Van's Air Force
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RIP Bruce Bohannon, 06/21/1958 - 07/24/2024
- Thread starter SPX
- Start date
Special Delivery
Well Known Member
Bruce's dear friend, artist and wing walker Teresa Stokes, has been in contact with the OSH airshow announcer who will be making an announcement at today's airshow. God speed, Bruce!
plbarrett2004
Active Member
I did my RV transition training with Bruce. Fantastic pilot and instructor. And a wonderful character! He will be missed.
Fair winds and following seas Bruce.
Fair winds and following seas Bruce.
Special Delivery
Well Known Member
A fitting tribute to Bruce by Capt. Michael J. Larkin
Paul Thomas
Well Known Member
Bruce was selling his Mooney J earlier this year and my wife called him to get some basic info and see if we could get a copy of the logs. I could overhear the conversation and he seemed like quite the character - a really nice and funny guy. One of the favorite line I heard was that while the aircraft needed paint, but it was not so bad the the dog would bite at it when you taxi by!
I'm sorry to hear about his passing.
I'm sorry to hear about his passing.
I was just thinking about calling him to see how he held up during all the bad weather his area has had lately. I'm keenly feeling the loss. An aviation legend, and a good friend. Strong tailwinds to heaven, my friend. I will always remember the lessons you taught me.
This brought tears. Great writing. Thanks for sharing.
Bruce flew to Atlanta to do my first flight in "sexy legs", my RV8 FB Slider, November 1st 22!
I replaced his broken canopy on his 8 in payment. And his control cables for him!
He was so happy he bought me a $300 bottle of Don Julio....we downed it between the next two nights!
Larger than life guy. I nicknamed him "my lifesaver".
Damn!
I replaced his broken canopy on his 8 in payment. And his control cables for him!
He was so happy he bought me a $300 bottle of Don Julio....we downed it between the next two nights!
Larger than life guy. I nicknamed him "my lifesaver".
Damn!
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robblr
Member
I remember meeting him at Sun n Fun when I was a kid during the time-to-climb record attempts. I had a poster of Pushy Galore on my wall growing up.
When I bought my RV, insurance wanted 25 hours of dual in an RV4 or something absurd. I emailed Bruce and 30 seconds later my phone rang. "Hey, this is Bruce Bohannon." I was speechless and star struck. He said to come on out for some dual in the RV8, and he'd handle my insurance company. Sure as shit, about two hours in the 8 and a phone call, they approved me.
I'll share below some quotes which I thought were hilarious, and I don't think he'd mind me sharing -
"When the nuclear apocalypse eventually comes, the only thing left will be cockroaches and RV-8 landing gear."
"I quit drinkin' for a while, but the reality was too much. I don't understand why anyone would want to live like that." -upon seeing me crack open a NA beer in his drive way, a few years sober
"Don't jerk the stick. If you jerk the stick, you'll make me horny and you might not like what happens next."
"Quit flyin' straight and level. I'm getting sick back here."
"Insurance was too expensive so I don't carry it anymore."
"Can you smell that? Some whiner I had two weeks ago said my cigarette smoke was making him sick so I sent him home." -from the back seat of the 8 taxiing back to departure with the canopy cracked and a lit American Spirit
As colorful as a character as he was, I learned more about flying that weekend than I had in the previous 12 years since I started this journey.
Blue skies, Bruce.
When I bought my RV, insurance wanted 25 hours of dual in an RV4 or something absurd. I emailed Bruce and 30 seconds later my phone rang. "Hey, this is Bruce Bohannon." I was speechless and star struck. He said to come on out for some dual in the RV8, and he'd handle my insurance company. Sure as shit, about two hours in the 8 and a phone call, they approved me.
I'll share below some quotes which I thought were hilarious, and I don't think he'd mind me sharing -
"When the nuclear apocalypse eventually comes, the only thing left will be cockroaches and RV-8 landing gear."
"I quit drinkin' for a while, but the reality was too much. I don't understand why anyone would want to live like that." -upon seeing me crack open a NA beer in his drive way, a few years sober
"Don't jerk the stick. If you jerk the stick, you'll make me horny and you might not like what happens next."
"Quit flyin' straight and level. I'm getting sick back here."
"Insurance was too expensive so I don't carry it anymore."
"Can you smell that? Some whiner I had two weeks ago said my cigarette smoke was making him sick so I sent him home." -from the back seat of the 8 taxiing back to departure with the canopy cracked and a lit American Spirit
As colorful as a character as he was, I learned more about flying that weekend than I had in the previous 12 years since I started this journey.
Blue skies, Bruce.
Nick
Well Known Member
Knowing this was coming, I had the privilege to sit down with Bruce for a few hours 3 weeks ago and enjoy a few adult beverages. It was nice to pretend everything was normal and enjoy a great evening. His spirits were high, he enjoyed his life, his friends, and everything he had accomplished.
RIP Bruce, you'll be greatly missed brother.
RIP Bruce, you'll be greatly missed brother.
TXPreacher
I'm New Here
Bruce was a friend of over 40 years. To express his impact on the lives that touched his is inexpressible. I was privileged to attend his Master Pilot Certificate award presentation where he was accompanied by his very good friends, Mike Barksdale and life long friend, Hoot Gibson.
It was hard to watch him go and harder to be without him.
It was hard to watch him go and harder to be without him.
Bruce was a legend of a man. Larger than life. The Marlboro man was modeled after Bruce. "You don't mind if I have a smoke back here?, there's a negative pressure in the back of the 8 and you'd never know even know I was smoking" 
Bruce was an original, not concerned with how you or anyone else felt. Here's how its done seemed to be his style. When Chuck Norris needed to learn how to fly a tail wheel he called Bruce. Like many here, I did the same. For sure, Bruce made me a better pilot, might have even saved my life with his "it's easy, just keep it straight" attitude. God speed Bruce Bohannon.
Bruce was an original, not concerned with how you or anyone else felt. Here's how its done seemed to be his style. When Chuck Norris needed to learn how to fly a tail wheel he called Bruce. Like many here, I did the same. For sure, Bruce made me a better pilot, might have even saved my life with his "it's easy, just keep it straight" attitude. God speed Bruce Bohannon.
I went out to do my transition training with Bruce in 2021. The morning we met at his place, he wore a button down shirt with a breast pocket stuffed and bulging with little golf pencils.
We briefed the flight and preflighted, and the whole time this struck me as odd, but I never asked him why.
After some basic maneuvers, we started on some aerobatics. He asked me to do a point roll, which was simple enough for me, but all my previous training had been in a super decathlon. Well as I'm going from 90* to inverted he yells "Don't push!" but he was already too late. I push for level inverted, and 100 golf pencils go rocketing around the cockpit. He immediately lights up a cigarette, and punished me with that for the rest of the week. For a year he said he was still finding pencils in the plane.
We became fast friends, and I kept in touch with him over the last few years. He was the best instructor I've ever had, and the coolest of the cool. He will be missed.
We briefed the flight and preflighted, and the whole time this struck me as odd, but I never asked him why.
After some basic maneuvers, we started on some aerobatics. He asked me to do a point roll, which was simple enough for me, but all my previous training had been in a super decathlon. Well as I'm going from 90* to inverted he yells "Don't push!" but he was already too late. I push for level inverted, and 100 golf pencils go rocketing around the cockpit. He immediately lights up a cigarette, and punished me with that for the rest of the week. For a year he said he was still finding pencils in the plane.
We became fast friends, and I kept in touch with him over the last few years. He was the best instructor I've ever had, and the coolest of the cool. He will be missed.
Dear Van's Air Force, my name is Jen Barlette and I am Bruce's niece. I just wanted to tell you all that we are so enjoying your stories and pictures - please keep them coming. Bruce touched so many people's lives and we are grateful for your kind words.
My dad is the oldest, so I spent my whole life hearing about Bruce's escapades. Aviation is in the Bohannon blood and it passed on to me working as an engineer first on airport trams and then in 135 private aviation and 142 aviation training.
Bruce taught me to fly, to take risks, to have fun doing it. Sounds like he did the same for you. I wish you all clear skies...keep 'em flyin'.
My dad is the oldest, so I spent my whole life hearing about Bruce's escapades. Aviation is in the Bohannon blood and it passed on to me working as an engineer first on airport trams and then in 135 private aviation and 142 aviation training.
Bruce taught me to fly, to take risks, to have fun doing it. Sounds like he did the same for you. I wish you all clear skies...keep 'em flyin'.
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fl-mike
Well Known Member
Mine is but one of many similar tales of tailwheel training with Bruce. The first day we spent in the Cub and one of his friends met us at lunch and asked if he could come over after work to try out his new pistol. "Sure". We finished for the day, and like others, I was offered a beer and we spent a few hours shooting cans off the hangar apron with a suppressed Ruger pistol and telling stories (and man, he had some stories!). Oh, I was going to like this training! The next day we took up the 8, as he had somehow come to the conclusion that I was not going to kill us both. Got the same question about smoking. "sure". (I never smelled anything except my helmet fire!) He said we would need to quit early as he had a golf date with another buddy and I was invited if I wanted to come along. "Sure!". So, we played some "whack-f**k!" as he called it and then had BBQ (and beers of course) at the friend's house. I finished up the next day and we celebrated with more beer (seemed a common theme...). Most fun I've ever had training. I called him a month ago as I had a student candidate and learned he had shut everything down. I connected the dots. Such a loss. I sure would have liked to hang out again and learn more with Bruce. Condolences to the family (and "Smokeless" the hangar cat (previously known as "Smokey"... before the operation...)).
While I did not get training from Bruce, a friend from the airport did a couple of years ago and shred the experiences (good ones).
I remember him as being such a laid back and approachable guy, MANY YEARS AGO at Oshkosh.
What I remember most though is a time to climb effort in the "Exxon Tiger" at SnF one year where I think he lost the engine after several thousand feet of the climb.
An amazing, super smooth, "deadstick" landing with no prop turning looked effortless.
Even with this surprise, it seemed that he was "cool as a cucumber". "No biggie."
I remember him as being such a laid back and approachable guy, MANY YEARS AGO at Oshkosh.
What I remember most though is a time to climb effort in the "Exxon Tiger" at SnF one year where I think he lost the engine after several thousand feet of the climb.
An amazing, super smooth, "deadstick" landing with no prop turning looked effortless.
Even with this surprise, it seemed that he was "cool as a cucumber". "No biggie."
When I finished building my RV-8, I had 0.1 hours in tailwheel airplanes. I wanted to fly my airplane's first flight and I was very interested in not killing myself while doing it. So like many others, I called Bruce. His ground school was thorough and effective, and was taught in a way that was both easy to comprehend and to remember. He talked through the important concepts always holding a baseball bat in his left hand for the stability demonstrations, and the large flyswatter in his right for the wasps and yellow jackets. He must have killed 10 wasps with that flyswatter without missing a beat in his lecture. We hopped in the Cub and beat the pattern up for a while. I tried to repeat in the air what he had just told me on the ground, and I guess it worked because we quickly jumped in the RV-8. After the requisite training was complete I told him of my plan to conduct my first flight, including my hope of not dying while doing it. He then made me fly a few first flight profiles with many possible failure and malfunction scenarios, and how to handle them without killing myself. On the rtb he asked me to do a challenging maneuver for such a low time RV-8 pilot, an 8-point slow roll. After the manuever he began laughing uncontrollably. Once regaining his composure, and thinking I did something stupid, he said "Well Sir, That was absolutely the best 7-point roll I have ever seen." I wasn't about to argue with him so I put my tail between my legs and hoped I didn't screw up that last landing back at Flyin Tiger field. He was a character and a great pilot. This strange new world needs more old school Bruce's.
Tailwinds Bruce Bohannon. RIP and KIS.
Tailwinds Bruce Bohannon. RIP and KIS.
I found out about Bruce from VAF and set up a weekend in October a few years ago to get my Tail Wheel Endorsement. Like everyone said, he was very accommodating to a low time pilot. All the stories are right on. My memories are as follows:
- The cigarette ashes swirling around in the cub with the doors open. I was having so much fun, I didn't care.
- He said, " your job is to shut me up. When you can do three landings without me saying a word (including one at a friend's strip), I'll sign your logbook." I've told that story to many a young flight instructor.
- He also said to this green tailwheel pilot, "you understand you can fly one tailwheel airplane off of grass. Any other airplane flown off of any other surface and you're going to need more training." I understood.
- His two grass runways with a little house and a huge hangar was like a field of dreams. There was the golf mat aimed at the Island green in the middle of his lake. There were pistol casings lying about. It was heavenly. He wanted to bet me $100 a shot closest to the pin. He was a good player who hit thousands of shots off that mat. I declined.
I will add my condolences to the list and story about Bruce. 3 years ago, I bought an RV-8 and had just got my PPL the weekend before. As you all know, the next call was to the insurance company and to my surprise, I could not even start that plane, without 15 hours of transition training, in same type of plane, with qualified instructor... so, I started calling all over the country and I had almost gave up, when someone recommended Bruce... within a month I was out there at Flyin Tigers field and doing laps in Cub and his rocket of an RV-8. Funny story, one day, we were coming back, he said, slow it down into slow flight... then crack that window... and yes, he lit one up in the back seat. I just laughed and will never forget it. He did smoke like a chimney and I worried about that, for him. Anyway, he was the best and I remember calling him back up after my first flight in my own plane, he called me a "good stick" and that was the best compliment I had received as a pilot. I pinged him a couple times since and was proud to say I was Bruce trained. I sent several more his way.
He will be missed, for sure. I don't think people know that he was the last and only hope for aspiring tail dragger pilots looking to fly their own RV plane. That is going to really impact that category of plane in General Aviation. People simply won't be able to get insurance without him...
He will be missed, for sure. I don't think people know that he was the last and only hope for aspiring tail dragger pilots looking to fly their own RV plane. That is going to really impact that category of plane in General Aviation. People simply won't be able to get insurance without him...
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Back when Bruce was getting ready to set the altitude record, I was on a bus with a number of Air Venture Cup racers. Bruce was telling us he was unable to get a pressure suit for the attempt. NASA wouldn't loan him one, the Air Force wouldn't loan him one, the Navy wouldn't loan him one. "So, what are you going to do?" He intended to fly to 50,000' unpressurized, and no suit. I asked "What are you doing to prepare yourself physiologically?" Bruce held up his hands, a beer in one hand, a cigarette in the other. Classic BB.
Special Delivery
Well Known Member
AirVenture Today / Sunday 7/28/24
>>> Click on article for link / turn to page 20
>>> Click on article for link / turn to page 20
Did my Pitts check out with Bruce. After one landing in the circuit he announced, If you can do that the training is over. Take me back to my airport. I said if he’s that sure, I guess I’m ready to go pick up my plane solo! Some of the best instruction I’ve ever gotten and great stories.
jliltd
Well Known Member
Did a Pitts check out with him too. It was like having the voice of god coming over the intercom. And I have never seen a better ground instruction explanation of stability and control and the physics of landings, including the use of aileron adverse yaw to augment rudder in a cross-wind landing. As far as rudder inputs he would hold up a small baseball bat and hang it down by the handle to explain positive stability of a tri-gear. Then he would turn the bat over and put the handle knob on his palm and then keep the bat balanced by quickly moving his hand in and out as necessary to keep the bat from falling over. It was a great emulation of the rudder inputs where a lot time you put it in and take it out in whatever direction is necessary. This was all after I already had 2,000 hours of tailwheel but it had never been explained better up till then.
jliltd
Well Known Member
My Pitts partners and I referred to Bruce as "Tin Cup" in honor of the movie that has a similar character who is golf pro living in a trailer in the middle of dusty West Texas course. Bruce was kind of living the Tin Cup life at Flyin' Tiger Field. He did not conform to societal norms and was a character and a half. Here is a photo I took looking out of his hangar at Flyin' Tiger Field.
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If you notice right by the Pitts main tire, the little golf mat. He would take 20 slices and go through 2 cigarettes before getting a ball on the island by the windsock.
The bat illustration was the best tailwheel visual I’ve ever seen taught. Hopefully 81D will remain open…..There’s no better place to practice short field grass landings than Bruce’s place.
flytoday
Well Known Member
In 2011 Bruce and I went on two shopping trips for an RV6. My start in the RV and EAA and Airventure universes. The second candidate in Tennessee was the right one. The owner took Bruce on a demo flight, and not knowing Bruce at all, after the flight he commented to me on the side; “He’s a really good pilot.” I agreed, with a feeling like witnessing an anonymous Eric Clapton being noted as a really good guitarist. Bruce always shared a seat at the KLBX cafe table and it was my privilege to occasionally join him, and his student and listen to the wisdom. Bruce was always welcoming whenever I dropped into Flyin Tiger. It’s an honor to have his notes & autograph in my logbook and he will be missed by thousands of pilots and friends.
Carl
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Carl
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