Badwater Bill's Memorial Service

Dan Camper wrote:
On Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:19:07 -0500, cavelamb wrote:

Dan Camper wrote:
On Mon, 23 Mar 2009 19:05:45 -0700, John Ammeter wrote:

Anyone that would like to join us in toasting Badwater
Bill, the biggest Asshole that ever walked the Earth and flew through
the skies... l
May I?

Question: Why is it when someone croaks there is always a "if you were
his friend" story? My bet is if it rains, no one will show for the
asshole's funeral.
I guess you didn't know him...

An asshole is an asshole.
And I certainly recognize one right here... Bill "acted" like an
asshole as his persona... you, obviously, are an asshole... Your Mother
didn't much of a job raising you... too bad....

Stealth Pilot wrote:
canopies that hinge backwards will just be blown away but may take the
pilots head off as they depart the aircraft.

Wouldn't the hinge also have to fail for the canopy to strike the occupants
of the cockpit? Otherwise I'm not sure how the geometry of the situation
would cause any part of the canopy to enter the cockpit to strike anyone in
it.

(I could see how such a canopy's hinge would fail eventually and causing
rudder damage.)

Jim Logajan wrote:
Stealth Pilot wrote:
canopies that hinge backwards will just be blown away but may take the
pilots head off as they depart the aircraft.

Wouldn't the hinge also have to fail for the canopy to strike the occupants
of the cockpit? Otherwise I'm not sure how the geometry of the situation
would cause any part of the canopy to enter the cockpit to strike anyone in
it.

(I could see how such a canopy's hinge would fail eventually and causing
rudder damage.)

or undies wrapped around his head?

It had to be something pretty distracting.

"Stealth Pilot" wrote

from my perspective who cares what the NTSB attributes the crash to.
Bill wont care. It wont bring him back. It wont stop people making
poor design choices in homebuilts.

as I say be gentle on Janice. she is grieving the loss.

All great truisms.

All humans are curious. They just want to know. Like you say, it won't bring
Bill back.

I agree about not pushing Janice. She has been through a lot, and has a lot to
work through in the future.

Even though she does not remember anything from the crash, months or years down
the road, she may start to remember glimpses of the crash. On the other hand,
she may not.

For now, those close to her just have to take care of her the best way they know
how.

You all lift one for me. I'll lift one from afar.
--
Jim in NC

Stealth Pilot wrote:

some homebuilts have less than optimal design features but that is
part of the character of them.
every single homebuilt is different and lessons from one are seldom
transferrable to another.

from my perspective who cares what the NTSB attributes the crash to.
Bill wont care. It wont bring him back. It wont stop people making
poor design choices in homebuilts.

I respect your attitude, but I do not share it.

For one thing, the Lancair Legacy is not a "one-of." There are over 100
of them in the US registry alone. Bill had a "hired gun" build the
Lancair; the man built at least three of them (in addition to at least
one other type).

So I think it's important that the current Legacy owners know whether
there's a design flaw in the canopy latch. I think it's important for
owners of the hired gun's other aircraft to know whether their builder
had trouble getting the latch to work right.

Almost fourteen years ago, Steve Wittman and his wife were killed in the
crash of his O&O special. The accident resulted from his use of a mix
of covering processes (Poly-fiber fabric attached with nitrate dope).

Just *two weeks* ago, that accident was referenced in a Fly Baby mailing
list discussion of covering and painting processes.

About ten years ago, a very respected local homebuilder was killed. He
died because he didn't tighten a nut.

Every time I take a wrench to my airplane, I think of him and how even
the best can make mistakes.

So the lessons *do* get learned...but we need to do the research that
reveals the truths. If we learn nothing from this accident, then Bill's
death was a total waste.

Ron Wanttaja

On Wed, 25 Mar 2009 23:19:55 -0700, Ron Wanttaja
wrote:

Stealth Pilot wrote:

some homebuilts have less than optimal design features but that is
part of the character of them.
every single homebuilt is different and lessons from one are seldom
transferrable to another.

from my perspective who cares what the NTSB attributes the crash to.
Bill wont care. It wont bring him back. It wont stop people making
poor design choices in homebuilts.

I respect your attitude, but I do not share it.

For one thing, the Lancair Legacy is not a "one-of." There are over 100
of them in the US registry alone. Bill had a "hired gun" build the
Lancair; the man built at least three of them (in addition to at least
one other type).

So I think it's important that the current Legacy owners know whether
there's a design flaw in the canopy latch. I think it's important for
owners of the hired gun's other aircraft to know whether their builder
had trouble getting the latch to work right.

Almost fourteen years ago, Steve Wittman and his wife were killed in the
crash of his O&O special. The accident resulted from his use of a mix
of covering processes (Poly-fiber fabric attached with nitrate dope).

Just *two weeks* ago, that accident was referenced in a Fly Baby mailing
list discussion of covering and painting processes.

About ten years ago, a very respected local homebuilder was killed. He
died because he didn't tighten a nut.

Every time I take a wrench to my airplane, I think of him and how even
the best can make mistakes.

So the lessons *do* get learned...but we need to do the research that
reveals the truths. If we learn nothing from this accident, then Bill's
death was a total waste.

Ron Wanttaja

we actually dont disagree Ron. Just be kind to Janice when it is done.
she is not a machine and she can be damaged by the memories.
if finding the facts is painful for her then desist.
surely a builder of an aircraft can assess the suitability of the
latch on his aircraft for himself. builders usually have some nouse.

Stealth Pilot

"John Ammeter" wrote in message
news:cO2dnWwn7PqpnlrUnZ2dnUVZ_q_inZ2d@cablespeedmi .com...

Tommy, maybe you ought to get a room so you can toss off a few for Billy,
too....

Vegas has a desginated driver service. I'll be there.

On Mar 26, 12:34*am, John Ammeter
wrote:
She was in the airplane and suffered severe injuries... spent almost
three months in the ICU, hospital, recovery center, etc...

She has no memory of the accident or the day of the accident.

John

Stealth Pilot wrote:
On Sun, 22 Mar 2009 20:34:02 -0700, John Ammeter
wrote:

For those of you that are near to Las Vegas....

The memorial service for Bill is April 18th (Saturday) at Palm Mortuary
6701 N. Jones Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89131 starting at 1:00pm
(702-464-8470) (800-542-2902)

Bill died in the crash of his homebuilt airplane on October 18, 2008
near Parowan, Utah. *His wife, Janice, was severely injured in the
accident.

Bill was a rascally ol' good cookie. no doubt about it.

what's happened to boom boom? she ok?

Stealth Pilot

Is she up and about and able to do things yet John or is she still
under care.

Monk

Great, Tom... looking forward to seeing you again.

John

tom c wrote:
"John Ammeter" wrote in message
news:cO2dnWwn7PqpnlrUnZ2dnUVZ_q_inZ2d@cablespeedmi .com...
Tommy, maybe you ought to get a room so you can toss off a few for Billy,
too....

Vegas has a desginated driver service. I'll be there.

On Mar 26, 12:34*am, John Ammeter
wrote:
She was in the airplane and suffered severe injuries... spent almost
three months in the ICU, hospital, recovery center, etc...

She has no memory of the accident or the day of the accident.

John



Is she up and about and able to do things yet John or is she still
under care.

Monk