I'm really sick over this, having seen both aircraft fly numerous times...I've been inside Texas Raiders a number of times...:uhuh:...Ben
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I'm really sick over this, having seen both aircraft fly numerous times...I've been inside Texas Raiders a number of times...:uhuh:...Ben
I saw that it was terrible.
Not good. It's a lousy way to die and many families that witnessed it will be scarred.
The humans who erred are dead. We may never know what happened.
Hunter
I've only been to one air show. In the 1970s, we were up from Georgia and I was visiting my grandparents' farm. The Blue Angels were demonstrating maneuvers in their new A-4 Skyhawks and we sat on a hill overlooking the airport, watching them fly patterns about 2 feet from each other (or so it seemed). The noise was fantastic and the pressure wave as they passed low over the hill was concussive. It was thrilling.
And to know that these people at the show, in the midst of that sort of exhilaration, are then dropped into the horror of watching these pilots fall from the sky in a fireball - the emotions are going to be very strong with them so yes, they too will be scarred. We sometimes forget that witnesses are victims also.
Please pray for the pilots, their families, and all who saw this happen.
Tragic :down:
May they all RIP.
Prayer for all involved.
Hate to see a vintage aircraft be lost that way.
Some folks on the 'net are saying it looks like the smaller of the two aircraft purposely struck the B-17. Watching the second video in Ben's link, I must say that theory seems plausible to me. I'm not saying that's what happened, but it sure seems like the smaller aircraft could have avoided the B-17 had it wanted to. Unless there was a note left somewhere, I suspect we will never know. :shrug:
Whatever the cause it was certainly tragic for so many........
My mind doesn't go there---I'm going to hold on to the thought it was a tragic accident caused by any number of things---beginning with the chance of a medical emergency. I hope I am right :dunno:
I just saw a Houston TV broadcast that said both aircraft were based in Conroe, a small city just North of Houston.
Ben, I just did a search of my photographs from when we were at the Conroe airshow in 2016. I don't see either of the aircraft so I assume they were not part of that show.
Conroe? Famous for plywoody pools Conroe?
Here is a link to the aircraft page of the Commemorative Air Force and the 181 incredible aircraft they own and maintain. It is a truly amazing organization.
That was my first reaction when I saw the video, but the likelihood is extremely remote as all participants are a closely knit group, nearer family than friends...I think any personality clashes that serious would have grounded any squabbling crewmembers aboard...Dave's guess at a medical emergency is valid, and an autopsy may provide more clues...The more likely cause could be an engineering failure of any of the structural or operational parts of the aircraft, some of which are nearing 80 to 90 years old...The control surfaces of both aircraft are cable and lever operated, and an overstressed snapped cable in mid-movement could lead to such a disaster...I'll wait for the FAA and NTSB reports...That was the Wings of Freedom tour which is a function of the Collings Foundation...Their aircraft are still grounded following the loss of their own B-17 a few years ago...Here is a link to photographs from that event...
The Bell P-63 King Cobra was a huge improvement over the similar-looking Bell P-39 Airacobra...The P-39 saw extensive service in the early island campaigns of the South Pacific, but its lack of speed and climb rates, and vulnerability to ground fire relegated most of its use to NZ and Aussie forces which were glad to have anything that flew...Soviet forces loved them as tank killers since they had nose mounted cannon and heavy machine guns due to the engines being mounted behind the pilot...By the time the P-63 was introduced the P-51's and P-47's were the dominant fighter planes of American forces...
Below are photos of both aircraft in flight in 2016 at WOH...More photos here...At various times over the years I've been around and inside these same aircraft numerous times...More photos are available in my albums for those interested...I'm devastated by the loss of the volunteers who flew and maintained these old warbirds, not to mention the flying museums themselves...I like to think the souls who did not find their way back to Earth this weekend were greeted at St. Peter's check-in desk by another old flyer who arrived before them, our own Dan Harbaugh...:salute:...Ben
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mKR4Fk6uo...0/IMG_5610.JPG
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BbN8Yu51y...0/IMG_5331.JPG
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xt_70ERNP...0/IMG_5374.JPG
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KaGIA6Jjg...0/IMG_5679.JPG
I see you found some pretty good models to pose with the aircraft.....................