Baby Lakes crash

How was he trapped inside? The last picture did not look all that bad, really.

 

I'm going to reserve harsh judgement as I do not know this guy at all (it's good that he learns from his mistakes to some degree, like with the radio), but I do know that teaching yourself aerobatics is seriously dangerous business.

 

When I bought my Citabria years ago, it was a requirement of the insurance company that I take ten hours of aerobatic dual. Actually, I just bought it as a transportation airplane, but after taking the aerobatics I became interested in that and stayed active with it as long as I had the plane.

BTW - I missed out on the plane being upside down when he was inside, and the rescuers put it back upright. That second picture was after he was already out.

 

Sure, won't dispute that. I can't rightly question his physical ability to pilot an airplane, and I certainly didn't mean it that way. Hopefully when you spoke with him he meant that, after receiving dual instruction in acro, he was "teaching himself" as we all do in continuous practice.

Ay any rate, I'm glad he made it out OK. Sorry to hear someone else at your home field was not so lucky. We had two tragedies and a stall/spin that miraculously ended with no fatalities or grave injuries a few years ago, and those things certainly put a strange vibe on the airfield for a while.

 

If one has a good airplane and enough altitude they can learn some basics. I did it in the Stearman PT-13 and the PT-19. You can scare hell out of yourself sometimes but again, a good airplane will save you. I made a fool out of myself in front of my instructors but I always got a talk session afterwards and then went up and made corrections. You could let loose of the Stearman and after thrashing around a bit it would pop out of whatever situation it was in. The Fairchild PT-19 tried to kill you. Best time of my life.

 

The Stearman is a ridiculously well-built airplane! Does the PT-19 have similar G loading capabilities?

 

I love your stories Bob....

Jedi

 

The PT-13 was built to take 13G up and down so one did not have to worry about anything getting over loaded. I think that the PT-19 when NEW was close but having a glued wooden cantilever wing it was suspect as it aged. The center section could have issues from too many hard landings and old glue. It was a beautiful flying airplane, however, and could really get it on when you put the nose down. The Stearman was designed to take an R985 ( military export attack) and it was tough as hell. It was also a delight to fly, smooth, and stabile, and eager to do anything you wanted to do, or tried to do. I think back too often of my time flying that airplane over the beaches or back in the flats of Florida dog fighting with a buddy. Wonderful times.

 

After a flight. I'm the skinny one one the right.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

You were a good lookin kid back then Bob....



Jedi

 

I was thinking the same thing, but wanted someone else to say it first.

 

Well, I don't know about that but I was a bit dumb and loose then. Those guys standing to my right are the three guys who taught me how to fly. There aren't many like them now and what they taught me wasn't always about stick work. Good memories.