T-6 accident

Bertie the Bunyip wrote:

Yeah, I think I'll be loeaving low alt stuff out at this stage....

Bertie

I'm glad to hear this.

Counting our friends on the jet teams both here in the states and over
seas, and considering the professional civilian demonstration pilots my
wife and I have known personally throughout my career over the last 50
odd years, we have lost 32 of these friends and associates to low
altitude display flying.




--
Dudley Henriques

Dudley Henriques wrote in
:

Bertie the Bunyip wrote:

Yeah, I think I'll be loeaving low alt stuff out at this stage....

Bertie

I'm glad to hear this.

Counting our friends on the jet teams both here in the states and over
seas, and considering the professional civilian demonstration pilots my
wife and I have known personally throughout my career over the last 50
odd years, we have lost 32 of these friends and associates to low
altitude display flying.


Yipes. I had no intention of getting back into the low stuff anyway. I'm
definitely not tough enough to go outside like I used to and it'd take
years to get my mental muscles up to scratch as well. I'd nevr be as quick
as I was at 25 anyway.
It's really tempting to do low level aerobatics when you get proficient
enough not to bust your imaginary floor at altitude. After all, you want
everybody to see what a genius you are! But all it takes is one little
thing to throw you off and that's it.
I loved doing it when I did it, but nothing left to prove now.


Bertie

Bottom line: the guy screwed up, and it cost him.

I loaned my Decathlon to a great friend, who used it in a couple of airshows
when his was down. He had the sense, not knowing the airplane, to do things
a little higher, and not as aggressively. People still ask him about what
happened to his green airplane! (Everything he owns is red)

It sounds like the guy in the video made some errors in judgement that were
very, very costly, in a business that is unforgiving. Let's face it- the
best a T-6 is going to do in an airshow is make a lot of smoke and noise,
and do variations of wingovers and cubans- nothing more.

Why push it when the costs of a screw up are so high? Flying in this
environment is a lot different from sitting in a chair playing on a computer
and pretending.

"Viperdoc" wrote in
et:

Bottom line: the guy screwed up, and it cost him.

I loaned my Decathlon to a great friend, who used it in a couple of
airshows when his was down. He had the sense, not knowing the
airplane, to do things a little higher, and not as aggressively.
People still ask him about what happened to his green airplane!
(Everything he owns is red)

It sounds like the guy in the video made some errors in judgement that
were very, very costly, in a business that is unforgiving. Let's face
it- the best a T-6 is going to do in an airshow is make a lot of smoke
and noise, and do variations of wingovers and cubans- nothing more.

and they look great doing it, too. Now you mntion it I can't recall seeing
one doing a slow roll down low. Still one of my favorite airplanes to
watch, though.

Why push it when the costs of a screw up are so high? Flying in this
environment is a lot different from sitting in a chair playing on a
computer and pretending.



You're just trying to excite Anthony now.

Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
"Viperdoc" wrote in
et:

Bottom line: the guy screwed up, and it cost him.

I loaned my Decathlon to a great friend, who used it in a couple of
airshows when his was down. He had the sense, not knowing the
airplane, to do things a little higher, and not as aggressively.
People still ask him about what happened to his green airplane!
(Everything he owns is red)

It sounds like the guy in the video made some errors in judgement that
were very, very costly, in a business that is unforgiving. Let's face
it- the best a T-6 is going to do in an airshow is make a lot of smoke
and noise, and do variations of wingovers and cubans- nothing more.

and they look great doing it, too. Now you mntion it I can't recall seeing
one doing a slow roll down low. Still one of my favorite airplanes to
watch, though.
Why push it when the costs of a screw up are so high? Flying in this
environment is a lot different from sitting in a chair playing on a
computer and pretending.



You're just trying to excite Anthony now.



Ed Mahler did a low altitude T6 routine before his PJ260 DAYS.

--
Dudley Henriques

Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
Dudley Henriques wrote in
:

Bertie the Bunyip wrote:

Yeah, I think I'll be loeaving low alt stuff out at this stage....

Bertie
I'm glad to hear this.

Counting our friends on the jet teams both here in the states and over
seas, and considering the professional civilian demonstration pilots my
wife and I have known personally throughout my career over the last 50
odd years, we have lost 32 of these friends and associates to low
altitude display flying.


Yipes. I had no intention of getting back into the low stuff anyway. I'm
definitely not tough enough to go outside like I used to and it'd take
years to get my mental muscles up to scratch as well. I'd nevr be as quick
as I was at 25 anyway.
It's really tempting to do low level aerobatics when you get proficient
enough not to bust your imaginary floor at altitude. After all, you want
everybody to see what a genius you are! But all it takes is one little
thing to throw you off and that's it.
I loved doing it when I did it, but nothing left to prove now.


Bertie

I'm with you. I'm content to sit by the fire like an old dog and relax.
It's time for the new guys coming up to have their shot. I help where
and when I can, but I've no desire to go back.
I've earned the rest!
:-)


--
Dudley Henriques

Dudley Henriques wrote in
:

Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
"Viperdoc" wrote in
et:

Bottom line: the guy screwed up, and it cost him.

I loaned my Decathlon to a great friend, who used it in a couple of
airshows when his was down. He had the sense, not knowing the
airplane, to do things a little higher, and not as aggressively.
People still ask him about what happened to his green airplane!
(Everything he owns is red)

It sounds like the guy in the video made some errors in judgement
that were very, very costly, in a business that is unforgiving.
Let's face it- the best a T-6 is going to do in an airshow is make a
lot of smoke and noise, and do variations of wingovers and cubans-
nothing more.

and they look great doing it, too. Now you mntion it I can't recall
seeing one doing a slow roll down low. Still one of my favorite
airplanes to watch, though.
Why push it when the costs of a screw up are so high? Flying in this
environment is a lot different from sitting in a chair playing on a
computer and pretending.



You're just trying to excite Anthony now.



Ed Mahler did a low altitude T6 routine before his PJ260 DAYS.


Never saw that, Only his PJ. He's one of four that I know that died doing
aerobatics, of course. What a shame..


Bertie

Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
Dudley Henriques wrote in
:

Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
"Viperdoc" wrote in
et:

Bottom line: the guy screwed up, and it cost him.

I loaned my Decathlon to a great friend, who used it in a couple of
airshows when his was down. He had the sense, not knowing the
airplane, to do things a little higher, and not as aggressively.
People still ask him about what happened to his green airplane!
(Everything he owns is red)

It sounds like the guy in the video made some errors in judgement
that were very, very costly, in a business that is unforgiving.
Let's face it- the best a T-6 is going to do in an airshow is make a
lot of smoke and noise, and do variations of wingovers and cubans-
nothing more.
and they look great doing it, too. Now you mntion it I can't recall
seeing one doing a slow roll down low. Still one of my favorite
airplanes to watch, though.
Why push it when the costs of a screw up are so high? Flying in this
environment is a lot different from sitting in a chair playing on a
computer and pretending.


You're just trying to excite Anthony now.



Ed Mahler did a low altitude T6 routine before his PJ260 DAYS.


Never saw that, Only his PJ. He's one of four that I know that died doing
aerobatics, of course. What a shame..


Bertie

Yup...rough business.

--
Dudley Henriques

Dudley Henriques wrote in
:

Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
Dudley Henriques wrote in
:

Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
"Viperdoc" wrote in
et:

Bottom line: the guy screwed up, and it cost him.

I loaned my Decathlon to a great friend, who used it in a couple
of airshows when his was down. He had the sense, not knowing the
airplane, to do things a little higher, and not as aggressively.
People still ask him about what happened to his green airplane!
(Everything he owns is red)

It sounds like the guy in the video made some errors in judgement
that were very, very costly, in a business that is unforgiving.
Let's face it- the best a T-6 is going to do in an airshow is make
a lot of smoke and noise, and do variations of wingovers and
cubans- nothing more.
and they look great doing it, too. Now you mntion it I can't recall
seeing one doing a slow roll down low. Still one of my favorite
airplanes to watch, though.
Why push it when the costs of a screw up are so high? Flying in
this environment is a lot different from sitting in a chair
playing on a computer and pretending.


You're just trying to excite Anthony now.



Ed Mahler did a low altitude T6 routine before his PJ260 DAYS.


Never saw that, Only his PJ. He's one of four that I know that died
doing aerobatics, of course. What a shame..


Bertie

Yup...rough business.


For those of you who don't know who he was he was one of the great
aerobatic pilots of the 60s/70s. He flew a Parsons Joslin 260 designed
by Nick D'Appuzzo who I also knew as a kid. Think big Skybolt if you
don't know what the airplane is.
Ed was going to do a routine for a local news station's cameras
somewhere in north Jersey but found a damaged tail brace wire on the
walkaround. The PJ had a dual set, so he took the rod off on the other
side and took off anyway. As soon as he put a load on the stab, it
failed and he was killed.
I still can't believe he did it.


Bertie

Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
Dudley Henriques wrote in
:

Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
Dudley Henriques wrote in
:

Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
"Viperdoc" wrote in
et:

Bottom line: the guy screwed up, and it cost him.

I loaned my Decathlon to a great friend, who used it in a couple
of airshows when his was down. He had the sense, not knowing the
airplane, to do things a little higher, and not as aggressively.
People still ask him about what happened to his green airplane!
(Everything he owns is red)

It sounds like the guy in the video made some errors in judgement
that were very, very costly, in a business that is unforgiving.
Let's face it- the best a T-6 is going to do in an airshow is make
a lot of smoke and noise, and do variations of wingovers and
cubans- nothing more.
and they look great doing it, too. Now you mntion it I can't recall
seeing one doing a slow roll down low. Still one of my favorite
airplanes to watch, though.
Why push it when the costs of a screw up are so high? Flying in
this environment is a lot different from sitting in a chair
playing on a computer and pretending.


You're just trying to excite Anthony now.



Ed Mahler did a low altitude T6 routine before his PJ260 DAYS.

Never saw that, Only his PJ. He's one of four that I know that died
doing aerobatics, of course. What a shame..


Bertie

Yup...rough business.


For those of you who don't know who he was he was one of the great
aerobatic pilots of the 60s/70s. He flew a Parsons Joslin 260 designed
by Nick D'Appuzzo who I also knew as a kid. Think big Skybolt if you
don't know what the airplane is.
Ed was going to do a routine for a local news station's cameras
somewhere in north Jersey but found a damaged tail brace wire on the
walkaround. The PJ had a dual set, so he took the rod off on the other
side and took off anyway. As soon as he put a load on the stab, it
failed and he was killed.
I still can't believe he did it.


Bertie


I can't either. I was dumbstruck when we heard what had happened. Ed
knew better than to do that. He was always aggressive with his approach
to aerobatics, but he knew the score, and he knew g loads.
We all assumed there was some kind of pressure involved, or perhaps a
tight time schedule. The rub of it is that all of us knew that it was
exactly this kind of thing that gets you killed.
Ed's reason for not waiting will always remain one of life's great
unanswered questions for me.


--
Dudley Henriques