On May 16, 10:44 pm, "Dudley Henriques" wrote:
"wkambic" wrote in message

oups.com...

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=6a8_1179158388

That's quite a stunt.
About "The Flying Professor"; I knew Dick fairly well; in fact both Schrams
were great guys.
I was at Reading in 69 when Dick Sr went in in the J3. His son was on the
mike narrating Dick's show. Dick Jr was the PAO for the Blues as well.
I don't recall Dick ever doing a "stunt" like this one, but was one hell of
a fair stick with a J3.
He had "borrowed" the airplane he was killed in at Reading from a New Jersey
friend who had used the airplane the day before for a photo shoot and
forgotten to replace the cotter pin in the rear cockpit stick. The stick
came out in Dick's hand during a low altitude hammerhead and he went in from
the back side right in front of where Dick Jr. and I were standing on the
podium.
Sad day, and a real loss for the air show community.
The Navy named a chapel after Dick at Glenview NAS. I believe it's still
there.
In lectures and talks I've given on flight safety through the years, I've
used Dick's death as a strong reminder on the importance of pre-flight
inspection. Knowing him as I did, I'm certain he would want the accident to
be put to some kind of good use, and I also know that if one pilot I
lectured about preflight inspection was saved from an accident because of
it, Dick would be resting peacefully with that.
Dudley Henriques

You knew him better than I! :-)

It is possible that The Flying Professor persona was his second show?

I first saw him at NAS Glenview when I was a Middie. One of the "old
timers" there (a really ancient CDR, a WWII Avenger pilot) told me
that he performed the "World's Smallest Aircraft Carrier" stunt on a
number of occasions. At one, or so the story goes, the CNO was
present. Somebody "ribbed" CNO about the fact that the guy out there
promoting Naval Aviation was not, in fact, a Naval Aviator. Shortly
thereafter CAPT Schram became Honorary Naval Aviator #1. True, or
just folklore? I don't know. But that's my story and I'm stikkin' to
it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;-)

There's a pretty good site that details the history of NAS Glenview.
The former chapel is now the Dick Schram Museum.

He was a Hell of stick and could certainly make J3 sit up and beg. I
have no doubt that he could land a J3 anywhere he wanted to.

May be Rest In Peace.