I want to introduce you to the newest Top Gun to the team. Kelly is our new Fighter Pilot assistant and not only did she pass the hiring tests with “flying” colors, but she also beat out about 50 guys for the job.

(It’s something she reminds all of us about quite often).

To say that Kelly is an aviation enthusiast is an understatement. She LIVES to fly. She is also finishing up her masters in psychology which means she likes crazy people. In other words, she fits in really well around here.

So listen to her, ok? She’s forgotten more than most of us remember.

What happened in Reno on a few weeks ago on Friday, September 16th was really a worst-case-scenario; an aircraft hurdling into the crowd. Although there have been many fatalities throughout the years, at airshows all over the world, this event goes down as the worst civilian casualty count in the United States.

Based on the numerous pictures taken at the time of impact, and before, investigating authorities will be able to piece together what caused the vintage aircraft to slam into the crowd. The pictures clearly show that the elevator trim tab detached, which at least may have contributed to its demise.

I witnessed this accident, at a humbling 100 feet away, in the grandstands right above the impact site. We were sprayed with debris and hit with pieces of The Galloping Ghost. I spent the next two days talking to friends who were standing next to me, and other pilots, trying to figure out what could have caused the accident and what, if anything, Jimmy could have done to save the ill-fated flight.

The Galloping Ghost, tail number NX7911, was an experimental P-51D (or a Mustang, as most of us know it). Jimmy Leeward was the pilot, and had been participating in the races since 1972. He was an excellent pilot, with over 60 years of flying experience.

In 1998, a similar incident occurred. “Hurricane” Bob Hannah lost an elevator trim tab on a similar P-51, and reported that it caused the airplane to pitch up which subjected him to roughly 10Gs (which equates to 10 times the force of gravity). This inevitably caused him to lose consciousness. The difference is, when he awoke, he was 9,000 feet in the air. It sounds like a very similar situation.

There simply are no words to describe the sadness felt by all. It is a reminder that aviation can be a risky business, but Mr. Leeward passed doing what he lived for; flying. That is why we all fly. It gives us life, energy, confidence, and connects us with a community unlike any other. It makes me proud to be a pilot, and reminded me that life is short.

So with that, I leave you with this. Don’t live by other people’s rules. Make your own and stick to them.

Tall Ho!