Spirit of St Louis crash at Coventry

So very sad.

My condolences to Mr Hollander’s family and friends.

Ashley

Originally posted by philo
I’m Sorry if I sounded a little harsh yesterday Everton_1878, I can assure you that I was not attacking you personally so please accept my apologies.
As you will have detected I was very saddened by the whole affair.

Apolgy accepted of course
I understand emotions were probably running high over such a tragedy
I responded in the heat of the moment to as I was a bit hurt by one of the comments made in the thread

A sad time, made even worse in this year of celebrating the achievements of 100 years of flight

Some of my pictures from the Sunday can be viewed here if anyone wants to take a look
http://groups.msn.com/OlympusC700UZ/_whatsnew.msnw

I’m Sorry if I sounded a little harsh yesterday Everton_1878, I can assure you that I was not attacking you personally so please accept my apologies.
As you will have detected I was very saddened by the whole affair.
I got up this morning feeling more positive and ready for the days challenges, then I saw Central news re-running the footage of the crash. It brought the moment back.
I have to say though, the sequence did look different from where it was filmed to where I was standing, angles of view I suppose.
I still don’t feel enthusiastic about going to another show,not for some time at least.

Originally posted by Merlin3945
Everton_1878

I am sure Philo and the others meant nothing personal by why they said but rather they were finding it a little difficult understanding how someone could post how they didnt see an aircraft perform after wistnessing such a tragic event. As I said I am sure they didnt mean anything nasty by it.

To all the others. I understand where Everton_1878 was coming from and he really wasnt moaning about not seeing aircraft just pointing out that he didnt see the other aircraft perform.

I wouldnt like to see anyone not go to an airshow just because an accident happend but I do understand that it can be alltogether too much for some people to take so we must respect their feeling and let them decide. Other then that I think Kev put it perfectly.

As always Kev.

Thanks
Yes it is difficult to go to the next one after a tradgedy like that

Tends to be in my mind when I go to one, often saying to myself “please all stay in the air”

Everton_1878

I am sure Philo and the others meant nothing personal by why they said but rather they were finding it a little difficult understanding how someone could post how they didnt see an aircraft perform after wistnessing such a tragic event. As I said I am sure they didnt mean anything nasty by it.

To all the others. I understand where Everton_1878 was coming from and he really wasnt moaning about not seeing aircraft just pointing out that he didnt see the other aircraft perform.

I wouldnt like to see anyone not go to an airshow just because an accident happend but I do understand that it can be alltogether too much for some people to take so we must respect their feeling and let them decide. Other then that I think Kev put it perfectly.

As always Kev.

Originally posted by philo
Please can we separate out this thread.
Everton_1878, to give you the benefit of doubt you may not have fully read all of this thread. Can I suggest that you do so then consider what you may post in the way of something more respectful to apologise for your previous posting.
We must also open another thread so as not to belittle the death of Mr Hollander by discussing other aspects of the show.
Thankyou.

Please see my other reply and previous posts
I meant no disrespect to the pilot or anybody else, sorry if it wasn’t clear

Philo.

I believe Moggy’s right. The people who fly at airshows give flight to all our dreams. I see the grace and beauty of a Spitfire in flight, I gaze in awe as a Tornado does a fast pass, I sometimes shed a tear as the BBMF fly past and I think of those gone before. I feel saddened by the deaths of display pilots but for me personally not to attend another airshow would be doing them a grave disservice. They fly these machines so that the history lives on, to pay tribute to those who flew or fought and died in these machines. If we don’t attend, a little bit more of the history dies, and I don’t want any airshow pilot to have died in vain.

So, when I can I’ll go, and marvel at the things I see, be thankful that some of my dreams are given wings, and yes, spare a quiet moment for those who can no longer be there.

Sorry, Philo struck a chord.

Regards,

kev35

Whoa!

Philo. Your feelings do you credit.

But guys who fly aircraft do so because they have to. Something drives us to spend all that time and all that money on a truly pointless pastime.

I don’t fly notable historic aircraft, just an aircraft that’s historic as it has kept going longer than its contemporaries.

I’d be very flattered if you came to watch me fly.

If I die in an aircraft, so long as it isn’t my mistake, and so long as I don’t write-off an irreplaceable airframe, I would consider that the best of the many possible ways of dying (Well, I used to until Adam Faith thought up a better one 😉 )

If I thought that my passing stopped people enjoying what I enjoy so much I would be really, really upset.

Only you can know how you feel internally. If the dread is that bad you may have to leave shows alone.

But I can tell you WITH TOTAL CERTAINTY it is not what Mr Hollander would have wanted.

Moggy

EDIT: This was posted in answer to the post “I am very saddened by ……” (I’m sure we all are)

Please can we separate out this thread.
Everton_1878, to give you the benefit of doubt you may not have fully read all of this thread. Can I suggest that you do so then consider what you may post in the way of something more respectful to apologise for your previous posting.
We must also open another thread so as not to belittle the death of Mr Hollander by discussing other aspects of the show.
Thankyou.

Sorry, but I missed the most important part of my previous post.
My most sincere and heartfelt sympathies go to Mr Holanders family.
If any one knows of contact details to send personal messages of condolene please send then to me by private mail please.

I am very saddened by the news of Mr Hollanders death, I hoped and prayed after reading he had suffered ‘serious injuries’ that there might be a chance that he would recover. I have however to reitterate what I said last night and agree with DHFAN, I just did not think it was survivable.
I have unfortunately seen several crashes with yesterday’s, including others with fatalities and each time the feeling gets worse.
I was trying to tell my children when I got home last night and found it very difficult , I had to leave and go outside to the garden to gather myself. My youngest daughter(5) asked me this morning if the ‘ man from the aeroplane was going to be OK’, at that time I had not seen the news but still found it very hard to say ‘I really hope so’. I hope she does not ask tomorrow.
At the moment I don’t know that I want to go to another airshow.

No Sea Vixen today 🙁

They mentioned that we’d see it when it departed but it didn’t go while we were there 😡

Of the 3 things I went to see, the Sea Vixen, Ryan NYP and T-33
I only got to see the T-33 fly

They could at least have parked the Sea Vixen in a better place!

I also witnessed the tragic accident on Saturday. Although I had never met Mr Hollander, I regard everyone involved in historic aviation as a colleague. This weekend a colleague lost his life persuing ideals that we all share to some extent. It was a very sad end to an otherwise wonderful airshow. Our condolences should of course go to the pilot’s family and friends.

Bizarrely enough i was talking to the pilot of the Spirit about an hour before, he was recounting to story on a minor prang in it last year, how prophetic.

Nice guy, bloody tragedy.

re. the Sea Vixen, i thought the Streamer was all part of the show 😀 that Red Bull put on, when the second bit fell off, i thought otherwise.

Spotty M.

The Sea Vixen did continue the display. I haven’t seen it display before so I don’t know if it was the normal routine.
Around 4:00 I saw a bloke in overalls carrying a piece of aeroplane, walking away from the direction of the parked aircraft. Only saw the inside so don’t know what it was from. Piece about 18″ by 12″, or perhaps slightly bigger. The internal structure had ripped away from the rivets on the skin. Likely to be relevant?

Did the Sea Vixen continue to do its display despite the fact something came away from the aircraft on take off?

OMG!!!!

I almost wish I hadnt posted my upbeat thread now 🙁
My prayers go out to the family of the spirit replica pilots. I witnessed a tragic airshow accident last summer and I can still see it today!
Sorry to hear of the Sea Vixen.. hopefully it can be repaired easily.

With regard to the Sea Vixen, the bag everyone saw was the aircraft’s tool roll! Later on during the display the rest of the contents fell out as the a/c was flying away from the crowd(anyone see the streamers? That was rolls of kim wipe)!

Then just after that the top pannel of the stowage bin failed. I’ve seen the damage to both the pannel and a/c. It won’t be flying today. We’re going to affect ‘get you home’ repairs later on today.

Condolences go to the pilot’s family, friends and colleagues.
I honestly never thought that incident was survivable, although I would have been very pleased to be proved wrong.
Trying, reluctantly, to review what I remember after 3 people have ( my Mum’s the third) now said it was the left wing. When I saw the starboard wing twist and fold up, I suspect the port wing must have already failed. I thought he’d banked to turn but it seems it was the port wing failing upwards which gave me that impression.
Reminds us that although they do this for fun and for our entertainment, there’s risk involved as well.

Thanks for comments, I’m a little relieved to know it’s normal.
I witnessed a fairly serious, though not fatal, car accident last year. First one in over 30 years of driving. Volunteeered to the police to be a witness and then genuinely couldn’t remember what happened. Brain just seemed to have blanked it out. That baffled me too.

I saw a Beaver (I think it was) crash fatally at Culdrose when I was a kid in the 80’s, and saw the Mig 29’s slice into each other at Fairford a few years back-bad stuff.