Bearcat Accident in Breckenridge, 4/4/12

[muddyboots]

CAreful with sharing our internet secrets, Dave. These old guys will take over the world if they find out too much.

[Braveheart51]

CAreful with sharing our internet secrets, Dave. These old guys will take over the world if they find out too much.

Old Guy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alright what's your address???

I gots a bombing mission in the am,load up the T-6

[Django]

Love your T-6! I haven't seen it before. Love it.

[Lynn Allen]

Howard was given a great memorial today and a tip of the hat to Mr. Lewis for bringing in the Bearcats. They and Nelson who did the Missing Man in Howard's Seafury made several passes. The last pass was made by Stewart Dawson in a Bearcat and Nelson in the Seafury...

[TAdan]

Howard was given a great memorial today and a tip of the hat to Mr. Lewis for bringing in the Bearcats. They and Nelson who did the Missing Man in Howard's Seafury made several passes. The last pass was made by Stewart Dawson in a Bearcat and Nelson in the Seafury...

Very glad to hear Mr. Lewis brought his Bearcats and the missing man sounds like a great salute.

[Steve Pierce]

The three Bearcats and the Fury taking off.
http://youtu.be/8MpbMczH-BQ

[airnutz]

Quite the royal send-off for a legend...very nice!! Did Connie make it out?

[muddyboots]

CAreful with sharing our internet secrets, Dave. These old guys will take over the world if they find out too much.

Old Guy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alright what's your address???

I gots a bombing mission in the am,load up the T-6

USA

[P51Mstg]

Big house there..... Hope the tornado missed you....

Mark H

[Fouga23]

Dunno. there's certainly a lot of bush around that place

[steve dickey]

Quite the royal send-off for a legend...very nice!! Did Connie make it out?

Yes Connie was there.

[Stephan Wilkinson]

Flying Magazine is reporting that, according to a witness waiting to take off after him, Pardue announced on Unicom (I assume) that he was going to do a half Cuban eight right after takeoff and then do a pass downwind over the runway after rolling upright. He apparently never made it upright and went in vertically after what the witness described as a "split S." Flying titles their on-line report "Low-Level Aerobatics Gone Wrong," near as I can remember.

[51fixer]

Flying Magazine is reporting that, according to a witness waiting to take off after him, Pardue announced on Unicom (I assume) that he was going to do a half Cuban eight right after takeoff and then do a pass downwind over the runway after rolling upright. He apparently never made it upright and went in vertically after what the witness described as a "split S." Flying titles their on-line report "Low-Level Aerobatics Gone Wrong," near as I can remember.

Other eye witnesses have stated otherwise. I wish Flying had waited for more info before dragging Howard through the muck.

[jtramo]

Flying title:

Howard Pardue Crash Update: Low-Level Acro on Departure

Thats about as factual and non biased as it gets.

I wish everyone would stop bashing:

-NTSB
-FAA
-Flying Magazine
-Witnesses

The world lost a great American, a super pilot and his trusty steed for whatever reason. Say a prayer and fly safe while remembering that flying is dangerous business.

[k5083]

Some photos of the evolution of Pardue's Bearcat's markings.

Oshkosh 1982, I think with Enhorning:



1984 or thereabouts. For a time the Bearcat had the MARINES title painted under the wing.



The final scheme did not have the MARINES title. I imagine the plane had to be repainted following the 1999 Corsair incident, and possibly at other times over the 30 years Pardue owned it.



Like many, I got my final look at Mr Pardue and his beautiful plane during his Chino 2011 performance.



August