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wildblue

Dayton Airshow Crash - fatal

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We got word about 2 hours after the incident. I've added "RIP" to way too fucking entries in my phone book the past couple of years:(:(

For those of you who didn't know him, Jim was a great guy, one hell of a pilot, and one of the best performers that I know. Jim was one of the Masters of Destruction along with Jimmy Franklin and Bobby Younkin who we lost in Canada in a mid-air. He leaves a wife, and I believe a young daugther.

I am not the man. But the man knows my name...and he's worried

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It's not in that story, but the pilot was Jim LeRoy
http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/07/28/ddn072807leroyweb.html

Bad weekend for aviation - 2 news helicopters down, 4 fatalities; medial helicopter crashed; 2 air show crashes resulting in 2 fatalities.
it's like incest - you're substituting convenience for quality

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This is just conjecture, but the smoke that obscured the video (from the other a/c) might have played a role. When doing multiple rolling maneuvers, it is easy to do one too many or establish a dteeper downline than planned.

I think Jim was better than Sean Tucker. He certainly had the experience to do what he was doing. He was one of the few full timers, so experience and currency are likely not issues.

We will never know what happened, it was likely just one small error at a horrible time.

I am not a fan of these "Master of Disaster" type shows with multiple a/c. We have lost 3 of the best pilots that ever flew doing them. I think they are more unscripted than the participants would have you believe. Jim had the added task of worrying about another a/c. Low level acro is not conducive to diverted attention.

He was a true badass. watch this takeoff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEGiipEKMSU

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Quote

We got word about 2 hours after the incident. I've added "RIP" to way too fucking entries in my phone book the past couple of years:(:(

For those of you who didn't know him, Jim was a great guy, one hell of a pilot, and one of the best performers that I know. Jim was one of the Masters of Destruction along with Jimmy Franklin and Bobby Younkin who we lost in Canada in a mid-air. He leaves a wife, and I believe a young daughter.



Jim leaves a son the had just turned 4, five days before the accident...the airshow industry lost another great one.

Blue skies Bull Dog.










~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

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Yeah, I kept meaning to go back and correct that to son but never got around to it. I got a note from ICAS (International Council of Air Shows) that a scholarship fund is being set up or has been.
I am not the man. But the man knows my name...and he's worried

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