holy ****. 84 year old Scott Crossfield died in his plane's crash. i dunno if that's the right stuff.... but MAN that's some glorious ****.

[Doc Martian]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/267471_Crossfield20ww.html

Famed aviator Scott Crossfield dies in plane crash

P-I STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES

Scott Crossfield, the University of Washington graduate who was the first
man to fly at twice the speed of sound, was found dead Thursday in the
wreckage of his single-engine plane in Georgia.

Crossfield, 84, dueled with Chuck Yeager a half century ago in piloting
rocket-powered aircraft. He helped design and then piloted the X-15 rocket
plane. He was a legend to aeronautic students at the UW, but he considered
his cutting-edge career an ordinary profession.

[Dripnot]

Doc Martian wrote:
> http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/267471_Crossfield20ww.html
>
> Famed aviator Scott Crossfield dies in plane crash
>
> P-I STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES
>
> Scott Crossfield, the University of Washington graduate who was the first
> man to fly at twice the speed of sound, was found dead Thursday in the
> wreckage of his single-engine plane in Georgia.
>
> Crossfield, 84, dueled with Chuck Yeager a half century ago in piloting
> rocket-powered aircraft. He helped design and then piloted the X-15 rocket
> plane. He was a legend to aeronautic students at the UW, but he considered
> his cutting-edge career an ordinary profession.


Sad and tragic that the guy went over the twice the speed of sound, but
died behind the yoke of a lowly bug-smasher. ; ( Hopefully he's in the
hangar in the clouds now.

[Ian MacLure]

"Doc Martian" > wrote in
news:JiU1g.3213$iA5.2425@trnddc06:

> http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/267471_Crossfield20ww.html
>
> Famed aviator Scott Crossfield dies in plane crash
>
> P-I STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES
>
> Scott Crossfield, the University of Washington graduate who was the first
> man to fly at twice the speed of sound, was found dead Thursday in the
> wreckage of his single-engine plane in Georgia.
>
> Crossfield, 84, dueled with Chuck Yeager a half century ago in piloting
> rocket-powered aircraft. He helped design and then piloted the X-15 rocket
> plane. He was a legend to aeronautic students at the UW, but he considered
> his cutting-edge career an ordinary profession.

Well its probably like hunting or blowing things up.
Get the urge to bag/splode worked out of your system early
in life then settle down and enjoy the scenery.
Choirs of angels and all that.

IBM

[Margy Natalie]

Dripnot wrote:
> Doc Martian wrote:
>
>>http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/267471_Crossfield20ww.html
>>
>>Famed aviator Scott Crossfield dies in plane crash
>>
>>P-I STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES
>>
>>Scott Crossfield, the University of Washington graduate who was the first
>>man to fly at twice the speed of sound, was found dead Thursday in the
>>wreckage of his single-engine plane in Georgia.
>>
>>Crossfield, 84, dueled with Chuck Yeager a half century ago in piloting
>>rocket-powered aircraft. He helped design and then piloted the X-15 rocket
>>plane. He was a legend to aeronautic students at the UW, but he considered
>>his cutting-edge career an ordinary profession.
>
>
>
> Sad and tragic that the guy went over the twice the speed of sound, but
> died behind the yoke of a lowly bug-smasher. ; ( Hopefully he's in the
> hangar in the clouds now.
>
I don't think Scott would think kindly of calling his 210 a "lowly bug
smasher". During at least one public presentation when Scott was asked
what his favorite aircraft was he said "a Cessna 210, because it's mine
and it's paid for!" That's the Scott Crossfield I will remember. He
was a great supporter of teachers and of aviation education and always
managed to find time to come to the science fair at the elementary
school that carries his name. He came to the Arbor Day celebrations as
well. He was a good soul and will be missed.

Margy

[Morgans]

"Margy Natalie" > wrote

> I don't think Scott would think kindly of calling his 210 a "lowly bug
> smasher". During at least one public presentation when Scott was asked
> what his favorite aircraft was he said "a Cessna 210, because it's mine
> and it's paid for!" That's the Scott Crossfield I will remember. He was
> a great supporter of teachers and of aviation education and always managed
> to find time to come to the science fair at the elementary school that
> carries his name. He came to the Arbor Day celebrations as well. He was
> a good soul and will be missed.

Is there no end to the people you know? <g>

Seriously, it sounds like (from what everyone that knew him has posted) he
was a special individual. He will be missed in the aviation community, and
by his friends.

Although I don't believe he would not have purposely packed it in by flying
into a storm, I can't help thinking that he would be glad to have bought the
farm, while doing what he loved, what his life was all about; flying.

Godspeed, Scott.
--
Jim in NC

[[email protected]]

> Although I don't believe he would not have purposely packed it in by flying
> into a storm, I can't help thinking that he would be glad to have bought the
> farm, while doing what he loved, what his life was all about; flying.

I've been thinking the same thing.

Does anyone know the particulars of this crash? Did his 210 come apart
in the storm, or (as was implied elsewhere) did he crash into terrain
while under control?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[sculley]

Jesus. I just met that guy and had a nice convo. with him last year,
actually, exactly a year and a week ago..on the dot, at the Sun 'N fun
fly in. I have a picture of me with him somewhere....Nice guy. I was
talking with some friends about his death yesterday and we all agreed
that you might as well die doing something you love.

[Margy Natalie]

Morgans wrote:
>
> "Margy Natalie" > wrote
>
>> I don't think Scott would think kindly of calling his 210 a "lowly bug
>> smasher". During at least one public presentation when Scott was
>> asked what his favorite aircraft was he said "a Cessna 210, because
>> it's mine and it's paid for!" That's the Scott Crossfield I will
>> remember. He was a great supporter of teachers and of aviation
>> education and always managed to find time to come to the science fair
>> at the elementary school that carries his name. He came to the Arbor
>> Day celebrations as well. He was a good soul and will be missed.
>
>
> Is there no end to the people you know? <g>

I don't know him well. My kids went to Crossfield Elementary, so I saw
him at science fair, Arbor Day, etc. He lived a mile or so from my
house (accross from the school!) and we usually went to see him when he
would talk at Oshkosh. He also belonged to the local EAA chapter and
would come to the parties, etc. He always spoke at NCASE (National
conference on Aviation and Space Education) and on at least one occasion
was at a planning meeting I was at. I dragged Ron into the office one
morning early when they were hanging a plane (the kids always ask how
they do that so I figured I should watch) and Scott was there with a
friend of his as the aircraft they were hanging had been restored by
another friend. We were the only 4 there not working (They can't hang
planes when visitors are in the museum)so we had time to chat. He would
chat with everyone, which is one of the things that made him special.
You didn't have to know him to start up a conversation.


>
> Seriously, it sounds like (from what everyone that knew him has posted)
> he was a special individual. He will be missed in the aviation
> community, and by his friends.
>
> Although I don't believe he would not have purposely packed it in by
> flying into a storm, I can't help thinking that he would be glad to have
> bought the farm, while doing what he loved, what his life was all about;
> flying.
>
> Godspeed, Scott.

[Margy Natalie]

wrote:
>>Although I don't believe he would not have purposely packed it in by flying
>>into a storm, I can't help thinking that he would be glad to have bought the
>>farm, while doing what he loved, what his life was all about; flying.
>
>
> I've been thinking the same thing.
>
> Does anyone know the particulars of this crash? Did his 210 come apart
> in the storm, or (as was implied elsewhere) did he crash into terrain
> while under control?
> --

One news report said there were three debris fields. I know how I read
that.

Margy
> Jay Honeck
> Iowa City, IA
> Pathfinder N56993
> www.AlexisParkInn.com
> "Your Aviation Destination"
>

[Gary]

I was in Savannah that day and saw that convective stuff go by. I
could not believe how dark and threatening they looked - we got pounded
on by fierce rain and I was waiting for hail. Looked to me like the
kind of stuff you see a funnel cloud come out of.

[Dana M. Hague]

On 22 Apr 2006 08:02:39 -0700, "sculley" >
wrote:

>Jesus. I just met that guy...

Strange conicidence... though I never met him, just so happens I was
rereading (for the first time in many years) "The Right Stuff", and in
fact was in the chapter where Crossfield is discussed, when I heard
the news.

It *does* seem odd that with all his experience he'd make a decision
to fly into that situation... the autopsy results could be
interesting, I wouldn't be at all surprised to find he had, say,
terminal cancer and chose (conciously or otherwise) a cleaner way to
go.

-Dana
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