SitNFly

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USA Today has a headline that a full scale Pitts Bulldog crashed in Dayton today during an airshow. Anybody have any details? Jim Leroy (I hope not)?

Tired Old Man

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It was Jim. He was lost in the crash.

tukkus

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this is what I found....


DAYTON, Ohio (AP) - In Dayton, Ohio, a plane performing a stunt crashed into a runway today before thousands of people at an air show, killing the pilot.

The plane was one of two making loop-to-loops with smoke trailing as part of the annual air show at Dayton International Airport. It slammed into the runway across a field from spectators and caught fire.

Witnesses say the crowd stood stunned as the show was shut down.

The pilot was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead, according to a nursing supervisor.

Fire trucks sprayed foam on the wreckage to extinguish the fire.

gboulton

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It was indeed, as Surfer pointed out above, Jim.

There's considerable discussion about this over in a couple of build threads...both large scale builds of Jim's Bulldog.

I'm working on one myself...you can find that thread at http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_44..._1/key_/tm.htm Obvously, that build has taken on a new emotional level for me.

MUCH cooler and more important, however, is this thread : http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_4669019/tm.htm

That one is a charity build of a large scale Bulldog. The plan has been, all along, to auction the airplane off and donate the proceeds to charity. Today the idea has been discussed that the charity in question should, in some way, benefit Jim's surviving wife and son. We're hoping that, as sad as they are, today's events can at least have some positive impact, and re-energize that effort, with the end result being, hopefully, a token of our love and appreciation of the man.

If you were a fan, friend, or admirer of Jim's, then certainly I welcome input, interest, and discussion of my own build as well...it's my hope that this project will do justice to him in some small way. But I'd REALLY like to encourage you to visit that second thread....and if you're blessed with the ability to contribute to that effort in any way, I hope you'll find it a suitable way to honor him.

763ersma27

im an air force recruiter in dayton ohio, i saw the crash first hand, he slammed down belly first, it burst into flames right away, they cancled the rest of the air show after that.

Strykaas

Vid :

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b53_1185689297

Cyclic Hardover

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No sympathy from me and dog me if you wish These guys know what they're doing as soon as they climb in the cockpit and either push their own limitations or the aircraft. ( But I do feel for the families)

gboulton

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CH,

You are absolutely right. I knew Jim well enough to tell you with a certainty that he was well aware of the risks of his chosen profession, and chose to continue to push the limits of himself and his airplane because it's what he loved to do.

And ya know...I hope when it's my time, I'm having as much fun as he was.

Cyclic Hardover

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Makes you wonder what the heck is going on here? Two helicopters nail each other. In my opinion neither pilot is paying attention. Two P-51's nail each other. Some guy in Switzerland on his way over he goes in. This guy in the Pitts. Has nothing to do with a persons intellect, Even bright people make stupid decisions. Prisons and graveyards are full of them

I've said "oh oh" many times in my life and lived to tell about it.

Strykaas

Even if he pushed the limits very far, he still deserves some kind of 'sympathy', as he has given to millions of spectators countless entertainment hours.
True, when we check his web site with the movies about his performance, just a few feet above the deck, there is absolutely no error margin (think of an engine sudden failure [X(]).
Nevertheless, Aviation History has its gutted heroes and I simply believe he made it up to there.

Regarding the crash itself, I am not sure if he died from the crash trauma, but maybe from the fire he went through. Did emergency trucks arrive quickly enough ? Investigation will say so or not.

Tired Old Man

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They did not. If the impact did not do the job, I'm sorry to say the fire did. This based on info obtained from a person I work with that was there. He estimated a 5 minute response, the news reports are stating about 2-1/2. The fire crews are stating 1 minute.

edge_pilot

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Hello, I was at the airshow when this happened. Needless to say I was stunned and speechless for a few seconds. The inpact itself was so hard its hard to beleave he survived that part. I talked to a guy that recorded everything in full, he said his camera showed exactly 2 minuted and 35 second until the truck sprayed the foam. That time seemed forever setting there watching it burn, hopeless. The airboss was at the airplane within seconds and stated that it was already entirley engulfed in flames so alls he could do is standby and watch. I have never seen so many people feel so hopeless that there was nothing any of us could do. 100's of thousands of people and you could have heard a pin drop. I realize he died doing what he loved so much, but is it really fair for someone who give so much happiness to be taken like this? He was and still is the BEST OF THE BEST! I will remmeber him forever and our prayers go out to his family.

p-80

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this is realy sad for me i know whenever i hear that hes coming to town for our airshow that im shurly going to have something to look foward to its like scary because i have seen him up close and he was always so happy i only hope that i can be like him one day and i think the news didnt realy givehim much credit i meand this guy is just awsome they did not even get his name RIP jim as a 15 year old kid i can say that he has bean an insperation and shurly some one i look at and say wow i would love to do what that guy does and did [&o]

mvigod

I've seen the BullDog perform several times and each time he marveled me with his skill and willingness to take risk like no other pilot I've ever seen at any air show. I had often wondered how he had stuck around as long as he did but that is a testament to just how good he was. It seems no matter how good you are at some point the best often meet tragedy at some piont during their air show career and the more daring ones seem to crash earlier in their careers. Jim seems to me to almost be an exception that he was WAY more daring then any air show pilot and yet had an incredibly long run at it.

Jim Leroy risked his life doing what he loved and thrilling crowds across the country with a one of a kind performance.

My condolences go out to his family and friends. I will miss seeing him perform at the air shows as he was always one of the top highlights for me.

DFWS

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I only saw Jim Leroy fly one time at the 2004 Dayton Airshow!
The memory of him and that flight will be with me forever!!!!
Thank You Jim!!

Bill Lowen

wow, I read both your posts and you are kind of mean. The guy did a lot for the aviation community as well as many who died before him. At the very least maybe some sympathy is in order for a fellow human being and a brother in the aviation community. RIP Jim, you were a thrill to watch and I will miss you at the airshows. []

P-51B

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Lets hope it was the impact.

gboulton

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*heh*

I see a feud brewing here.

Bill, I was, as I've pointed out elsewhere, also a good friend of Jim's. It's the sort of man he was...despite being one of the most amazing airshow performers EVER to fly a plane, a TREMENDOUSLY intelligent man, and amazingly successful at ANYthing he ever tried, he still had time for "little ole' me"...just a fan who loved watching him fly, and wanted to build models of his airplanes.

And certainly, I think sympathy and condolences for his family, friends, and loved ones left behind are the order of the day....anything less would be terribly inhuman.

But...and this is just my opinion...I think CH has a point (though perhaps expressed more harshly than I might have)...Jim DID know exactly the risks he was taking every time he flew. You know this as well as any of us, I'm sure, being good friends with the man as well. And though he certainly didn't have a "death wish", I think we also know he didn't FEAR death. I believe he EXPECTED to go this way at some point, and chose to continue pushing the limits because that's ALSO the kind of man he was...a man who for whome "good enough" wasn't...only excellence and perfection would do for him.

I've been shaken since Joe called me with the news Saturday...and still am. I'll miss seeing him fly this coming labor day...when I'd hoped to share a meal with him, and show off my 1/3rd Bulldog to him...a build he'd been following "from afar" as he put it. I'll miss the occaisional contact, where he'd toss out a "looking good" about the build, or rell some story about the Bulldog I, or heck...sometimes just talk airplanes. I'll miss watching him light up when kids came up to him after he flew, totally in awe of what they'd just seen. I'll miss the disbelief on the faces of other adults, as they watch him fly for the first time.

But ya know what? I have to agree with CH after a fashion...I really won't "feel sorry" for Jim. I know, as sure as I know my own name, that he died doing something he loved as much as life itself. To the last, he was having more fun than most of us will ever DREAM of...entertaining thousands of people, living right on the edge, and making an airplane dance like nobody else ever could. And...at least to me...if you can leave this Earth with a smile on your face and the faces of everyone around you, doing something better than anyone else can...well...that doesn't call for "sympathy"

It calls for respect and admiration.

Bill Lowen

I see your point on a few things and the last thing I am looking for is a feud. I never had the honor of meeting Mr. Leroy personally although I was lucky enough to see him perform many times. He knew the risks of doing what he did and I am sure he thought he might die in an airplane. I doubt he envisioned himself dying at 46 though. I have never bought into the concept of "he died doing what he loved" Dead is dead no matter what caused it and I think that sympathy is due him because he will never see his son grow up, he will not grow old with his wife and he is no longer able to do what he loved. I am sure he was very careful in his planning and his flying but he made a mistake (or did he?) I doubt he was planning on dying so young. I think we agree on the fact that sympathy is due is family and I also think sympathy is due us as his fans. No longer will we be able to see Jim perform his magic in the sky. Maybe just maybe God has a special Bulldog warming up in Heaven just waiting for Jim. :-)

Tired Old Man

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How about just let it go.

p-80

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its hard to this is realy sad im trying to but its just hard

sceptre2003

I was there for the show. I saw and photographed his performances that day, including his last. I was shocked as everyone was. I posted a message on the home page of my website. If you want, you are invited to read what I wrote: www.rcphotos.teamastro.com Reading what I wrote, you will see why this has rattled me more then I’d imagine it would have, but it has.

edge_pilot

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Here are just a few pic's of Jim inspiring me. This plane was built soley because of the way Jim knocked my socks off with his performance but then also had 20 minutes to half an hour after his performance to set down and chat with me about the plane, him, and his show. We exchanged several emails when I got the plane done and of course I sent pictures. Everytime Jim returning emails quickly and realy interested in my Bulldog. He even said to me that he wanted to know if I could do something with my plane that he couldn't so he could learn a new trick. Hats off to Jim in every way, He will always be remembered by me.

damifino

First, let me thank you for your service to our country.

Now- Who asked you for sympathy? Far be it from me to judge but I will offer an opinion: Many in this world possess a desire to excel in their passion. Far fewer have the mix of drive and talent required to achieve that dream, fewer yet get to reap the financial and personal rewards that go with being one of the very best. My guess is you are one of those who is either jealous or resentful of people the ilk of Jim Leroy. Hopefully, you are not as cold as your post implies. Look at Jim's website and the image of his wife and 4 year old boy and think about your view. If you are comfortable looking at yourself in the mirror................
I'm with Bill Lowen on this one.

P-51B

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Just let it go damunfino, no need to attack him personally.

ALOT of people share Cyclics opinion, it does not make him cold or harsh.