Final Flight Of The Ghost - Video By Jason Schillereff

Final Flight of the Ghost from Jason Schillereff on Vimeo.

This is a video of Jimmy Leeward's final race. This video shows no impact with the ground, just the events leading up to the accident, segments of this footage have been turned over to the NTSB to help with the investigation.

 This recently uploaded video from Jason Schillereff shows the Galloping Ghost and Jimmy Leeward in their final flight. The crash is not shown (thankfully... I wouldn't have posted it if it was) but we do get a clear view of the airplane when the trouble first appears. The small rolling actions followed by the pitch up (and the tailwheel extension) add to the questions about what exactly happened. There's always the possibility that we'll never know exactly what happened, but I'm confident that the continuing investigation will eventually bring all the details to light.

 The video begins with the Unlimited racers from this heat starting their engines and then their takeoffs. I encourage you to watch all this, especially Jimmy's takeoff in the Galloping Ghost. I believe watching this takeoff shows how completely competent and in control Jimmy was with the Ghost. There's no question that Jimmy Leeward was an exceptional pilot and was very much in his element in the Unlimited races at Reno.

 Beyond what is seen when the trouble begins as the Ghost is completing the turn into the home stretch, I won't speculate. My previous post on the accident was designed to shed light on the basics of what happened (to counter the mainstream media distortions) and to encourage us to face the reality of the risks of being alive. Getting into the micro details of the situation without more information makes finding the truth very difficult.

 I continue to pray for those injured from the accident (some still critical), and of course for the family and friends of those who were injured or lost their lives.

'Name The Plane' - ID MAKE And MODEL For Free Bacon! (9.23.11)

Game Over - correctly identified as a the Ray Hegy Chuparosa homebuilt
 

 GAME OVER - Congrats to Bill Rayfield for having the correct answer! Above is the full picture that the cropped picture for the game came from. The airplane is the one-of-a-kind homebuilt built and flown by Ray Hegy and named El Chuparosa (the Spanish word for hummingbird), or sometimes simply as Chuparosa. The airplane was first flown in 1959 and it became a mainstay of the early days of the annual EAA Fly-In and Convention which was held at Rockford Illinois from 1959 until 1970 when it moved to Oshkosh.

 Ray was often the first person up in the air early in the mornings flying this tiny 12 foot 10 inch wingspan Continental A-65 powered cutie around the pattern. In the old days, a large part of the day was taken up by allowing homebuilt, antique or classic airplanes to fly in a pattern around the runway. I remember as a kid hearing Ray streak thru the sky in the early morning as a perfect wake-up call for the day!

 Ray was well known as a wood prop maker, and of course, the prop on El Chuparosa was carved by him. The airplane has been on display in the EAA Museum for many years now. Ray passed away in 2002.

 Here's a pic I posted as a CoolPix a while back of El Chuparosa after the very first Oshkosh in 1970 had ended. Click the pic to go to the full post (with big image) and more info on Ray and his really cool little homebuilt.

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 I'm still trying to make sense of this last week... but in the middle of it all, life seems to go on. With that in mind, I figure it's time for another Name The Plane challenge. All you gotta do is ID both MAKE and MODEL to win a bacon sandwhich prize at OSH12 - and this one should be a pretty good challenge. So, if you've got sharp aircraft ID skills, be the first person to ID both MAKE and MODEL of this aircraft to be the winner! (I'll allow a little room for different interpretations of make and model on this one)

 Your answers must go in the 'comments' area in this post, and as always, please don't use the shotgun approach to answers - only put up truly educated guesses that you've arrived at via really thinking it thru.

 And I'm not sure if I mentioned this already, but to win, you have to give me both the MAKE and MODEL! Have fun : )

Who Knew The 'T' In T-Craft Stood For Thermaling? (Video)

 As we still deal with the shock and confusion (and for many, the pain) of the Galloping Ghost tragedy at Reno last week, I figured this recent video about flying a Taylorcraft with the engine shut down in some strong thermal lift would be a great way to be reminded of the simple wonder of flying. There's something very special about leaving the surface of the earth and being airborne.... and it's why one of the taglines for AirPigz is: Love To Fly.

more popsdory videos

The Galloping Ghost Tragedy... Life, Risk, And The Future

Jimmy Leeward with the Galloping Ghost racing P-51

(9 pix and extensive reading)

 I have a lot of thoughts about what happened on Friday September 16, 2011 when Jimmy Leeward lost control of the Galloping Ghost P-51 at the Reno Air Races… crashing into the box seats just in front of the grandstands and causing possibly a dozen people to lose their life (currently 10 have perished, including Jimmy) and many, many more to be injured, some severely.

 Because of the wildly inaccurate reports that are being put out by the mainstream media about the accident, I feel it’s important to address many of the important and essential elements of this tragedy to help people know the truth. I’m not an expert at anything, but I have a lot of aviation experience and knowledge, I witnessed the accident, and far more important, I have a passion for the truth. The media’s passion is for power and profit, truth does not appear to be their first priority.

 To be clear, my primary concern at this time is for those who have been directly affected by this tragic event. First, for those who are injured and still requiring medical care. Some of them may still be critical, and their need for medical care and prayer is great. Secondly, my concern is for the family members and close friends of those who have lost their life. The hurt, pain, and confusion they are experiencing now is unimaginable. I pray often for them to be able to feel the peace that comes only from the Creator… even (if not especially) in these times where peace seems unreachable. And of course, I also pray for the family and friends of those who have been injured.

 We should all be very thankful for excellent emergency response capability that was in place, and for the amazing response of those charged with that task... and for so many others (both public and military) that immediately engaged in the situation to give those injured the greatest chance for survival. This accident could have quickly become pure chaos, but instead it was an amazing display of people coming forward in a time of crisis to effectively help those in need.

ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION

 The NTSB is in control of the accident investigation, and as the video of the press briefing from Sunday shows, they are being very thorough and methodical about gathering info to help understand exactly what happened. Of great value is the fact that the airplane had several parameters that were being monitored and recorded relating to both engine and flight performance. This data was not only recorded onboard the aircraft, but it was also being sent back to the race crew in real time and recorded on the ground. It’s not clear exactly what all these parameters are, but it is clear that this data will be extremely valuable in getting a far better understanding of what happened, and in what sequence.

 Due to the massive amount of still and video camera activity at the races, a vast amount of imagery has already been seen by most of us via the internet. I’m confident that there are far more helpful images that haven’t been seen by the public and these will likely be the most important asset the NTSB will have in determining what really happened. Based on the images we’ve already seen, plus some very interesting information from 1998 that chronicles a similar abrupt pitching up of P-51 racer Voodoo, we can develop a possible (and very plausible) scenario for what happened with Jimmy Leeward and the Galloping Ghost.

THE AIRCRAFT

 Jimmy Leeward’s Galloping Ghost P-51 was like any other contender in the Unlimited Class of race aircraft at Reno; highly modified. For the media to make an issue of it having ‘radical’ changes is nothing short of despicable sensationalism. For them to also quote Jimmy saying recently “The systems aren't proven yet. We think they're going to be OK” is also sensationalism since it suggests it may have been unsafe when in reality he was only meaning they may accomplish what they want them to do in helping the airplane fly faster... but safety was not in question at all.

The Galloping Ghost in the pit area at Reno 2010

 The airplane also had a massive amount of financial investment in it and was modified at the highest level of skill. One quick look at would tell you that. The airplane, and the workmanship, was beautiful. And while it’s true that the origins of the airplane are a World War II P-51 from the 1940’s, the reality is that very little of the original aircraft was probably still there. Again, for the media to give the impression that this was an old and possibly frail aircraft is just simply not the truth. The fact that the airframe remained completely intact (except for the elevator trim tab) thru the abrupt pitch up (and the likely 10 to 12 g force) is a testament to the amazing strength of the airplane.

Click to read more ...

Video: NTSB Press Briefing Reno Nevada 9.18.11 (Galloping Ghost Crash)

Jimmy Leeward in the Galloping Ghost P-51 at the Reno Air Races in 2010

Jimmy Leeward (Galloping Ghost) And Unknown Number Of Spectators Lose Life At Reno Air Races

Jimmy Leeward in Galloping Ghost a few minutes before the loss of control and crash

 Jimmy Leeward flying the modified P-51 Galloping Ghost lost control during an Unlimited Class race at Reno Friday afternoon September 16, 2011. The aircraft climbed initially to several hundred feet and then impacted nearly straight down into an area directly in front of the grandstands that was populated by spectators. Jimmy along with an unknown number of spectators were killed, and many were injured. No definitive info is currently available as to what caused the loss of control.

 Prayers go out to the injured and to friends and family of all those injured and killed. I was well away from the scene of the accident - I'm ok.

 The remainder of the 2011 Reno Air Races have been cancelled. More info will be posted as it becomes available.

 We won't know the true cause of this tragic event for quite a while (if ever), but here's some 1998 info that helps to better understand a very possible scenario resulting from the loss of an elevator trim tab: http://tinyurl.com/668xhf7 (caption under 5th picture)

Additional Galloping Ghost info from 2010 here, here, here and here

Video: 'Live Airshow TV' 2011 Reno Air Races Update (Thursday)

 LiveAirshowTV is your best source for the inside scoop on what's happening at the 2011 Reno Air Races. Here's their video update from yesterday - great stuff!

(looking for race results?)

Reno 2011 - Let The Races Begin! Thursday 9.15.11 (15 Pix)

(click pic to enlarge)

 I arrived at Stead Field in Reno before the sun came up this morning (Thursday) and I had a feeling that there'd be some good stuff to see as the sun was rising. As the pic above shows, Strega was out in the smooth morning air making some beautiful music. I assume it was just a test flight, but it sure made for a great way to see the start of my first day at Reno 2011.

(looking for race results?)

(click pic to enlarge)

 The low-morning-sun lit the airplane up in a special way as it rolled out after landing.

(click pic to enlarge)

 The first racers up in the morning a heat of biplanes and a heat of Formula One. It's a cool sight to see the teams push or pull their aircraft out of the hangars and down to the ramp. The golden morning sun makes this extra special in the mornings.

Click to read more ...

Life In The (Really) Fast Lane! Fab EAA Video On Reno Air Racing

 I'm sitting in the Denver airport on my way to the Reno Air Races so I figure this excellent EAA video on Reno Racing and the PRS (Pylon Racing School - held in June each year) is the perfect post for the day. It gives a really great idea of what it's like to be tearing up the desert race course at Stead Field in Reno, and puts faces and personalities on the pilots that have air racing in their blood.

 I'm looking forward to seeing some serious Low, Left and FAST tomorrow - watch for updates each day!

 Oh, since I can't seem to figure a way to present these EAA videos full width like I usually do, I highly recommend you watch it fullscreen... or is that fullscream? : ) 

Hey - Slow Down! Sweet Video Of Aircraft In Slow Motion

 There's something so very cool about seeing aircraft (especially propeller powered aircraft) in slow motion. This video from youtuber TheChangeInTime is not real long but it's very well done... and not just the video images that are great, the music and underlying radio com give it a swanky cool feel. Very cool stuff.

(see other slowmo videos I've posted in the past British Airways 747 video, various airliners slow motion landings, Space Shuttle launch cameras, Sumptuous Virgin Atlantic 747 landing, and this amazing Apollo 11 launch video)

 Thanx to all the videographers that have created such intriguing slow moving images of aircraft in flight!  One more cool slow motion video and I'm gonna have to make a slowmo category : )