Why I'll never build a kit plane.]

This was not a kit. It's a Rutan moldless composite design built from plans. The design has many successful examples flying today, probably hundreds. Wait until all the evidence is in before you draw your conclusions.

I agree that the death is tragic. We had a wonderful aircraft builder, an ophthalmologist, killed here several years ago when he flew his Moni for the first time. His wife and children were also watching. Oh, it was a sad day of grief! But, you know, that young doctor had flown a Rutan-designed aircraft for a number of happy years before the catastrophe which took his life.

Don't jump to rash conclusions.
"Jim Willson" wrote in message news:3f1e93b4$1@ham...
Even though I'd be quite capable of doing it, I'll never build a kit airplane. Call me a wimp, but I've assembled too many bicycles on Christmas morning to think that I could be 100% correct in building an airplane. And for what?! A thrill. The pride to say, "Look what I did!" I wonder what the kids will say about their daddy. I'm sure he spent hours at the hanger instead of with them. Perhaps they sat at the hanger watching him asking him annoying questions so that they could at least get his attention. I'm sure he made many promises to spend more time with them when the plane was finished.

We spend so many hours of our lives chasing after the temporal things of this world, (i.e. hobbies, work, a name, a reputation). We never spend time chasing after the things that will count when we're gone (the character of our family) or those things eternal.

I grieve for this family. What a waste!

R/
Jim

================================================== ===========================================
Engineer Killed in Small Plane Crash
TEHACHAPI, Calif. (AP) - An aerospace engineer was killed when a kit airplane he had spent years building crashed during takeoff on its maiden flight.
The single-engine plane piloted by David Robert Thompson (http://www.scaled.com), 38, fell back onto the runway and burst into flames Sunday at Mountain Valley Airport, about 70 miles north of Los Angeles.
His wife and two children were among the witnesses.
``His family was there, videotaping,'' said coroner Kelly Cowan. ``It was supposed to be a celebration.''
The cause of the crash was not known.
Thompson was in charge of developing a rocket motor for a private manned spaceship program that aims to some day launch a three-seat spaceship on suborbital flights.
He worked for the aerospace company founded by Burt Rutan, who designed the only aircraft to fly around the world nonstop without refueling.
Rutan said Monday that Thompson was flying a Q2, a kit plane marketed in the 1980s by a company that is no longer in business. He said Thompson ``was very private'' about the plane and did not tell co-workers about the flight.

Better that the kids and dad are at the hangar, rather than
dad sitting in a bar somewhere, and the kids who knows where?

Aren't patience and pride of workmanship two important values that
you would want to instill in your children? How about creativety? Or is
your idea of
creativety a clip-art card your kid "made" for you at the computer?

Live is to be lived, not skipped because of safety issues.

Go watch TV with your kids, Jim. Its safe, and you'll be spending
quality time with them.

The crash is a terrible tragedy, and my heart truly goes out to the family.
But if it has one (small) positive, it is to remind us that life is
precious, and fragile.

Bill Chernoff

Bill Chernoff wrote:

Live is to be lived, not skipped because of safety issues.

Go watch TV with your kids, Jim. Its safe, and you'll be spending
quality time with them.

I flew on aircraft carriers for 11 years (minus time on shore billets)
and had 1500 hrs and over 300 traps. Please don't lecture me on
aviation safety. But after spending years chasing after a sense of
accomplishment, a name for myself, and living life to its fullest, I
learned the meaning of a fulfilled life. It's the smile, the hug, the
hand in hand, the talking about what interests them under a tree or
reading a book to them. What's a TV?

Careful, you're doing the same thing you're accusing me of doing.
Stereotyping.

R/
Jim

"Larry Smith" wrote in message
...
This was not a kit. It's a Rutan moldless composite design built from
plans. The design has many successful examples flying today, probably
hundreds. Wait until all the evidence is in before you draw your
conclusions.

I agree that the death is tragic. We had a wonderful aircraft builder, an
ophthalmologist, killed here several years ago when he flew his Moni for
the first time. His wife and children were also watching. Oh, it was a
sad day of grief! But, you know, that young doctor had flown a
Rutan-designed aircraft for a number of happy years before the catastrophe
which took his life.

Don't jump to rash conclusions.

Larry, just a small point. While Rutan did design (not market) the original
18-20 hp Quickie, he had nothing to do with the Q2 2-seater and its
derivatives, which were designed by Garry LaGare.

Fred in Florida

PS My Express door latches are great, very much like Glasair latches. Check
'em out ;-)

"Fred in Florida" wrote in message
om...
"Larry Smith" wrote in message
...
This was not a kit. It's a Rutan moldless composite design built from
plans. The design has many successful examples flying today, probably
hundreds. Wait until all the evidence is in before you draw your
conclusions.

I agree that the death is tragic. We had a wonderful aircraft builder,
an
ophthalmologist, killed here several years ago when he flew his Moni for
the first time. His wife and children were also watching. Oh, it was a
sad day of grief! But, you know, that young doctor had flown a
Rutan-designed aircraft for a number of happy years before the catastrophe
which took his life.

Don't jump to rash conclusions.

Larry, just a small point. While Rutan did design (not market) the
original
18-20 hp Quickie, he had nothing to do with the Q2 2-seater and its
derivatives, which were designed by Garry LaGare.

Fred in Florida

PS My Express door latches are great, very much like Glasair latches.
Check
'em out ;-)



Thanks, and for the tip, thanks too. I am trying to get in the mood for
Oshkosh and there's a monsoon beating the hell out of the roof just now.

And, btw, I should have said that the Doctor (who died in the Moni) built
the Rutan Defiant himself and flew it all over the USA.

Yes it is a terrible thing that happened while a man chased his dreams, but
if man was never passionate about the "temporal things" he would likely
still be sitting with his family around the fire, just outside the cave
entrance.

Just the fact that we can have this conversation with folks from all parts
of the country and even the world is evidence of what chasing those passions
adds to the world. Many times these passions have tragic endings, but that
doesn't mean it is a waste, it's part what defines the human race.

And while the family of David Robert Thompson has suffered a great loss,
there is nothing in the news that would indicate that he was any less
passionate about his family than he was about his work. On the contrary, I
would imagine his same passion for life, creativity and discovery has rubbed
off on his children and will continue to shape their lives for the rest of
their time on earth.

Regards,

Mitch

Mitch Hines
Alon A-2 Aircoupe
N6369V


Flight by machines heavier than air is unpractical
and insignificant, if not utterly impossible.

- Simon Newcomb, 1902



"Jim Willson" wrote in message news:3f1e93b4$1@ham...
Even though I'd be quite capable of doing it, I'll never build a kit
airplane. Call me a wimp, but I've assembled too many bicycles on Christmas
morning to think that I could be 100% correct in building an airplane. And
for what?! A thrill. The pride to say, "Look what I did!" I wonder what
the kids will say about their daddy. I'm sure he spent hours at the hanger
instead of with them. Perhaps they sat at the hanger watching him asking
him annoying questions so that they could at least get his attention. I'm
sure he made many promises to spend more time with them when the plane was
finished.

We spend so many hours of our lives chasing after the temporal things of
this world, (i.e. hobbies, work, a name, a reputation). We never spend time
chasing after the things that will count when we're gone (the character of
our family) or those things eternal.

I grieve for this family. What a waste!

R/
Jim

================================================== ==========================
=================
Engineer Killed in Small Plane Crash
TEHACHAPI, Calif. (AP) - An aerospace engineer was killed when a kit
airplane he had spent years building crashed during takeoff on its maiden
flight.
The single-engine plane piloted by David Robert Thompson
(http://www.scaled.com), 38, fell back onto the runway and burst into flames
Sunday at Mountain Valley Airport, about 70 miles north of Los Angeles.
His wife and two children were among the witnesses.
``His family was there, videotaping,'' said coroner Kelly Cowan. ``It was
supposed to be a celebration.''
The cause of the crash was not known.
Thompson was in charge of developing a rocket motor for a private manned
spaceship program that aims to some day launch a three-seat spaceship on
suborbital flights.
He worked for the aerospace company founded by Burt Rutan, who designed the
only aircraft to fly around the world nonstop without refueling.
Rutan said Monday that Thompson was flying a Q2, a kit plane marketed in the
1980s by a company that is no longer in business. He said Thompson ``was
very private'' about the plane and did not tell co-workers about the flight.

Fair enough. You're certainly entitled your opinions and only you can make the choices about how you should live your life. But why, then, do you bother to read this news group and why do feel you should post your opinions here? I don't go to a dancing newsgroup and tell the members there why I don't like to dance.
"Jim Willson" wrote in message news:3f1e93b4$1@ham...
Even though I'd be quite capable of doing it, I'll never build a kit airplane. Call me a wimp, but I've assembled too many bicycles on Christmas morning to think that I could be 100% correct in building an airplane. And for what?! A thrill. The pride to say, "Look what I did!" I wonder what the kids will say about their daddy. I'm sure he spent hours at the hanger instead of with them. Perhaps they sat at the hanger watching him asking him annoying questions so that they could at least get his attention. I'm sure he made many promises to spend more time with them when the plane was finished.

We spend so many hours of our lives chasing after the temporal things of this world, (i.e. hobbies, work, a name, a reputation). We never spend time chasing after the things that will count when we're gone (the character of our family) or those things eternal.

I grieve for this family. What a waste!

R/
Jim

================================================== ===========================================
Engineer Killed in Small Plane Crash
TEHACHAPI, Calif. (AP) - An aerospace engineer was killed when a kit airplane he had spent years building crashed during takeoff on its maiden flight.
The single-engine plane piloted by David Robert Thompson (http://www.scaled.com), 38, fell back onto the runway and burst into flames Sunday at Mountain Valley Airport, about 70 miles north of Los Angeles.
His wife and two children were among the witnesses.
``His family was there, videotaping,'' said coroner Kelly Cowan. ``It was supposed to be a celebration.''
The cause of the crash was not known.
Thompson was in charge of developing a rocket motor for a private manned spaceship program that aims to some day launch a three-seat spaceship on suborbital flights.
He worked for the aerospace company founded by Burt Rutan, who designed the only aircraft to fly around the world nonstop without refueling.
Rutan said Monday that Thompson was flying a Q2, a kit plane marketed in the 1980s by a company that is no longer in business. He said Thompson ``was very private'' about the plane and did not tell co-workers about the flight.

Don't FEED THE TROLL.









"Jim Willson" wrote in message news:3f1e93b4$1@ham...
Even though I'd be quite capable of doing it, I'll never build a kit
airplane. Call me a wimp, but I've assembled too many bicycles on Christmas
morning to think that I could be 100% correct in building an airplane. And
for what?! A thrill. The pride to say, "Look what I did!" I wonder what
the kids will say about their daddy. I'm sure he spent hours at the hanger
instead of with them. Perhaps they sat at the hanger watching him asking
him annoying questions so that they could at least get his attention. I'm
sure he made many promises to spend more time with them when the plane was
finished.

We spend so many hours of our lives chasing after the temporal things of
this world, (i.e. hobbies, work, a name, a reputation). We never spend time
chasing after the things that will count when we're gone (the character of
our family) or those things eternal.

I grieve for this family. What a waste!

R/
Jim

================================================== ==========================
=================
Engineer Killed in Small Plane Crash
TEHACHAPI, Calif. (AP) - An aerospace engineer was killed when a kit
airplane he had spent years building crashed during takeoff on its maiden
flight.
The single-engine plane piloted by David Robert Thompson
(http://www.scaled.com), 38, fell back onto the runway and burst into flames
Sunday at Mountain Valley Airport, about 70 miles north of Los Angeles.
His wife and two children were among the witnesses.
``His family was there, videotaping,'' said coroner Kelly Cowan. ``It was
supposed to be a celebration.''
The cause of the crash was not known.
Thompson was in charge of developing a rocket motor for a private manned
spaceship program that aims to some day launch a three-seat spaceship on
suborbital flights.
He worked for the aerospace company founded by Burt Rutan, who designed the
only aircraft to fly around the world nonstop without refueling.
Rutan said Monday that Thompson was flying a Q2, a kit plane marketed in the
1980s by a company that is no longer in business. He said Thompson ``was
very private'' about the plane and did not tell co-workers about the flight.

As an old carrier sailor, I have never heard the term "flew ON carriers"
before. It was always "flew FROM or OFF carriers".
Not to doubt your varacity, Sir. Just that things change, I suppose.

Warren
Single up, fore and aft.

I flew on aircraft carriers for 11 years (minus time on shore billets)
and had 1500 hrs and over 300 traps. Please don't lecture me on
aviation safety.
snipped

If I wanted to use carrier lingo, I would have said, "The Boat."

R/
Jim

Big John wrote:

Warren

Jim could have been thinking about "deploying ON a carrier" or he
wrote in terminology the 'great unwashed masses' would understand G

I never could find a 'toilet' on a carrier. Before some s***t a*s
(theres a bunch in this group) comes along, doesn't mean I'm full of
s**t either even though some of my postings may seem like it at times
G

Big John

On 24 Jul 2003 12:29:38 GMT, S (Whunicut) wrote:



As an old carrier sailor, I have never heard the term "flew ON carriers"
before. It was always "flew FROM or OFF carriers".
Not to doubt your varacity, Sir. Just that things change, I suppose.

Warren
Single up, fore and aft.



I flew on aircraft carriers for 11 years (minus time on shore billets)
and had 1500 hrs and over 300 traps. Please don't lecture me on
aviation safety.


snipped