RIP Gen. Freddy Cabanas

Got several messages this morning that Freddy Cabanas from Key West died.

No details yet but he was in Cozumel probably doing an airshow?

He wasn't an RV guy but he flew EVERYTHING! I flew with him many times and even took some aerobatic instruction from him.

He was the definition of "a character" in a town where that means something!

I flew in every Pitts he's owned in the last 15 plus years except the last one.

He was made the "General" of the Conch Republic Air Force by the Mayor when Key West seceeded.

No way to put into words what a loss this is.

RIP

not much info, but here's the news report...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world...ff934c-5fee-11e2-9dc9-bca76dd777b8_story.html

Sad to hear this. Freddy took me up for my first ever acro flight in his S2 down in Key West. We stopped for a few beers afterwards and he told me all kinds of stories about growing up and flying in the Keys. One heck of a character, for sure. RIP.

The wife and I spend three weeks a year in Cozumel goofing off, so I tend to keep up with the news. If you read espa?ol here's what I found yesterday.

http://sipse.com/novedades/se-desploma-un-avion-en-cozumel-fallecen-dos-personas-10464.html

From a friend of mine, Gary Ward (Airshows) today:

Today I lost one of my closest and dearest friends, Fred Cabanas, in a plane crash in Cozumel, Mex. Over the past 15 years, we flew together many thousands of miles over open ocean and mountainous terrain to get to air shows all over the Caribbean and Central America.
Freddie and I early on developed a great friendship and he was a tremendous help to me when I got started in air shows.
The reality of his untimley departure has not yet set in but I will miss him dearly.
Thanks Fred for your friendship. RIP.

He was in a Decathlon and a preview flight..

Best,