SAD

That is so sad, you really have to feel for the kids family.

If the article is correct.... Then, its one thing to take such risks with yourself, but quite another to do it with a passenger. :(
 
An uncle of mine was at a BBQ many years ago at a private strip just outside of Bakersfield and watched as John Harmon took off in one of his early RV's and crashed on takeoff. Add a couple decades and a few bottles of beer and the story goes goes like this as he tells it now. Harmon took off and did a roll right after takeoff and crashed right in front of everybody. With a wrecked airplane and a broken back he was embarrassed and kept saying that he screwed up by rolling in the opposite direction than he usally does! Go figure... I'd like to hear a version of this without the embelishment that comes with time and booze. Does anybody know about Harmon's and which RV he was in at the time? He is obviously a heck of a pilot and his quest for performance is well known.

Best,
 
RV8RIVETER said:
That is so sad, you really have to feel for the kids family.

If the article is correct.... Then, its one thing to take such risks with yourself, but quite another to do it with a passenger. :(
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None of us can know what "low" is for some neighbor watching. We should not speculate and give anyone a bad name.

Warm regards to the family and friends.
 
Mike,
There is nothing wrong with commenting on a newspaper article. If the article or it's sources are in error, then that's a different story.
 
I think this is one of the times when we just need to wait. There very well could have been a mechanical error or some such thing. A lot of planes, just before they crash, look like they're doing aerobatics. It very well might have been a pilot trying to gain control of an out-of-control plane with a serious mechanical problem.
 
Bryan Wood said:
An uncle of mine was at a BBQ many years ago at a private strip just outside of Bakersfield and watched as John Harmon took off in one of his early RV's and crashed on takeoff. Add a couple decades and a few bottles of beer and the story goes goes like this as he tells it now. Harmon took off and did a roll right after takeoff and crashed right in front of everybody. With a wrecked airplane and a broken back he was embarrassed and kept saying that he screwed up by rolling in the opposite direction than he usally does! Go figure... I'd like to hear a version of this without the embelishment that comes with time and booze. Does anybody know about Harmon's and which RV he was in at the time? He is obviously a heck of a pilot and his quest for performance is well known.

Best,
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probably the rocket 1........... RV-4 with an IO-360 constant speed prop, single seat think as well. I dunno the specs for sure all a guess.........
 
American_Pride said:
probably the rocket 1........... RV-4 with an IO-360 constant speed prop, single seat think as well. I dunno the specs for sure all a guess.........
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Minor correction:

Rocket 1's were modified RV-3's. Not -4's
 
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