Warbird Information Exchange

I was never fortunate enough to have met Mr. Odegaard but condolences to the family and all that knew him!

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A&P/I.A., A.A.S./Aviation Maintenance technology
Warbird salvage/recovery
One day I'll get that P-40!

I am at a loss for words. Did not know him personally, but that did not matter to Bob, he always made everyone at ease when he was around, always had time for anyone who approached him.

Special Thoughts and Prayers to Bob's family, and friends.

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Regards

Eric Rogers

I am sadden to say a Great Pilot was just lost & a historic plane will never be seen again.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to his whole family & friends.

We just learned Bob Odegaard was killed in the crash of the Super Corsair on the 7th. He was practicing for an airshow performance when it happened.

http://www.newsdakota.com/2012/09/07/br ... y-airport/

Bob & Walter can now talk airplanes on a one to one bases.

This must be doubly tragic for those who restored and maintained Race 74. While there certainly is no comparison for the loss of flesh and blood to the loss of an airframe, I can tell you from my own limited experience that once you put your sweat (and not so occasionally, blood) into one of these planes, it becomes your plane, regardless of who the actual owners are. Some may only see a hunk of metal when they look at an aircraft. Those of us who have been around these planes know better. These aircraft take on a spirit of their own. To lose something that so many people put so many hours into bringing to life, and then to also lose the plane's "father" (who was responsible for giving "life" back to Race 74) at the same time has to be an unfathomable loss.

May God bless all of those who have been affected by this terrible tragedy, and may god bless those who dedicate themselves to preserving, restoring, flying, maintaining, or simply just admiring all of these wonderful old birds.

Stunned since I read this thread this morning. The handful of times that I met briefly with, and talked to Bob, he was a true gentleman. He was kind each time and welcomed "hangar talk" with a stranger. Years ago I was working for a few days in Fargo, and found myself with a few hours before my flight out. I jumped in the rental car and pointed the gps to the kindred airport. There I found Bob and Brady working on 57. Bob was busy on the phone imparting experience and knowledge of the R4360 operation.when I got a chance to introduce myself, I asked about the status of the race 74 project. He took the time to take me over to the hangar which housed the dismantled airplane, put up the door, and said " go ahead and look as long as you want". A gesture to remember.

As I sat in Mass this evening, a number of prayers went out to the Odegaard family, and his friends.

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Life's a Pitts

What he said.....

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Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas

PIC, Ford 6600 pulling Rhino batwing up and down the runway

I just returned from Falcon Field at the CAF. Larry Perkins and I at the families request prepped "STANG" for it's return trip to ND. It will be leaving Tuesday morning. It was a very somber task to say the least. My best memories of Bob were at Larry's christmas party at Stellar Airpark in Chandler. Bob, his wife Donna, son Casey and a bunch of us locals all sat around a barbeque pit listening to Ed Newberg do his Johnny cash renditions. A really cool laid back evening. Bob had a way of making you feel like you had know each other all your lives. I will miss him greatly as will all of us of the Arizona Wing of the CAF. Bob never flew any of his planes with an empty seat and would always offer a ride to one of the workers. A true class act. I really wonder sometimes if flying these planes is worth it. I just don't know anymore.

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The more I learn about aircraft, the more I realize I still have to learn.

My deepest condolences to his family and friends.

I thought about this post and Bob since last night. I have known Robert since before I recovered the Brewster Corsair in 1991. I was not close to him but I felt comfortable calling him anytime or simply dropping in on him at the hanger. But then again, he made many people feel that way. We would exchange information, ideas (mostly his) and parts. Recently I attended a funeral for a brother and was moved by one of the most memorable sermons ever. The pastor said that no one is forgotten until we stop telling stories about them. So on that note I will share a story about Bob.

Bob and I had a disagreement a couple of years ago about a trade of Mustang parts to him, for Corsair parts I needed. On one of the occasions that we ran into each other, he said that the deal was not done, and he persisted. He was insisting that when I dropped off a Mustang radiator (or two) that he had not given me proper value for the parts! I cannot think of another person doing that in my entire life.

We have now lost Bob and Gerry Beck, two of the most influential men in my life with the Corsair project. Both of those families hearts must be breaking now. Bob was an honest man, a kind man, a great restorer and pilot, and I hope we continue to tell stories about him as long as we live. The world was a better place with Bob. I cannot help but think about the young man who was first to arrive at both crashes and the trauma he must be experiencing.

The Odegaard family and friends are in our prayers.

Blue skies Bob

Pirate Lex

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An ego is no match for gravity.

Mortifying. Just mortifying. My sincere condolences. I will not be forgetting this soon. Mortifying..
.

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Keep Em' Flying,
Christopher Soltis
Dedicated to the preservation and education of The Sikorsky Memorial Airport

CASC Blog Page: http://ctair-space.blogspot.com/
Warbird Wear: https://www.redbubble.com/people/warbirdwear/shop

Chicks Dig Warbirds.......right?

I'm sure the family and close friends and associates are suffering the most, but this has just plunged my weekend into deep disgust and sadness. I can't stop thinking about it. Really was feeling positive about Reno but this kind of spoils it. I am mortified as well.

If there is anything good that could possibly be said about this tragedy, is that it happend at the practice show. Looking at the pictures in the links provided, it appears that the wreckage came to rest behind the crowd line. In the first photo/link the person standing over the plane gives a size definition and it is clear that the aircraft came down very close to the line of folding chairs which have their backs to the site. The second photo/link also shows this and some tables set up as well. If its not behind the crowd line then it is extreme show left, but in any case people sitting there would have been clearly affected.

I shudder to think what might have happend if it did occur during the show day, and almost to the year since the Reno accident. The press would not have been kind, been sensational, and ruined Bob's good name and accomplishments.

http://www.inforum.com/event/image/id/3 ... ey%20City/

http://www.newsdakota.com/2012/09/07/br ... y-airport/

It was due to some form of loss of control. What the maneuver was and where it was in relation to the crowd line I'm not sure based on reports. An out of control aircraft will go where it wants. Things are planned out as a best guess based on many years of experience.
Its a sad event and more specifics will need to be known to figure things out. That will come in the future, now is the time to remember and mourn,
Fly safe.

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Rich Palmer

Remember an Injured Youth
benstear.org
#64- Stay Strong and Keep the Faith

BOOM BOOM, ROUND ROUND, PROPELLER GO

Don't Be A Dilbert!

My Bob story:

The first time I met him was when he brought Race 57 to OSH the first time. He was so approachable - he had just resurrected one of Warbirding's most holy grails but he was happy to talk to a simple volunteer like me with no skin in the game as if I was an equal. He talked about obtaining the Super by trading a stock Corsair he had found mounted to a trailer and being used as a wind machine by a storm door company. Then he asked me if I ever watched "Junkyard Wars" on cable - turns out he had been on that show the previous season and his team had apparently kicked some serious butt! I swear he was every bit as proud of that victory as he was about finding, acquiring, rebuilding, and flying the world's only active F2G-1D.

Last time I saw him he was relaxing under the wing of Race 74 on a sunny afternoon, just off of the west ramp at OSH - that will be the mental image I keep forever.

I will seriously miss you, Bob - you should have grown old, retired, and written a book about that first post restoration flight in #57. Sincere condolences to the family - I really hope to see Brady and Casey at OSH or Reno again. You are all in Kim & my prayers.

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Chris

I am stunned, shocked and saddened over the loss of Bob Odegaard. I had gotten to know him quite well over the years through attending air shows in Fargo and Grand Forks, ND, and had the pleasure of visiting him at his hangar in Kindred. He also came up to Winnipeg, MB numerous times as a performer at the Winnipeg Air Show. Bob was an absolute class guy and he will be missed tremendously. I still can't believe he is gone.

Ron

Has the cause for the accident been found yet, I obviously offer my thoughts and prayers to his family and friends but does it look like pilot or mechanical error.