash was the day we had our grand opening at Tehachapi. In a way it is a continuation of his teaching and legacy. He gave me the chance to learn. He expected the best from his crew and it laid the foundation for my sucess and Ricks, and a lot of other's.
I had a good chat with Dave at Reno 1986 and he was in a good place with his life. He was moving past all the stuff of the past and it is a good memory.
Mike Nixon

[Matt Jackson]

Re: IT's about F'ing time!

I have so many memories of Dave. There is not a day that goes by in my business that I don't think of him. Dave got me my first Mustang ride with Jerry Janes. Introduced me to the Sanders family. Goated me into buying a T33 so we could both have a jet to fly. I was the third guy to fly his F86 after Skip delivered the plane to Chino. Dave took it for a flight, came down, filled the fuel tanks and said go for it Jetson. Dave named me Jetson after George Jetson when I purchased the T33. He gave me my first P51 project to build and essencially involved me in many projects over the 8 years I knew him. He teamed me with Pete Regina, Dennis Schoenfelder and their crews to create Stilletto RAce 84. So to say I owe Dave my carreer in racing is puttng it lightly. He was the master of engine building and most of all my friend. Life just is not the same without the Z around. It seems that aviation took on a whole new look after Dave left. People say that time heals and that we all learn to deal with losses in life. I have had a few, as all of us do, but Dave is one of those losses that just doesn't go away. He will forever be remember by me. I will continue to tell Dave stories that fill my mind and heart. A funny Dave story I remember was sharing a room at the Shafter Air Show with him the year before he died. We were laying in the room trying to get to sleep and Dave asked me if I could name all of Joe Kasparoff's childrens names. We sat there for 20 minutes trying to remember all their names. We did agree that all their names started with the letter J as Joe liked names that started with the letter J. There was Jennie, Jainny, Jollen, Joey and we just could not remember the last. All of a sudden I said I got it Dave. He said "whats the name Jetson? I said Jebbie. We both laughed uncontrollably for 15 minutes literally crying ourselves to sleep. For those of you that know Joe's kids. The last name was actually Debbie, but I threw a J in there for effect. I don't believe I have ever told this story of our last conversation. It was the night prior to his accident. He had called me to see if I would take the 86 to Shafter and then fly onto Denver to deliver the plane to the new owner. His High school friend was supplying the fuel at the air show and was going to tank Dave up for the trip to Denver. We figured in order to make Denver he would have to file IFR and go high to non-stop it. Dave did not have an IFR rating, so he asked me if I would do it. The deal was he had to deliver the plane to get paid. I explained that I could not take it that Saturday as I was celebrating my 9th wedding anniversary and could not ditch the old lady. He then asked if I could pick the plane up Monday morning at Shafter and take it onto Denver for him. I said I would. The last thing I saw was Dave as he was getting a Hobart start from Hank Otsen and was taxing out for take-off with Chuck Thorton in his T38. His last words to me were " Don't screw this deal up Jetson" Within a half hour Chuck was back at Van Nuys giving us the bad news. It is still one of the saddest days of my life. I don't believe we will ever see another Dave Zeuschel. I will however continue to keep him in my memories and heart.

Matt J