Nice read. I knew after I dropped him off that he was headed back out to Valdosta in the Conquest. Didn't know why but later that night he was at the Trump rally in Valdosta. He still speaks highly of the Conquest and what a workhorse it is. He also has a pristine turbine Lanceair. Maybe the third or forth? of those.

Very cool! I sold Bill a Lancair 4p Turbine about 5 years ago, neat, neat airport and facility. We toured his garage(s) and he showed us his cars, and trophies, a Viper he won... and then he took us way in the back and showed us his real treasure.

He wasn't very excited about the race car stuff... or the Viper with 30 miles on it... or any of the Nascar museum worthy stuff...

Nope. The secret stash...

Several 55 gallon drums of tools he bought at a Lockheed auction.

he would go to a drum and pull out a pneumatic drill, with a big smile he'd say "THIS THING PROBABLY WORKS! JUST NEEDS OIL! THESE GUYS WOULD JUST THROW GOOD TOOLS AWAY AND GO GET A NEW ONE!"

"Look at this barrel, it's completely full of drill bits and this one is..."

He was so proud of that stuff, I guess he was bored with the racecar scene.

We also met his brother Ernie and toured his engine shop, that was cool.

We went to Dawsonville with him and had lunch, ate in a cafe with the walls plastered with memorabilia and his picture.

Great guys, glad you got to meet him!

That was a great read! I had no idea Bill was in a F16/F15 crash. I seriously can't imagine that happening.

I don't follow Nascar anymore but Bill was my hero when I was growing up. Loved watching Nascar as a kid on TV.

Cool story. The author could have been more subtle with the Avidyne ad though.

A few that come to mind:
1) Alan Kulwicki
2) Davey Allison
3) two NASCAR employees in a C310R
http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/NA ... 839-1.html

4) 10 people in a King Air on the Rick Hendrick racing team
5) Jack Roush at Oshkosh (Premier)
6) Tony Elliot (Sprint Car Champ)
7) Graham Hill (Formula 1)
8) Tony Stewart's plane hit a deer (no injuries)

I can think of three in baseball 1) Roberto Clemente (a DC7 so not really GA per se) 2) Thurman Munson and 3) Cory Liddle.

Race teams find GA indispensable. Most other teams (MLB, NHL, NFL, NBA) use charters.

Just a guess.

Jack Roush also had a terrible crash in an ultralight into a late. I believe a guy fishing in a rowboat or very small boat pulled him out of the water and revived him as he wasn't breathing.
I think he went on to P-51 flying after that along with other GA A/C.

I had forgotten about that. Wasn't his rescuer like a retired (or current) Navy Seal or similar ?
He was very lucky, kinda sorta, maybe

He was flying an Aircam.

http://m.bleacherreport.com/articles/42 ... lane-crash

Rousch has been making Merlin parts for a long time, I don't know if he still has one, but was a P51 owner for quite a while... Maybe Mr Rozendaal could offer some insight...

And then this...

http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/ ... vegas.html

Mark,

I guess the use of "sordid" ..(dirty,filthy...wretched,squalid...baseness,grossness) was what set me off.

There have been several references over the years to "cowboys", and it ain't like that.

You mentioned a few accidents, Alan Kulwicki...really sad deal, as a passenger in a sponsor's corporate plane. Davey Allison jumped the gun on experience. Not sordid, but preventable. Mike in the 310...I cannot for a minute believe that he argued with maintenance and took off, knowing there had been a problem, uncorrected. Dick, in the Martinsville accident, (?) I'm at a loss, seems like they had relied on the wrong source for distance. Hitting a deer? we had a guy hit one at the home field, I think his cousin was watching a race, so that may count.

Graham Hill...( I need to read about that one...must be the English division)

Seriously though, Everyone I know that flies the circuit (circus) is simulator trained and current, and about all of the equipment is turbine, many RJs for the teams, some chartered and some operated under Pt.125 by the teams. And we rarely go a week without flying...
PS. Great job by the Hendrick crew getting on the ground Sunday night...!

Maybe sordid was too strong. Checkered? Untoward? I never meant to imply that the race teams were doing anything sordid. They use GA way more than most sports. Things happen. Just seems to be that the sport has been hit by more than its share of tragedy as it relates to GA.

No problems Mark,

The biggy was the Martinsville accident. We were all crushed and befuddled. Like Earnhardt's death, it brought a lot of introspection, and safety reviews.

Graham Hill, I think I saw him at the Grand Prix of the United States at Watkins, Glen in 71 or 72... Are you as old as I am?

Jeff

I was at the Glen in 76 and beyond. Met/interviewed paul Newman and recent gold medalist heartthrob Bruce "Caitlin" Jenner.

Drivers were people like Lauda, Fittipaldi, Andretti, Scheckter, Hunt etc

I am 56

Mark, please.

There is Mario Andretti, then there's everyone else.

Those others don't deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence.