Jan 15, 2013, 6:47 PM
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Freddie Cabanas
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Word come to us tonight that Freddie Cabanas, stunt bi plane pilot of WFFC fame was lost in a plane crash in Cozumel Mexico today. Apparently there was a journalist as a passenger, who is also deceased. Blue skies Freddie! Your legend will go on forever!
I just read that on Facebook too. Freddie was an energetic fun guy. Made a lot of skydivers happy by providing them with inverted biplane jumps. I bet there are a lot of those pictures on peoples' walls ...
If anyone has their pictures available, we would love to see them.
I just read that on Facebook too. Freddie was an energetic fun guy. Made a lot of skydivers happy by providing them with inverted biplane jumps. I bet there are a lot of those pictures on peoples' walls ...
If anyone has their pictures available, we would love to see them.
You are absolutely right Gary! I have noticed how many guys used that inverted pic of them dropping from Freddies plane as their FB icon. I'll bet alot of them didn't even know his name. He is just that cool bi plane pilot to them. They don't know what he went thru to get that modification approved for their jumping pleasure!
NOOOOOOO! Fred "the banana" Cabanas was one of the greatest people ever. The guy had a million stories and had done a TON of crazy shit. Will be terribly missed. A 3rd generation Conch head. Rare indeed. RIP Freddie
I am really sad to hear this! Freddy was a great guy and aside from the WFFC he would come hang out with us jumpers at the Blue Angel Airshow every year! Blue Skies Freddy!
(This post was edited by timber on Jan 15, 2013, 10:13 PM)
Didn't know him but sounds like he was an accomplished pilot, 24,000+ hours.
While this forum is about the memory of people, perhaps some factual material is OK too. I heard about the accident on an aerobatics list yesterday, where airshow pilot Gary Ward wrote:
Quote:
As has been posted previously, Fred Cabanas died in a plane crash today in Cozumel, Mex. Fred left Key West this am in his Pitts S2-C for an air show this weekend in Panama. He stopped in Cozumel where he planned to stay overnight. After arriving, he was taking up a reporter in a locally owned Decathalon to help promote a future air show in Cozumel. They were flying out of a private airport about 10 miles SE of Cozumel intl. Fred and his passenger were killed. So far there are no details as to the cause of the crash.
Someone else provided some links for his aerobatics. I haven't checked them all out:
I talked to Freddie a few days ago and he was excited about the trip and the upcoming airshow season. I told him that I would come visit after we got Sun-N-Fun behind us...just like I told him last year and it never happened. I'm going to miss answering my phone and hearing "Hey brother, I need a favor"
Hey brother, we'll keep and eye on Susan and the kids for you-Blue Skies
THere is a folder of pics being compiled, for those of you who would like to share your love of Freddy with the family. Go to "World Free Fall Convention Friends" on FB and add yours. Teresa Huner (who was part of the Pitts Crew at both Quincy and Rantoul) will contact the family to let them know they have permission to use the pics for the memorial. Thanks everyone. Yea, I'm gonna miss this guy alot! I have some of the best stories, thanks to my friend, Freddy!
Freddy gave me my first biplane jump at WFFC in Rantoul. Great guy and very accomplished aviator. He flew a big Sea Fury in the Unlimited category at the Reno Air Races. What a shame to lose him. I wonder what caused the crash?
Did some work for freddie not too long ago. Very cool guy. I got to know him pretty good. Very very sad to hear this. Any idea as to what happened??? Like details of the crash?
Blue skies freddie you will be missed my brother. You can now fly free
I knew Freddy since May of 1990, when he first introduced me to Aerobatics in his Pitts S2A he had at the time.
I have flown with him a few times afterwards, in the mid 90's over beautiful Key West (where he had "Island Aeroplane Tours") and his flying and aerobatic skills were second-to-none.
Him and his wife offered Aerobatics at Sun-N-Fun in Lakeland each year for some time, and I was lucky enough to skydive from his Inverted Pitts S2B at several boogies, including the last WFFC in 2006.
I have an aerobatic compilation and some of his flying is also in it (including footage shot from a Piper "chase' plane of myself and Cabanas doing aerobatics back in the 90's over Key West).
I'm going to miss answering my phone and hearing "Hey brother, I need a favor" 
