It's hard to believe that I lost my son in a crash just a year ago. Who
would have believed a year ago this morning that today would have changed
the lives of so many people, both family and friends?

Because of the mis-information that was given to the media soon after the
accident on Dec. 5, 2002, I conducted an investigation into the cause and
chronicled the last few minutes of the fatal flight. It seems there were 2
unrelated problems, the left side electric-seat motor jammed and overheated,
which also ignited gasoline fumes from a leaking right wing tank fitting and
hose. Prior to the flash fire, they knew they had a major problem. They
turned hard right and entered an ememgency decent from 5500' directly toward
runway 12 of Miami International Airport 8 miles away. About the time they
leveled off around 800' near the airport, the fire erupted and they did not
have a chance. Both Gary Williams and my son Richard perished in flight and
the aircraft, in a steep nose-down attitude, impacted the NE corner of the
one-story Federal Reserve Building that was located in a landscaped
executive office park several miles from downtown Miami.

The new prototype Four Winds is incorporating changes to improve the safety
of the occupants. Perhaps my son's death will not be in vain.

Bill Grannis
New Smyrna Beach, FL

Bill,
I'm sorry your son had to die at all. I have a son in the Air Force and I am
very proud of him. I don't want him to die. I don't want him to live dead
either, so, I've got to encourage him to live life to the fullest rather
than always being safe from any chance of harm I can tell you that I love
your son as well, because he shared my love of flying or he wouldn't have
been in that plane. As I walk with an eye turned skyward, I see him there,
and wink at his smile.

--
Al Mills
....now I walk with an eye turned skyward, for there I have been and there I
long to return.

(from) DaVinci
"Billgran" > wrote in message
m...
> It's hard to believe that I lost my son in a crash just a year ago. Who
> would have believed a year ago this morning that today would have changed
> the lives of so many people, both family and friends?
>
> Because of the mis-information that was given to the media soon after the
> accident on Dec. 5, 2002, I conducted an investigation into the cause and
> chronicled the last few minutes of the fatal flight. It seems there were 2
> unrelated problems, the left side electric-seat motor jammed and
overheated,
> which also ignited gasoline fumes from a leaking right wing tank fitting
and
> hose. Prior to the flash fire, they knew they had a major problem. They
> turned hard right and entered an ememgency decent from 5500' directly
toward
> runway 12 of Miami International Airport 8 miles away. About the time they
> leveled off around 800' near the airport, the fire erupted and they did
not
> have a chance. Both Gary Williams and my son Richard perished in flight
and
> the aircraft, in a steep nose-down attitude, impacted the NE corner of the
> one-story Federal Reserve Building that was located in a landscaped
> executive office park several miles from downtown Miami.
>
> The new prototype Four Winds is incorporating changes to improve the
safety
> of the occupants. Perhaps my son's death will not be in vain.
>
> Bill Grannis
> New Smyrna Beach, FL
>
>

"AL" > wrote in message
...
> Bill,
> I'm sorry your son had to die at all.

I can tell you that I love
> your son as well, because he shared my love of flying or he wouldn't have
> been in that plane. As I walk with an eye turned skyward, I see him there,
> and wink at his smile.
>


Thanks, Al,

Ever since my son would sit on my lap and "drive" my plane while taxing back
to the ramp, he had a life-long love affair with flying. From RC airplanes
to being the test pilot for Four Winds Aircraft, he lived to fly. He worked
to pay for flying lessons and after 4 years in the Marines, he used the GI
Bill for his advanced ratings. Until his untimely death at 25 years old,
Richard, in the words of an aeronautical engineer friend, was a "young Chuck
Yeager". May he find peace and fly free!

Bill Grannis

On Sat, 06 Dec 2003 12:54:33 GMT, "Billgran"
> wrote:

::Ever since my son would sit on my lap and "drive" my plane while taxing back
:to the ramp, he had a life-long love affair with flying. From RC airplanes
:to being the test pilot for Four Winds Aircraft, he lived to fly. He worked
:to pay for flying lessons and after 4 years in the Marines, he used the GI
:Bill for his advanced ratings. Until his untimely death at 25 years old,
:Richard, in the words of an aeronautical engineer friend, was a "young Chuck
:Yeager". May he find peace and fly free!

He will always fly. Even if he has to build his own wings.