P-51 accident at OshKosh

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Just got in from work and seen this......heartbreaking....
I saw this at Duxford when the P38 went in.....the wheel pointing upwards and the tarp over the wreck......it breaks me up
My friend is there too on holiday..
These guys do this for our enjoyment and to keep history alive ..so my respects and condolences to all involved
 
I am really surprised. Not a single word about the P-51 crash, in our local
newspaper. I did see a 1 inch item about the crash at Dayton. However,
there is a five column spread about the news helo's that crashed. I would
expect more out of community that has so many military air bases. We have
NAS Norfolk, NAS Oceana, NAF Fentress, Langley AFB and probably others.

Charles
 
The crash at Oshkosh was a tragic loss. I was there and it will stick in my memory forever. Our prayers are with you and your family Gerald Beck.
I think it has already been cleared up in this thread that this was NOT the air racer Precious Metal, but Precious Metal II. Gerry built this P51A model from the original blue prints. It was Allison powered. About 5 minutes before the crash they announced he planned to build 12 more of these. I just hope someone picks up where he left off, it would be a shame to see his dreams and hard work just fade away.
 
In regard to the P-51A that we are referring to as "Precious Metal II'. The markings on the cowling say "Precious Metal" There is no "II" on it. I know this because I took that cowling off the aircraft just the Friday before Oshkosh because of a mag problem. Mr. Beck landed here for fuel on his way to Wisconsin when he noted the problem. I didn't get to meet him but my boss came in on Sat. and helped with the mag change and said he was a really friendly sort of guy and had a lot of mustang time in his logbook. We have some nice 35mm photos of him and the plane but unfortunately I don't have a way to load them in the computer. I did get some very good detail shots of the plane and it was amazing. By the way the green "paint" was really that sticky mylar film that can be peeled off. I hope too that someone picks up his banner and carries on with the "A" project. I think this should be referred to as "Black July" for the airshow circuit.:(
 
Everyone, Please forgive me if the first two lines of the above posting sound kind of snooty or like I'm trying to be some kind of know-it-all ass. That was not my intent whatsoever. But I reread it and editted it and it still sounds snooty to me. Sorry.
 
No worries. This last weekend will be one that will be remember for the sorrows. It has left a lot of people with a loss that is hard to comprehend.
 
DOUGRD said:
Everyone, Please forgive me if the first two lines of the above posting sound kind of snooty or like I'm trying to be some kind of know-it-all ass. That was not my intent whatsoever. But I reread it and editted it and it still sounds snooty to me. Sorry.
Click to expand...

No biggy just confusing. Both aircraft say the same thing as far as name goes. As for the tradigy it will take alot of time to heal at the EAA and hopfully the lessons learned will help prevent further mistakes both in the loss of lives and aircraft.
 
Just to let folks know, there was a memorial service held for Mr. Beck in his hometown of Wahpeton, N.D. It was something that was sort of private just for the local community. Over one thousand people attended. Today at the Fargo Air Museum another memorial service and I believe the funeral were held. It was to last approx. two hours. I'll have a report on this tomorrow as my boss attended the event.
 
evangilder said:
No worries. This last weekend will be one that will be remember for the sorrows. It has left a lot of people with a loss that is hard to comprehend.
Click to expand...

Evan you're right about that but you know I wonder why. We hear about car wrecks with fatalities or a house fire with fatalities and it doesn't hit us like a warbird crash does it? Even an airliner crash doesn't seem to hit as deeply. At least not according to the reactions I've witnessed these many years in aviation. What is it about a warbird that strikes such a deep cord? Now I heard about the crash just moments after it happened, I mean the wreckage was still burning when we got the call at work from someone we know who was there. That was about 1520 and until 1600 you could hear a pin drop in the hangar and the strange part is that I'm the only real warbird nut there. I wonder if it's because of all the other history that is recalled when we see one of these machines. Especially here in this forum. What drew us all here but the facination with WW2 and the aircraft that flew then? All these thoughts came to mind within seconds of hearing the news. But I've thought about it so much more since then. This is what I think is why we react the way we do. These warbirds, these machines of a dark era past evoke thoughts of the young, sometimes gallant, sometimes fearful airmen who flew in them, who flew with them, who flew against them, who cheered as they flew overhead and those who prayed they would not pass this way again.
 
Mr. Becks memorial service and funeral were held yesterday at the Fargo Air Museum. Approx 1500 people attended the service. Mr Beck was certainly an aviation minded individual. As had been previously agreed to by Mr. Beck and his wife he was buried in a Propeller Box. He really had panache!
 
DOUGRD said:
Evan you're right about that but you know I wonder why. We hear about car wrecks with fatalities or a house fire with fatalities and it doesn't hit us like a warbird crash does it? Even an airliner crash doesn't seem to hit as deeply. At least not according to the reactions I've witnessed these many years in aviation. What is it about a warbird that strikes such a deep cord? Now I heard about the crash just moments after it happened, I mean the wreckage was still burning when we got the call at work from someone we know who was there. That was about 1520 and until 1600 you could hear a pin drop in the hangar and the strange part is that I'm the only real warbird nut there. I wonder if it's because of all the other history that is recalled when we see one of these machines. Especially here in this forum. What drew us all here but the facination with WW2 and the aircraft that flew then? All these thoughts came to mind within seconds of hearing the news. But I've thought about it so much more since then. This is what I think is why we react the way we do. These warbirds, these machines of a dark era past evoke thoughts of the young, sometimes gallant, sometimes fearful airmen who flew in them, who flew with them, who flew against them, who cheered as they flew overhead and those who prayed they would not pass this way again.
Click to expand...

My reasons for lamenting these tragedies are both egalitarian and selfish; I am saddened at the loss of human life, but I am also saddened by the loss of a piece of history. There are only a finite number of Warbirds left in the world; every time one crashes or is destroyed means one less Warbird in the world. This is especially true for the "real" Warbirds, such as the P-51 the P-38 (I'm sorry, I know the T-6 is officially considered a Warbird, but I don't consider the T-6 to be a "real" Warbird, even though my family has owned several of them). If people continue to fly them (and, by inference, eventually crash them), there won't be any Warbirds left.
 
It really depends on your definition of "real" warbird. There are many restored aircraft that carry only the nameplate as "original" equipment. They can do a lot with custom fabrication today and many of the warbirds that still fly have a lot of modern parts and components in them.

A lot of the fellows that I hang out with mourn higher the loss of someone involved in warbirds is because the warbird community is very small. There are not that many people involved in aviation that have the connection with warbirds like Gerry Beck did. Anyone who rebuilds, flies and has the profound passion for warbirds like he did is someone who is a champion for the warbird movement. His name becomes recognized in the warbird community regardless of whether you have met him or not. It's like the names Steve Hinton or Ed Maloney. Anyone in the warbird community will know those names.
 
What I am confused about, is why they were landing in such close formation. In all of my 4 years being involved with warbirds and airshow flying, I have never heard or seen pilots land together in close formation - it is unheard of in these parts. There is just far too much room for human or mechanical error, particularly in the roll out.
When I saw the video of this accident, on YouTube for christ sake (someone showed me..) it just made me feel sick, for the loss of a life, from someone doing what we all love to see, take these old aeroplanes to the air.
 
The rules may change after this accident but Ive been going to this airshow off and on for the last 20 years. One off the things that make it great are the take off and landing of the war birds. They try and simulate group landing and take off. One year they had 12 P-51's take off in pairs with about 50 feet seperation. Was quite cool to watch but like you said accidents can happen. Off hand I can not rember there name but there is a T-6 acrobat team that prides itself on taking off and landing simutanious in formation.

Alot also depends on runways. The EAA's main runway's can handle 747-400's and C-5 Galaxies so there is plenty of room for a pair of mustangs to take off or land.
 
someone by the name of dick james died to. i've read a lot and dont know if this crash has any relation.:cry:
 
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