First loss

[Guest]

Scott Puddy, AVweb's Features Editor and author of several of their articles was killed in the crash of a Yak 52 last week. He was an ATP, CFI-I, MEI and active flight instructor as well as a lawyer. He was the only occupant of the aircraft.His loss hits me even though I only knew him by email. He was editing my next article for Avweb and this is the first time that someone I knew or was working with has died in a GA accident since I took up flying. When I started, a pilot told me, "If you get into this and do it long enough, you are going to know people who die flying." It's finally happened. It's very sobering at 150 hours to contemplate this happening to someone of his level of experience.There's one email on my list that I won't be answering.

[Geofa 108]

Yes-truly sad news..I guess the thing to keep it all in perspective-I am now going on year 13 of flying and also have yet to know anyone who has died flying (a friend of mine did have a crash when the engine quit in his plane but walked out without a scratch).However-in that time period I have also known 5 persons killed in seperate car crashes, and lost many friends due to illnesses. At least in my experience flying is less of a factor.Level of experience often has nothing to do with aircraft crashes as I am sure the tragic fireplane crash of a few days ago will prove.Neither does it play a huge factor in the car crashes or illnesses that take many of us, let alone some of the senseless acts going on around the world.Whenever I see a report of a plane crash I always feel like part of me has died inside-yet when one assumes the privilege offlying of an aircraft it is one of those rare times one is truly alive, and can give life its' real meaning.We all will die probably in a way none of us expect-yet when I see a flyer who has met the end while truly being alive I always feel that at least that individual truly lived his/her life to the fullest. Some of the persons I have known who met their ends in more prevelant and traditional ways I can not always say the same of.http://members.telocity.com/~geof43/geofanim2.gif

[Guest tallpilot]

Very well said Geof. I think most pilots would rather die while doing what they enjoy, flying. I know that I would rather go while flying and if it's due to some error that I make it atleast is by my own hand and not by some drunk driver or misguided individual who takes me out just because I'm at the wrong place at the wrong time.Those of us that fly have never really been able to explain completely to those that don't fly what we feel from being up there. Poets and artists have tried but until one expierences it themselves, there is no words that can tell, but ever pilot that has watched the missing man formation pay tribute to a pilot that has "Slipped the surly bonds of earth" knows what flying meant to that person.Ed Weber a.k.a tallpilot

[Guest]

Roger, I have not yet known any pilots who have died. I myself only have 100 hours. But I know that the day may come one day when somebody I knew is no longer with us. And unfortunately, that day is probably sooner than I'd like. I see pilots, even very seasoned pilots, do really stupid things every day. I see pilots cutting other pilots off in the traffic pattern every weekend. I see pilots executing right-based traffic for my airport when the traffic pattern is to the left and the pattern is full. Just the other day I saw a pilot fly his vintage Swift 5 feet off the pavement the entire length of the runway at maximum power. He pulled up just as he crossed Pyrott road which borders the end of the runway. Had a semi truck or possibly even an SUV been driving at the wrong time on this busy road, that pilot would most certainly be dead. And a few weeks ago an idiot pilot flew a Duke into a level 4 storm and survived despite heavy structural damage to his aircraft. The wings were dented in/slightly warped and the nose cone was smashed. He turned down the controllers' vectors around the storm and said he could see a clear path through. Right. Turns out that his on-board radar was inop and he knew that ahead of time. But what does that pilot do later that night after the sun had set? He used rolls of duct tape on the leading edges of his wings to try to get the dents in the wings smoothed out. He used foam and duct tape on the nose to try to get it aerodynamic. Then he took off and flew that plane to Wisconsin. There's no way that airplane was safe to fly. He didn't even get a ferry or special permit from the FAA to fly the damaged plane. The FAA was already on their way to inspect the plane. The FAA came to inspect the plane but it wasn't there. Opps! I hate to say this, but I think this pilot has a good chance of losing his pilot's license -- and it probably be the best thing for him. I apologize for rambling on here. I am saddened by the number of dangerous pilots out there. I hope that Scott Puddy was not doing anything stupid when he went down.

[Guest]

You would all do well by Scott's memory by going to the Airmanship section of Avweb and reading his articles. This was a pilot who devoted much of his time to helping the rest of us fly better and avoid doing stupid things. Lack of judgement is the cause of many or most accidents but there are other things that can get you. I doubt that Scott died doing anything that could be disapproved of.