Hunter1 wrote:
I caution all you who are not 100% up to speed with the absolute facts of this incident to not assume what the outcome is going to be. I think you will find this incident will have a MUCH different outcome than the doom and gloom that most of you are foreshadowing for PWAS.
There has been quite a bit of mis-information regarding this case !
I am quickly loosing respect for many of you regarding your posts on this topic.
PWAS is one of the most professional and dedicated individuals in the airshow industry and frankly if you WERE NOT THERE, then YOU CAN NOT BE 100% SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE ABSOLUTE FACTS.
I suggest that you let PWAS, her legal team, and those that WERE THERE deal with matter with the same professionalism that Patty exhibits in her flying and daily life. This site would be much better served discussing Warbird matters that do not stray into territory that does not concern many of you.
Regards
I am not at all surprised at what I have been reading here concerning this "incident" involving Patty Wagstaff. I am however deeply disappointed in what I am seeing here.
The air show community is a diverse community comprised of people actively involved in the business and on the other side of the equation a legion of aviation "enthusiasts" that make up the "fan base" for the community.
Through the years, display pilots and demonstration pilots working in the venue have worked extremely hard to develop a relationship with the fans that is genuine, honest, and based on a foundation built in premise that the trust placed in our professionals isn't misplaced.
Patty Wagstaff works with me on issues directly related to keeping the pilots in her profession safer. She, does this on her own time, and with no fanfare.
Patty Wagstaff is a professional.
I don't know if my opinion means anything around here, as few of you would know me if you fell over me, but I'm here to inform you that Patty Wagstaff has communicated with me after this incident and told me she is innocent of these charges. I have every belief that what happened and the circumstances that caused the incident to deteriorate into the unfortunate situation that developed out of this deterioration will at the time it's aired explain fully what actually happened at Oshkosh.
I would respectfully suggest to you that your speculation about what "might have happened" be replaced by showing some faith in Patty's word.
I have known many kinds of "fans" in this business. Most are smart, savvy people who are not prone to pre-judgment.
Then there is the "other kind" of fan. These people would come to a show and watch as I had a spar failure coming out of a vertical causing me to dig a 6 foot hole in the middle of show center. It would take about 3 seconds for this type of "fan" to turn to the person next to them and in an "authoritative" voice, explain to that person exactly what it was that I had done wrong.
Which kind of fan are YOU?
I'd like to think that the fans on this forum are not the pre-judgment part of the equation.