Short-Throw

I don't have any real details but just got a call from a friend (Steve A.) who is at VIR in the South paddock setting up for an event tomorrow. Apparently there was what he believed to be a WWII single engine plane performing acrobatic stunts in the area. "He came over the villas did a barrel roll and went straight down into the Patriot course, then poof, huge fire ball." He said if he didn't veer right at the last minute the plane would have crashed into the paddock.

The track was cold and safety workers were gone. The facility is shut to anyone coming or leaving right now which I guess is SOP.

Guess we'll hear more as the news stations get wired.

Mike

F4Gary

So another idiot destroys a warbird.

V8 Juice

The pilot was Jon Couch a racer with an Unidentified passenger. Although he raced planes, we share a common " need for speed" at risks that sadly have been fatal at the track also. Labeling either air or ground racers "idiots" ignores the informed choice we make and is inconsiderate, in my opinion.

tytek

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/...-plane-at-vir/

Agreed - we risk just as much at the track. Could have been mechanical failure - or just showing off. We all make mistakes and it is not fair to call him an idiot.

Racingswh

One of my best friends is a stunt pilot. He has reduced the amount of flight time in recent years simply because of fatal crashes taking his friends from him and figured it was just a matter of time before he became a statistic. He now enjoys DE and believes it is much safer.

I have read a bit about Jon Couch and it seems he has helped a number of motorcycle racers advance their careers. That unfortunately does not mean he is excused in this case. In most cases these incidents are a result of pilot error. Not only did he lose his life but he killed a passenger as well. In addition my guess is that his air performance was unsanctioned and others on the ground were at risk as well. This = poor judgement.

When I or my friends go on the track we assume the risks and certainly if I make an error the results could be grave. Luckily I won't be falling out of the sky where my chance of survival would be slim.

Helicopters and planes have killed so many drivers it's amazing to me they even get in them.

SouthernSon

Exactly. A million things can go wrong with aircraft, especially those of older vintage. Cables snap, spars fail, canvas deteriorates, nuts and bolts fail, hydraulics fail; any number of things since most light airplanes don't have the redundancy of a multimillion dollar high performance jet. Just because someone looses their life hardly makes them an idiot.

froggy47

My initial reaction is sad. That's all. He was having fun, like we all do.


Life = risks, some take more & live more.

rbl

+1

dvandentop

wow really sad to hear, a real popular guy in the ford gt world unfortunately had a mechanical issue with his war bird earlier this year as well and met and untimely death.

Painrace

PRAYERS!

Jim

jlutherva

Hits pretty close to home - my wife drives a T28 Warbird and VIR is my home track. She, however,does not do barrel rolls at low altitude.
Jim

VetteDrmr

Has nothing to do with his title as "air racer", has to do with show smoke and low altitude barrel rolls, ESPECIALLY WITH A PASSENGER. Much more analogous to street racing at max speed with a passenger.

While he personally may not be an idiot, what he did was certainly idiotic.

Still tragic for his and his mom's family.

Mike B.

mgarfias

Agreed.

SouthernSon

Was the passenger an aerobatic pilot, too? Were they both alternating flying the plane? Was this a demonstration flight for a sale? Before one labels anyone an idiot, especially in an airplane with dual controls, you need to be fully informed. Jumping conclusions is for bad news reporters.

Painrace

Agreed!

I don't think I am an idiot (many would question this!) I have done some very stupid things in my life.

Jim

ReddyZ06

Unfortunate and sad news!

However, it sounds like he made a choice to avoid impacting the paddock, that could have been heroic.

Mike

F4Gary

The passenger was his mother.

SDF

Very tragic!! What kind of a plane was he flying? AT-6??

SouthernSon

Again, no reason to jump to conclusions. Many older women know a thing or two about flying an aircraft. To wit:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/...of-flight-time

I briefed this lady many times when still working at the FSS.

rbl

I met her twice around 1998 I think and she was going strong. I lived in Jonesville, VA which was about 50 miles away from Morristown and I went over to work on a friends C-180 from time to time.