WIX Archives
Re: Houston, Wildcat, Photo flight, & Guilt
Posted by Scott WRG Editor on Wed Oct 22, 2003 09:50:50 PM
In reply top Houston, Wildcat, Photo flight, & Guilt posted by Alan Brooks on Wed Oct 22, 2003 09:29:05 PM
Alan,
Don't blame yourself. You didn't cause the accident. It was either going to happen or not. Your not fate. The only this that would have prevented this is if were grounded all aircraft. Look at it this way, Mr. Johnson died doing something he loved. Few of us will be this lucky when our time comes.
Scott
: Hello everyone. Well I kind of dropped off the map last Sa
: turday evening.....Combination of several things, mainly t
: he loss of the Wildcat and the pilot, Bill Johnson. I had
: mentioned in an earlier post that I was working my Airshow
: gig with Steve Palmer and Point Five Productions. Well fo
: lks, that evening flight was OUR photo flight. I had coord
: inated the flight after the morning pilot briefing given b
: y Ralph Royce. We had a P-51, AD-4, P-63, and Tr MkIX Spit
: ready for after the show..... The B-25 Devildog was the c
: amera ship. On the way out to the B-25, I saw Bill standin
: g by the Wildcat and stopped to talk. I had met Bill at th
: e Midland (CAF HQ) airshow. He had this big smile on his f
: ace and (paraphrasing) he told me "I am having just too mu
: ch fun!" I then asked Bill if he was flying that afternoo
: n, after the show. He said "no". I then invited him to fly
: with us that afternoon, that the final brief was at 3:00p
: m, meeting at the B-25. Wheels up was sheduled for 4:00pm,
: but was pushed back, so everyone could cool off, espicial
: ly the Spit, and fuel for those that needed. Lift off was
: at 5:30pm, headed toward Galveston (better background scen
: ery). The sun was getting that golden glow and the air was
: getting smooth. Steve was in the tail shooting the five p
: lane formation. P-63 in the center, with the Spit, then th
: e FM-2 on the right wing. On the left wing of the Cobra wa
: s the P-51 followed be the AD-4. Looking really good, ever
: yone holding position, with no problems. The formation spl
: its into solo photo shots with one a/c on the tail of the
: B-25 and another coming to the right side of the B-25, whe
: re I am shooting. Everything is working out great. The P-6
: 3, Spit, P-51, AD, then the FM-2. After each individual ph
: oto shoot, that a/c then broke and headed back towards the
: field. The exception was the Wildcat. He did break to the
: left. We thought he then went ahead of us back to Ellingt
: on, but was actually loosely formed up behind us. The rest
: of the story is pretty much known. Steve and I did NOT se
: e him go in. We were already strapped into our seats for l
: anding and were indeed already on the taxiway when the tow
: er called for "all aircraft hold/stop!" Bottom line. Guys,
: I know that I was not flying the airplane, but I still fe
: el responsible 'cause he would not have been there, had I
: not asked. I'm still dealing with this one, Alan