Jim Leroy went in today...

"Jim+Peggy" wrote in message
...

"Kyle Boatright" wrote in message
. ..

"Doug Semler" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Jul 28, 7:39 pm, "Gerald S." wrote:
Doug Semler wrote:
On Jul 28, 6:44 pm, "Blueskies"
wrote:
..Spun in down at Dayton.

Now all the masters of disaster have gone to the great airshow in
the sky...

Blue skies forever...

Big bummer.

The only time I saw him was in Salinas a year and a half ago. I had
never heard of him before and was thinking "This guy is balls to the
wall and beyond insane." After seeing more videos of him, he became my
favorite acro pilot.

Anyone hear what happened?

Gerald

The story I saw makes it sound like he basically ran out of altitude
during a pullout and pancaked to the ground...

Which is why I wish they would institute a 200' (or whatever) minimum
altitude for airshow performers. First, I don't like seeing airplanes
*that* close to the ground. It makes me uneasy (which I realize is part
of the draw - but I still don't like it). Second, in many shows, the
sight lines are terrible for low, low, acts anyway.

A higher minimum altitude, with corresponding higher entry altitudes,
would have saved quite a few great pilots over the years.

KB



I'm just an enthusiast here not a full blown pilot but just my "two bits
" here.
Most organizers of airshows in this day and age are well aware of the
fact that there are not enough pilots and enthusiasts to make an airshow
pay, you have to engage the nonflying public too if your show is going to
survive.
That means Joe sixpack folks, the NASCAR fans and we all are well aware
what they go to a show to see.
If they don't have at least a hint of the possibility of crumpled sheet
metal they are going to stand there and watch all those pretty aerobatics
and go home and say HO HUM that wasn't worth my admission fee , I won't go
again and I will tell all my buddies don't bother.

I really don't think anyone, even the lowest knuckle dragger wants to see
anyone get killed, which is a very common result of bent sheet metal in the
aviation world.

Beyond that, airshow performers killing themselves is detrimental to the
entire GA community. It reinforces the image that "those small planes crash
all the time", which is one among several important factors in keeping a lot
of people from being pilots.

Raise the altitude minimums to 100' and I don't think it will impact the
show quality by enough to notice.

KB