Crash at Dayton International Airshow

[RightThrust]

I too feel sick to my stomach hearing about this. I keep telling myself that he died doing what he loved and wouldn't go any other way. Other r/c friends of mine also in the full scale industry and I always say pilot's like Jim and Sean will die in an airplane during an airshow for sure.

To add to the other stories. A good friend of mine Alex Wolski and I had the pleasure of meeting and talking with Jim a few years ago at Sun-N-Fun while also holding the ribbons for a few of his flights. Besides flying a P-51 that is my most memorable experience in aviation yet. Even better than soloing, passing any checkride, etc... He was fearless and his show wouldn't be the same if he wasn't. I remember sitting on the ground with the ribbon's waiting for our cue he was doing his airshow by almost aiming right at us. He would fly over our heads low and incredibly fast. He would do consecutive negative snaps and when I think he's out of altitude he does 3 more and pushes at least -10 out of it. Sitting so close to the action you would really tell the skill level he had. The 3 ribbon's were fairly close and he cut the first knife edge, the second opposite knife edge, and the last inverted. He will go down, to me, as the best airshow performer I have witnessed in person. The memory at SNF will stay with me forever. Go Bull Dog!

-Kelly Gerber

[Silvanskii]

Jim doing what he did best, morning flight, Dayton 2007.

[xtraflyr]

That sucks! I always say Live like there's no tomarrow! Seems like he did,and thats what gave us the excitment watching him fly!! I never really seen him fly,but I felt the same way when our local hero Leo Loudenslager died. Even though he didnt die in his Laser 200 but on his motorcycle..

[Edge 540]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Silvanskii
	I debated whether or not to put this up, but I'm sure it will be all over the internet and news already. http://www.flyinggiants.com/gallery/...Dayton2007.wmv

We must have been pretty close. Thats the exact scene we saw. So sad.

[JoeAirPort]

Jim was amazing. I'm shocked that he's gone. It wasn't his most dangerous manuever either. Just a bunch of spins, one too many too low. I wish he would have pulled out of that. He was close.

[Craven]

I too had the pleasure of meeting Jim at Dayton a few years ago. He was a very skilled, aggressive pilot that I really enjoyed watching fly. I was not at Dayton today but will be there tomorrow. Aviation has had a tough couple of days. God speed all our friends we've lost the past couple of days.

[why_fly_high]

Godspeed Leroy. I just truly hope he was out before the fire.

Dan

[FlyingSquirrel10]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Edge 540
	I just posted a similar thread. He died in route to the hospital.

Man Stephen, I still cannot believe it... But hey, like I said, he died doing what he loved and there would be no better way to go.

[porcupineace]

i pray for him and his family....rest in peace.

[thewrap]

It's almost like the world stopped the second he hit.

[2many280s]

By the looks of the wreckage, if it hadn't been for the fire, he might have made it. You can tell after that last snap that he knew it was coming and was trying to pull it out.

At least he went out doing what he loved.

[Phrydaddy]

I just found this when looking up the full story on what happened to Jim and it made me sick, someone should form a petation to have it removed. Its bad enough that Jims wife was on scene and witnessed the crash, but then to have some J@ck @ss on scene to take a photo of her at this moment is pure disrespect.