Roger Halstead
July 26th 03, 05:34 AM
On Fri, 25 Jul 2003 10:27:53 -0500, Big John >
wrote:
>Here is the obit posted in Houston Chronicle 25 July 03
>`````````````````````````````````````````````````` ````````````````````````````````````
>
>TOM DELASHAW, 66, FORMER FIGHTER PILOT
>
>Tom Delashaw, a highly decorated USAF fighter pilot who flew more than
>300 combat missions during the Vietnam War, was killed in an air crash
>Tuesday in Pennsylvania. He was 66.
I didn't realize who he was until I read the call sign below.
He had sent me an e-mail to get a copy of a photo I have on the web.
It was signed "Sharkbait" . I believe he is flying one of the 104s..
http://www.rogerhalstead.com/jets.htm
Unfortunately I lost the e-mail and never did find the address.
Roger
>
>Delashaw, a resident of Conroe (TX), died when the privately owned
>Hawker Hunter jet he was flying crashed shortly after takeoff at
>Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport.
>
>He was piloting the British made aircraft, which dated from 1957, for
>delivery to a purchaser in Montreal, according to Delashaw's son,
>Nelson, an Air Force First Lieutenant stationed at Laughlin AFB in Del
>Rio (TX). The NTBS is investigating the crash.
>
>Delashaw was an instructor at Aviation Safety Training which trains
>airline and corporate pilots in dealing with unexpected or abnormal
>flying conditions, said Don Wylie, owner of the firm, which is in
>Spring (TX).
>
>"I've been flying for 40 years" Wylie said, "and Tom was literally
>unmatched among his peers. He had extremely good judgment and turned
>down (flying in) many planes because they didn't measure up."
>
>Delashaw, who flew some 300 missions during two tours of duty in VN,
>had never before suffered an injury in flying and had never crashed a
>plane, his son said. He also flew missions during the Cuban missile
>crisis, his son said.
>
>Delashaw graduated from the Air Force Fighter Weapons School (Nellis
>AFB). He later piloted the F-104, Starfighter, and the F-4, Phantom.
>His nickname, "Sharkbait", derived from the call sign of his F-4
>squadron in SE Asia.
>
>Delashaw boasted of being the "oldest Mach 2 pilot in the world." Mach
>2 is twice the speed of sound.
>
>His decorations include the DFC for gallantry in combat in VN and the
>Air Medals with clusters.
>
>Delashaw joined the Air Force in 1956 and retired in the late 1980s.
>
>Delashaw also had toured with the Starfighters Airshow Demonstration
>Team, which flies F-104 Starfighters.
>
>A native of Amarillo (TX), Delashaw grew up there, graduating from
>Amarillo High School in 1955.
>
>Besides his son, Delashaw leaves his wife, Dori, of Conroe; another
>son, Thomas Delashaw IV of Amarillo, and a daughter, Georgeanne
>Churchman of Amarillo.
>
>Services are pending.
>
>My condolances to the family of a brother Fighter Pilot.
>
>Big John
>USAF (Ret)
>
>
>On 22 Jul 2003 14:19:17 GMT, (VRB300) wrote:
>
>>An ac reorted by a witness to be a "privately owned military type ac" went down
>>after take off. One confirmed dead, other pax condition unknown at present.
>>Plane reportedly leveled off at low alt and then went into a steep descent
>>shortly after takeoff. Happened around 9:00 AM today.
>>
>>Vince
Roger Halstead (K8RI EN73 & ARRL Life Member)
www.rogerhalstead.com
N833R World's oldest Debonair? (S# CD-2)
wrote:
>Here is the obit posted in Houston Chronicle 25 July 03
>`````````````````````````````````````````````````` ````````````````````````````````````
>
>TOM DELASHAW, 66, FORMER FIGHTER PILOT
>
>Tom Delashaw, a highly decorated USAF fighter pilot who flew more than
>300 combat missions during the Vietnam War, was killed in an air crash
>Tuesday in Pennsylvania. He was 66.
I didn't realize who he was until I read the call sign below.
He had sent me an e-mail to get a copy of a photo I have on the web.
It was signed "Sharkbait" . I believe he is flying one of the 104s..
http://www.rogerhalstead.com/jets.htm
Unfortunately I lost the e-mail and never did find the address.
Roger
>
>Delashaw, a resident of Conroe (TX), died when the privately owned
>Hawker Hunter jet he was flying crashed shortly after takeoff at
>Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport.
>
>He was piloting the British made aircraft, which dated from 1957, for
>delivery to a purchaser in Montreal, according to Delashaw's son,
>Nelson, an Air Force First Lieutenant stationed at Laughlin AFB in Del
>Rio (TX). The NTBS is investigating the crash.
>
>Delashaw was an instructor at Aviation Safety Training which trains
>airline and corporate pilots in dealing with unexpected or abnormal
>flying conditions, said Don Wylie, owner of the firm, which is in
>Spring (TX).
>
>"I've been flying for 40 years" Wylie said, "and Tom was literally
>unmatched among his peers. He had extremely good judgment and turned
>down (flying in) many planes because they didn't measure up."
>
>Delashaw, who flew some 300 missions during two tours of duty in VN,
>had never before suffered an injury in flying and had never crashed a
>plane, his son said. He also flew missions during the Cuban missile
>crisis, his son said.
>
>Delashaw graduated from the Air Force Fighter Weapons School (Nellis
>AFB). He later piloted the F-104, Starfighter, and the F-4, Phantom.
>His nickname, "Sharkbait", derived from the call sign of his F-4
>squadron in SE Asia.
>
>Delashaw boasted of being the "oldest Mach 2 pilot in the world." Mach
>2 is twice the speed of sound.
>
>His decorations include the DFC for gallantry in combat in VN and the
>Air Medals with clusters.
>
>Delashaw joined the Air Force in 1956 and retired in the late 1980s.
>
>Delashaw also had toured with the Starfighters Airshow Demonstration
>Team, which flies F-104 Starfighters.
>
>A native of Amarillo (TX), Delashaw grew up there, graduating from
>Amarillo High School in 1955.
>
>Besides his son, Delashaw leaves his wife, Dori, of Conroe; another
>son, Thomas Delashaw IV of Amarillo, and a daughter, Georgeanne
>Churchman of Amarillo.
>
>Services are pending.
>
>My condolances to the family of a brother Fighter Pilot.
>
>Big John
>USAF (Ret)
>
>
>On 22 Jul 2003 14:19:17 GMT, (VRB300) wrote:
>
>>An ac reorted by a witness to be a "privately owned military type ac" went down
>>after take off. One confirmed dead, other pax condition unknown at present.
>>Plane reportedly leveled off at low alt and then went into a steep descent
>>shortly after takeoff. Happened around 9:00 AM today.
>>
>>Vince
Roger Halstead (K8RI EN73 & ARRL Life Member)
www.rogerhalstead.com
N833R World's oldest Debonair? (S# CD-2)