If it's alright AAFOers please check in......

[Section3guy]

Re: If it's alright AAFOers please check in......

i also was in the valley of speed
i just left the grandstands to get out there and was cheering Jimmy on!!!
i was so happy to see the ghost tearing up the course, i kept thinking if this is only friday whats he going to do on sunday
never in my life has had such happy excitment then gone to uter dispair

agian, blue skys Jimmy and fans

[mrcraigarcher]

Re: If it's alright AAFOers please check in......

The Johnson family is okay. We're all pretty shaken, but we'll be okay. We're in Carson City tonight. If anyone out there needs anything let me know.

Craig
801-928-9191

[Race5]

Re: If it's alright AAFOers please check in......

I'm here. I had left the chairman's club to avoid the jet race and was standing right next to Jimmy's pit when it happened. I unfortunately saw everything but the actual impact. Prayers to all involved...

[boom3]

Re: If it's alright AAFOers please check in......

Just rolled into town this afternoon from Seattle and saw it from the roof of the motor home. Very, very sad. Blue skies Jimmy

[a4gturn]

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I was in the pits standing next to Jimmy's trailer ....

[Victor Archer]

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Jeff, Jill and I are all OK. I was at pylon 5 and Jeff was on top of the Bear trailer.
Jeff has very clear images of the trim tab buckling and then breaking away. I made sure they were turned in for the investigation.
I'm just sick, Jeff is pretty upset over it.
Thoughts and prayers to Jimmy's family and crew...

[Race 29]

Re: If it's alright AAFOers please check in......

Monica (Mrs. Race 29) and I had those box seats last year right where the impact was. A gift from my neighbor. Fortunatly they were out of their seats when it happened. If I didn't have to be at home for business, we would have been right there. We're safe, the neighbors are safe, but it's small consolation. My heart and my Prayers absolutly go out to the victims and their families. Blue skies Jimmy, you will be missed.

Race 29

[shadow]

Re: If it's alright AAFOers please check in......

My girlfriend and I were about 50 yards away. Top of western-most general admission grandstands. As Jimmy was wrestling for control the plane gyrated several times. Two times it was coming straight at us. Unfortunately from our location we could see everything....

Thoughts, tears, and best wishes go out to everyone.

[deepsky]

Re: If it's alright AAFOers please check in......

Thankfully my wife was sick this morning so I left early to pick up my son from school. Our seats were second row bleachers right behind the boxes affected. I also know that BearHauler and Lonnie are OK.

[Rampman]

Re: If it's alright AAFOers please check in......

Had to work. Saddest Reno day ever. Blue skies and prayers to everyone involved.

[spacegrrrl]

Re: If it's alright AAFOers please check in......

My girlfriend and I were about 50 yards away. Top of western-most general admission grandstands. As Jimmy was wrestling for control the plane gyrated several times. Two times it was coming straight at us. Unfortunately from our location we could see everything....

Thoughts, tears, and best wishes go out to everyone.

I must have been close to where you were, I decided I couldn't figure out if I should try and jump or run, finally just decided it was moving to fast to dodge, I hate to say luckily the plane rolled and pointed more downward.

The more I think about it, particularly when you see that there was enough G to pop out the tailwheel and the picture where you can't see Jimmy (pulled down in the cockpit), I think after the control failure that caused the pitch up, Jimmy was pulled down into the cockpit and knocked unconcious, forcing the stick to the rolling at the top of the arc and after that the plane was on its own, I expect Jimmy was passed out from the g force. If he was concious when the pull up started I think he would have rolled away from the crowd to the center of the course or tried to recover at the top of the arc by completing the roll or pushing negative. The rolling out instead of pulling up from inverted at low level is a manuver I think they make you demonstrate in PRS. Jimmy was an excellent pilot and rolling out should have been second nature.

Right now I don't know how I am going to get this out of my head.

One other thing that breaks my heart, and I might catch flack for this is the loss of this amazing airplane, all the history she represented. She wouldn't have wanted to end this way. Not as a tradegy.. not taking out her pilot and her fans..

Spacegrrrl

[DWYER]

Re: If it's alright AAFOers please check in......

Sadly enough our group was in section c when it all unfolded. We couldn't believe how good Jimmy was doing. Simply awesome. Then things took the turn. We sat at the top of section C and saw the aircraft pull up and loop. I noticed that it quickly went from a mayday to an emergency. We thought it was going behind us, then the nose cone was all we could see. We thought it was all over for us, deer in the headlights. Unbelievably it started moving towards the tarmac at the last second. I've never felt so terrible in my whole life. Our hearts go out to all the victims and spectators. This will be a sad day in our hearts forever. Rip. Its hard to write this. I hope all the injured are or will do well. I will be praying for all of you. Please have a safe trip home.

[johnnyrace]

Re: If it's alright AAFOers please check in......

I must have been close to where you were, I decided I couldn't figure out if I should try and jump or run, finally just decided it was moving to fast to dodge, I hate to say luckily the plane rolled and pointed more downward.

The more I think about it, particularly when you see that there was enough G to pop out the tailwheel and the picture where you can't see Jimmy (pulled down in the cockpit), I think after the control failure that caused the pitch up, Jimmy was pulled down into the cockpit and knocked unconcious, forcing the stick to the rolling at the top of the arc and after that the plane was on its own, I expect Jimmy was passed out from the g force. If he was concious when the pull up started I think he would have rolled away from the crowd to the center of the course or tried to recover at the top of the arc by completing the roll or pushing negative. The rolling out instead of pulling up from inverted at low level is a manuver I think they make you demonstrate in PRS. Jimmy was an excellent pilot and rolling out should have been second nature.

Right now I don't know how I am going to get this out of my head.

One other thing that breaks my heart, and I might catch flack for this is the loss of this amazing airplane, all the history she represented. She wouldn't have wanted to end this way. Not as a tradegy.. not taking out her pilot and her fans..

Spacegrrrl

I agree with your evaluation...The extremely violent pull up was right in front of us and I really believe the G level would have been very high (much like the VooDoo / Hannah episode years ago) and likely rendered Jimmy unconscious...The photos surfacing are very telling and very sad...I remember how I felt when Miss Ashley went in, and this is so much worse...I really am still in a daze...Thanks Spacegrrrl for your intelligent observations.

[DWYER]

Re: If it's alright AAFOers please check in......

Thank god there was no fire. I am told from others there was avgas everywhere. I truly believe Jimmy saved my family and friends lives at the last moment. I can't explain how I feel right now. So many feelings.

[Feliks]

Re: If it's alright AAFOers please check in......

Please accept sincere condolences heartfelt.
Calm me that everyone will continue to be involved in discussions of historical...

Andrew