[heywooood]

this was an horrific tragedy - very sad

Following both threads here - this one and the locked one it seems that people are struggling with the pilots age, some perceived lack of regulation or restriction on crowd proximity to the runway / apron area, and the Galloping Ghosts most recent, untested? modifications?...and lets not talk about flight certs - no one wanted to pull Bob Hoovers ticket either.

It looks like a perfect storm to me -

In most of these situations, its rarely one thing that causes the worst kinds of mayhem
Rather it is a stew...

Why does a 74 year old man need to fly a tight race track with several other planes at over 500mph in front of a grandstand full of women and children? because he can?

Why would he do so in an aircraft he knew had been modified, but was as yet uncertain of how exactly those airframe and power plant modifications might change the flight characteristics of his plane...not really shaking it down..but rather - taking it directly into a crowded race environment? because he "thought" he could handle it? that's Mavericky no?

When a pilot in one of these events feels a tug, or transient control response, or experiences an unusual vibration - or feels lightheaded or otherwise gets even a split second sensation that things aren't right - he is to pull up and away from the grandstand and get his plane out of the race area as quickly as possible. That is the procedure and the rule.

What if he felt the tug of the trim tab departing and pulled back on the stick to follow procedure...same time as the loss of trim also caused a pitch up moment thus causing an explosive positive G effect? - ANYONE would have blacked out instantly - that would explain the "empty cockpit" photos - but it does not excuse the pilot. He made the decision to race - he "wanted to see what the Ghost could do" if he pushed her.


People take risks all the time, its in our nature.
Some risk their money, some their jobs and some risk their lives....thats ok when they aren't betting with my money. This guy was gambling with other peoples lives, and I don't care what a great pilot he WAS or what he did for aviation back in the day...he took a huge risk and, well they're still counting the losses.