This was posted at the Key.aero forum by member Prop Strike:
Quote:
Very sad to hear tonight of the death of Bill Greenwood, a great warbird enthusiast, and long-time owner of Spitfire T9 TE308, which he operated for many years at Aspen, Colorado.
He was a high profile character on the American warbird scene for a couple of decades , and through his generosity many people got the rare chance to fly in a Spitfire at a time when only a handful of two-seaters flew, on a strictly private (non-commercial) basis. He bought it at a time when warbirds were a costly indulgence, but you did not need to be super-rich. Over time, operating costs became more and more of a stretch for 'regular guys', as Bill described himself.
TE308 was damaged in a runway collision in Texas in 2008, and with spiraling rebuild costs, he never got the chance to fly it again. It was sold, and returned to the UK, and now operates out of Biggin Hill, still giving rides.
Bill was for a long while a regular on WIX forum, and no doubt his friends there will pay tribute in the coming days. He will be missed by many on both sides of the Atlantic.
I'm struggling to find any obituaries or death notices online. Very sad news, I'd love to have seen/heard his reaction to TE308's return to flight. I became a WIX member about five years toward the end of his time here and it was amazing to read material from an actual Spitfire owner-pilot.
Rest in peace, Bill.
_________________
Zac in NZ#avgeek, modelbuilder, photographer, writer. Callsign: "HANDBAG".
https://linktr.ee/zacyates"It's his plane, he spent the money to restore it, he can do with it what he wants. I will never understand what's hard to comprehend about this." -
kalamazookid, 20/08/2013"The more time you spend around warbirds the sooner you learn
nothing, is simple." -
JohnB, 24/02/22
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