Skytypers Air Show Team
The Skytypers Air Show Team are an aerobatic team that perform at airshows around the country using six SNJ-2 World War II-era planes. The team is sponsored by Geico. Known as skytyping, the aircraft perfom low-level flying maneuvers while creating aerial smoke messages that are created via computer-controlled smoke puffs. [1]
In April 2007, the Skytypers performed the missing man formation in a special tribute to Kevin "Kojak" Davis who was killed in the 2007 Blue Angels South Carolina crash.[2]
2007 accident
On Friday September 7 2007, flight leader Jan Wildbergh was killed while returning to the runway following a successful rehearsal for the annual Naval Air Station Oceana Air Show in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Jan was the last in line to land but did not complete the break in formation after the last maneuver, a flyover at show center. Instead, the aircraft continued straight ahead losing altitude until it hit the ground. According to the team spokesman, Jan was too low to use his parachute and did not have an ejection seat. The airshow is scheduled to go on. [1][3]
References
- ^ a b Pilot killed in stunt plane crash at Virginia Navy base, CNN.com, updated 10:31 p.m. EDT, Fri September 7, 2007
- ^ Lowcountry Mourns Loss of Fallen Blue Angel (PDF version), The Jet Stream online, USMC, April 27 2007 print edition
- ^ Pilot Lost In GEICO SkyTypers Accident At NAS Oceana, Aero-news.net, update as of 09.07.07 1635 EDT
External links
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