And so, another of my Heroes goes West

It didn't gather nearly the attention of Mr. Leeward's tragic crash at Reno. I caught it as a side-bar on another news story. Mr. Howard Purdue, an Airshow Performer, Air Racer, and Prolific Warbird pilot, died in the crash of his beautiful F8F Bearcat earlier this month. I don't know the details of the accident, and wasn't in a mood to pursue them yet.

I never got to meet the man, but was privileged to walk around his Bearcat at Oshkosh 1999. Unfortunately, a few hours later, I witnessed Mr. Purdue and his Navy Fighter being clipped by a Corsair on it's takeoff run during the Warbird Flight of the airshow.

http://www.aafo.com/hangartalk/showthread.php?t=6654

His Bearcat lost a big chunk of it's right wing, as the Corsair went totally out of control and cart-wheeled off the left side of the runway. I don't know it for a fact (the runway is raised enough that he wouldn't have been visible in the grass beyond), but was told that Mr. Purdue chopped his engine, and was out of the aircraft before it had stopped it's induced ground loop, and was running through the debris of the Corsair to assist it's pilot, who was severely injured, but alive.

Mr. Purdue, and his type, were the men that I started reading about as kid, and who I owe a debt for their inspiration.

http://warbird-central.com/2012/04/90446-f8f-1-bearcat-kimberly-brooke/